Recapping Lehigh
By John Altavilla
Throughout its history, Yale has never bowed its flag to any opponent, no matter the circumstances, regardless of public opinion.
That’s why its coaching staff didn’t seem overly concerned about No. 8 Lehigh’s credentials and reputation prior to Saturday’s game.
“In this program it’s about us,” said Yale offensive coordinator Chris Ostrowsky earlier last week. “We take care of each other. It’s about us getting better at our product. The theme for us this week is about getting better at what we do. If we do that our players are elite enough to win a lot of football games. It’s not about who we play.”
Despite its best intentions, sometimes things don’t turn the way Yale hoped they would.
Dropped into an early hole when Lehigh scored touchdowns on its first two series’, the Bulldogs couldn’t climb their way out and lost to 31-13.
The Mountain Hawks, who have won 11 straight regular-season games since losing at Yale last October, were picked first in the 2025 Patriot League Preseason Poll, earning 13 of 16 first-place votes. And they have started the season at 6-0 for the first to since 2012.
Lehigh proved superior across the board, even holding Yale’s vaunted running game to only 103 yards. Josh Pitsenberger, who had scored six touchdowns over the first two weeks of the season, was held to 63 yards on 18 carries.
The Bulldogs were more successful through the air. Sophomore quarterback Dante Reno had a strong game in his young career, completing 25 of 38 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns.
Senior Nico Brown, who did not play last week against Cornell, had seven receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore Jaxton Santiago added six catches for 85 yards.
Yale’s defense was again led by senior linebacker Inumidun Ayo-Durojaiye. After being selected the Ivy League’s Defensive Player of the Week with his 17 tackles against Cornell, he followed it up with another 13 tackles on Saturday.
Lehigh’s offense, headlined by running back Luke Yoder, who came into the game third in the FCS in rushing, had 175 yards in the game with Yoder leading the way with 108 yards and one touchdown. Yoder also scored on a reception.
Lehigh got right to it on its first drive. First benefiting from a pass interference call on Brandon Webster, quarterback Hayden Johnson hit Mason Humphrey in the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown just 3:46 into the game.
After quickly stopping Yale on its first possession, the Mountain Hawks embarked on an 11-play, 90-yard drive that encompassed almost seven minutes. Johnson ended it by connecting with Yoder for a 24-yard score with 3:08 to play in the first quarter.
The Mountain Hawks collected 10 first downs and had 131 yards of offense in the first quarter, controlling the ball for 11:10. But as the game progressed, Yale’s defense stiffened, and its offense began to move. And the Bulldogs eventually cut the score in half when Reno connected with Brown for a 27-yard touchdown that ended an 89-yard drive just before the half.
Up 14-7 at the half, Lehigh quickly moved to another score to start the third quarter. Following an interception of Reno, Johnson connected for a 59-yard catch and run along the far sideline after Webster’s attempt to jump the route failed.
On the next play, Yoder ran untouched into the end zone with 9:48 remaining in the third quarter.
Yale immediately cut into the lead. On a 4
th-and-2 from the Lehigh 44, the Bulldogs decided to go for in a big way - Reno’s second touchdown pass to a streaking Brown. Nick Conforti’s PAT failed and Yale trailed 21-13.
Players Of The Game
WR Nico Brown, Sr., 6-0, 185, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Edison)
After opening the season against Holy Cross with five receptions for 119 yards and one touchdown, Brown did not play against Cornell. But he returned to the lineup on Saturday to lead the Bulldogs with seven receptions for 85 yards and two TDs, the first from 27 yards in the second quarter, the second from 44 in the third.
LB Imumidun Ayo-Durojaiye, Sr., 6-1, 215, Damascus, Md. (Damascus)
Ayo-Durojaiye, the Ivy League’s reigning Defensive Player of the Week, anchored Yale's defense in the Bulldogs' 41-24 win over Cornell, finishing with a career-high 17 tackles. His performance marked the most by a Yale player since Foye Oluokun recorded 16 against Colgate in 2014. And he followed it up leading the defense again with 13 tackles against Lehigh.
Reno’s Rundown
"Credit to a strong Lehigh team. There were opportunities we did not capitalize on and that comes down to discipline and execution. We will use this week of practice working on finishing strong in all phases of the game.”
Ivy League Standings
Harvard: 1-0, 3-0
Penn: 1-0, 2-1
Princeton: 1-0, 2-1
Yale: 1-0, 2-1
Brown: 0-1, 2-1
Dartmouth: 0-1, 2-1
Columbia: 0-1, 1-2
Cornell: 0-1, 0-3
In the National Poll
Harvard is now No. 25 in the AFCA FCS coaches poll after its convincing 59-24 road win over Holy Cross last week.
Jaden Craig threw three touchdown passes and Brady Blackburn caught two touchdowns to lead the Crimson. Craig was 19 of 27 with 248 yards and finished his day by the end of the first half. He was relieved by Dante Torres, who was 4 of 5 passing for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Blackburn caught five balls for 114 yards. His touchdowns came on a 13-yarder from Craig with five seconds left in the first quarter, then grabbed a 33-yarder from Torres with 11:03 in the third.
Craig, who now is being mentioned as a possible NFL prospect, has completed 53 of 71 passes for 773 yards with no interceptions this season. He leads an offense that is averaging 53 points.
Lehigh remained No. 8 after its 31-13 win over Yale. The defeat knocked the Bulldogs out of the poll after receiving a handful of votes during the first two weeks of the season. Dartmouth is also out following its 36-24 loss at Penn.
Meanwhile, Brown is back in with six points thanks to its 31-21 upset of No. 18 Rhode Island.
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Rec. |
Pts. |
| 1 |
North Dakota St. (26) |
5-0 |
650 |
| 2 |
South Dakota St. |
5-0 |
621 |
| 3 |
Tarleton St. |
6-0 |
574 |
| 4 |
Montana |
5-0 |
567 |
| 5 |
Montana St. |
4-2 |
530 |
| 6 |
UC Davis |
4-1 |
499 |
| 7 |
Tennessee Tech |
5-0 |
455 |
| 8 |
Lehigh |
6-0 |
452 |
| 9 |
Southern Illinois |
4-1 |
406 |
| 10 |
Illinois St. |
3-2 |
399 |
| 11 |
Monmouth (N.J.) |
4-1 |
383 |
| 12 |
North Dakota |
3-2 |
359 |
| 13 |
Idaho |
2-3 |
306 |
| 14 |
Jackson St. |
4-1 |
269 |
| 15 |
Austin Peay |
4-2 |
224 |
| 16 |
Northern Arizona |
4-2 |
221 |
| 17 |
Villanova |
3-2 |
211 |
| 18 |
Rhode Island |
4-2 |
203 |
| 19 |
Mercer |
4-1 |
164 |
| 20 |
Youngstown St. |
3-2 |
162 |
| 21t. |
ACU |
3-3 |
140 |
| 21t. |
West Georgia |
5-1 |
140 |
| 23 |
Presbyterian |
5-0 |
130 |
| 24 |
Lamar |
4-1 |
111 |
| 25 |
Harvard |
3-0 |
64 |
Others Receiving Votes: Southeastern Louisiana, 52; Furman, 38; Stephen F. Austin, 33; South Dakota, 21; UIW, 19; Gardner-Webb, 12; Alabama St., 9; Brown, 6; Elon, 6; North Carolina Central, 5; UT-Rio Grande Valley, 4; Lafayette, 3; Cal Poly, 2.
From Prospect Park to the Ivy League: Kamara’s Rise at Yale
When a trio of Yale assistant coaches sidled up to Abu Kamara on the campus of Interboro High in Prospect Park, Pa., three years ago, they really had just one important to question to ask the two-way standout, who had led his team to the District 1 Class 4A Championship in 2022 for just a second time in school history.
“To be honest with you, when we sat down with him at his school we asked him point blank where do you want to play on the field,” said Sean McGowan, Yale’s defensive coordinator. “He leaned back in his chair and said defense. So that naturally made things easier. And he’s made his decision look very good.”
Kamara’s decision was a lot easier than you might think, despite the 2,832 rushing yards, 42 touchdowns and 10 interceptions he amassed during his high school career.
“I was never really a running back but decided to play the position because the team needed it, said Kamara. “But ever since I was a kid I was running around and hitting people.”
Consider the accolades he received in high school:
Kamara was the Maxwell Football Club and Delaware County Player of the Year as a senior. He was First team all-state running back and defensive back. He’s the school record holder in interceptions and holds the school and Delaware County single season touchdown and rushing record, not to mention Interboro’s and Delaware County’s single-game rushing record holder.
But like McGowan said, Kamara’s instincts about where the best fit on the field was for him has proven to be spot on. Only a junior, he has already become of the most impactful defenders in the Ivy League – and possibly Yale’s next candidate to play in the NFL.
As a sophomore, Kamara was not only an All-Ivy first team pick, but he was an honorable All-America pick and was named to the All-New England team.
Kamara has already made his presence known this season. Against Cornell, he intercepted a pair of passes, running the second back for a 66-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. On top of that, he added a fumble recovery and blocked a field goal to end the first half.
Largely because of all this, Kamara is beginning to be compared to Rodney Thomas, the former Yale defensive back, who was drafted in the seventh round in 2022 by the Indianapolis Colts and is currently in the fourth season of his career with the team.
“I am aware of what’s being said about me, but I’m trying not to focus on it,” said Kamara. “I’m more interested in focusing on my teammates and trying to win the next game. The other stuff is a distraction. I need to be there for my team. When I came here, I understood that I needed to play hard. That’s been the case my entire career – do what you’re supposed to do and the outcome you are seeking will happen.”
McGowan, who coached Thomas at Yale, admits he sees many traits that Kamara shares with Thomas.
“At this point of his career, Rodney was still playing at safety. The thing about them is their skill levels allowed them to play at the third level or second level. Right now, Abu is a little bigger than Rodney was at this stage of his career. So, you can feel his strength and impact on the perimeter or when he has the opportunity to tackle people very violently. They are very similar.
“I think Abu is a little angrier than Rodney overall. Some guys have that within them more than others and the allows us as coaches to lean into them. Abu is pretty modest when it comes to understanding his ability to lead defensively. He is the alpha of the defense. He is challenging his teammates to be better. That’s a cool thing. I’m up in the press box but you can hear the chatter on the bench. It’s him calling the D line or the linebackers to be better.”
Kamara smiled when he heard McGowan’s evaluation of his on-field personality.
“It’s kind of like flipping a switch. On the field it’s about letting it loose even if I have stuff going on outside of football or at home,” said Kamara. “Football is my time to feel loose, forget about everything else and play. I take advantage of the opportunity to play as hard and fast and angry as I can.”
Coaching Reunion
Yale’s meeting with Lehigh reunited the Bulldogs program with Mountain Hawks head coach, Kevin Cahill, who spent 10 seasons in New Haven working for Yale coach Tony Reno.
“My experience at Yale prepared me for the next step in my career. I learned how to build a program from tough times to prominence, and many of the same steps we took at Yale, we’ve applied at Lehigh,” said Cahill. “I’m deeply grateful to Tony [Reno] for his mentorship - he let me grow, make mistakes, and learn from them. He was a tremendous mentor, but an even better friend, and I cherish that every day. The relationships I built with the staff, players, and Yale community were truly special, and many remain strong today. Yale is a special place for many reasons and the tradition of Yale Football is stronger than ever. Now we’re working to create something similar in Bethlehem, Pa.
Cahill was named Lehigh coach on Dec. 19, 2022, after helping Yale win three Ivy League championships - while leading one of the nation’s top offensive units.
“Kevin’s a great guy; an awesome dude,” said Chris Ostrowsky, Yale’s current offensive coordinator. “He stands for the all the things you’d want a person to stand for. I love him. I root for him every week – just not this week.
In his last five years at Yale, Cahill served as Yale’s Associate Head Coach working directly with the quarterbacks. In 2022, the Bulldogs captured their third Ivy crown in the last five seasons, featuring the top-ranked offense in the Ivy League which was also ranked in the top 25 in the FCS in total offense.
With Cahill as a mentor, Yale quarterback Nolan Grooms thrived in his first full season as a starter, throwing for 1,660 yards and 14 touchdowns and adding 745 yards and six touchdowns on the ground on the way to winning the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Cahill initially came to Yale as Special Teams Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach in 2012 and took over the quarterbacks in 2014. His offense helped Yale also capture Ivy League titles in 2017 and 2019 and had the No. 1 offense in the Ivy League in three of Cahill’s 10 years on staff.
In addition to Grooms, Cahill worked with Kurt Rawlings, the 2019 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, who is Yale’s all-time leading passer, 2018 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Griffin O’Connor and Morgan Roberts the No. 2 passer in Yale history.
Two members of Cahill’s staff at Lehigh – wide receivers coach Mark McMaster and tight ends coach Bobby Bozyn – also coached for Cahill and Reno at Yale.
