Recapping Stonehill
By Michael LaRocca
Even from the opening kickoff, Yale football’s matchup with Stonehill on Saturday afternoon was never in doubt.
After dropping two road games in two weeks, the Bulldogs returned home to the Yale Bowl by making a statement in all phases of the game, clobbering the Skyhawks 47-7 in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Yale’s 40-point margin of victory was the largest the program has seen since Team 150 defeated Morgan State 45-3 on Sept. 30, 2023.
“After a tough loss last week, we wanted to come in and leave our identity on the field,” sophomore quarterback Dante Reno said. “I think our goal was to score upward of 30-40 points, and we did that today. If we do that, we'll have a good chance to win.”
The Bulldogs ran away almost immediately, scoring points on all five first-half drives, including rushing touchdowns from running backs Josh Pitsenberger and Wilhelm Daal and three field goals from first year kicker Noah Piper to get through 30 minutes of play with a 23-0 lead.
The first half was ultimately defined by the Yale offense’s perfection of its rushing attack, rotating carries between Pitsenberger, Daal and first year back Hugo Djeumeni. The trio combined for 128 yards in the first half on 31 carries with two touchdowns.
“I think it's important that at that position specifically, because it's such a grind, that you organize a symmetry really appropriately,” offensive coordinator Chris Ostrowsky said. “We've got three really good running backs. Obviously (Pitsenberger) has been a star here since for four years, Daal continues to impress and Hugo is so unbelievably talented. So it's cool to see those kids progress and grow and be able to play a little bit.”
Pitsenberger continued the onslaught in the third quarter, adding a second rushing touchdown to put the Bulldogs up by 30 points. The captain’s two rushing touchdowns put him at 30 for his career, vaulting him ahead of Robert Carr for fourth-most by a Yale player. Pitsenberger is now one touchdown behind Tyler Varga for third place and four behind John Pagliaro for second all-time.
Holding onto a comfortable lead, the Bulldogs played with house money for the rest of the matchup. Sophomore wide receiver Jaxton Santiago broke out in the second half, finishing the day with a career-high 150 receiving yards and a 48-yard touchdown in the third quarter to make the score 37-0 Yale.
While the Bulldog defense did not force any turnovers on the day, it didn’t need to. It took the Stonehill offense nine drives to cross the 50-yard line, with Yale holding the Skyhawks to 1.9 rushing yards per carry on the day and only 117 total passing yards, sacking Stonehill quarterback Jack O’Connell three times.
“Defensively, it was all about making a statement this week as a team, and I have a lot of belief that we have a special defense,” defensive lineman Ezekiel Larry said. “We wanted to use this week as an opportunity to really show that.”
Up 40-0 entering the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs handed the reins to the backups, allowing senior quarterback Marshall Howe and senior running back Cameron Price to put on a show.
On the first play of the quarter, Howe found Price on a wheel route down the sideline for an 18-yard gain, the first touch of Price’s career. Price finished the drive off minutes with Yale’s fourth rushing touchdown of the day, capping the Bulldogs’ scoring output at 47 points, the most since putting up 56 against Brown on Nov. 9, 2024.
“Felt good to see those guys like Marshall Howe get out there and play really well,” Reno said. “He's been great for me and helped me learn this offense and just bringing me into the quarterback room.”
Yale nearly secured its first shutout since the 2021 season, but with both teams’ backups on the field, Stonehill found its way across midfield and into the endzone with 35 seconds remaining in the game to close the game out 47-7.
The final highlight of the day for Yale was the debut of freshman quarterback Charlie Hewitt, who had the opportunity to execute victory formation for the Bulldogs on a flawless day.
Reno’s Corner
“Today was a complete team effort, and I couldn't be prouder of our guys. We played a full game in all three phases - offense, defense and special teams. The focus and energy they showed all week in practice carried over to the field today. We look forward to getting back to work tomorrow, and preparing for the next week ahead.”
Players of the Game
QB Dante Reno, So., 6-2, 205, Sturbridge, Mass. (Cheshire Academy)
The young quarterback had the best game of his career against Stonehill, completing 16 of 24 passes for 267 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions before coming out of the game after three quarters.
WR Jaxton Santiago, So., 6-3, 215, Bakersfield, Calif. (Centennial)
The Bulldogs came into the season very excited about Santiago’s potential and he paid his first big dividend by catching five passes for a career-high 150 yards and one touchdown, a 48-yard connection with Reno in the third quarter that increased Yale’s lead to 37-0. It was the longest pass play of the season for the team.
PK Noah Piper, Fy., 6-3, 180 pounds, Flower Mound, Tex., (Greenhill School)
Piper took over as Yale’s placekicker against Lehigh and justified the decision by making four field goals and five extra points in the win over Stonehill. The Bulldogs had not made four field goals in a game since Kyle Cazzetta did it on Nov. 1, 2014 in a 25-7 win at Columbia.
Ivy League Standings
Harvard: 2-0, 5-0
Penn: 2-0, 4-1
Princeton: 2-0, 3-2
Dartmouth: 1-1, 4-1
Yale: 1-1, 3-2
Brown: 0-2, 3-2
Columbia: 0-2, 1-4
Cornell: 0-2, 1-4
In the National Standings
Harvard climbed three spots in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and now is ranked 17
th in the nation after improving its record to 5-0 with a 31-7 win over Merrimack on Saturday.
In the game, DJ Gordon gained 104 yard on only eight carries and scored two touchdown. Quarterback Jaden Craig completed 17 of 29 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown.
Elsewhere in the Ivy League, Penn received 11 votes after Liam O’Brien passed for four touchdowns and ran for another score and Jared Richardson had 157 receiving yards and three scores as the Quakers won 35-21 at Columbia.
Dartmouth had only one vote. Grayson Saunier threw a pair of touchdown passes in a 24-point second half for Dartmouth to lead a 30-13 win over Fordham on Saturday. Saunier was 21-of-29 passing with 281 yards. He made up for a fourth-quarter error to lead the win.
Brown, which had eight votes last week, dropped out of the poll after committing four turnovers during a 40-21 loss to Princeton.
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Rec. |
Pts. |
| 1 |
North Dakota St. (25) |
7-0 |
625 |
| 2 |
South Dakota St. |
7-0 |
597 |
| 3 |
Tarleton St. |
8-0 |
578 |
| 4 |
Montana |
7-0 |
547 |
| 5 |
Montana St. |
5-2 |
501 |
| 6 |
UC Davis |
5-1 |
487 |
| 7 |
Lehigh |
7-0 |
465 |
| 8 |
Tennessee Tech |
7-0 |
431 |
| 9 |
Monmouth (N.J.) |
6-1 |
417 |
| 10 |
North Dakota |
5-2 |
398 |
| 11 |
Jackson St. |
5-1 |
345 |
| 12 |
Villanova |
5-2 |
322 |
| 13 |
Rhode Island |
6-2 |
314 |
| 14 |
Mercer |
5-1 |
277 |
| 15 |
Lamar |
6-1 |
268 |
| 16 |
Presbyterian |
7-0 |
241 |
| 17 |
Harvard |
5-0 |
198 |
| 18 |
Southern Illinois |
4-3 |
165 |
| 19 |
Southeastern Louisiana |
5-2 |
164 |
| 20 |
Illinois St. |
4-3 |
163 |
| 21 |
Youngstown St. |
4-3 |
155 |
| 22 |
Northern Arizona |
4-3 |
124 |
| 23 |
Austin Peay |
4-3 |
73 |
| 24 |
Stephen F. Austin |
5-2 |
64 |
| 25 |
ACU |
4-4 |
48 |
Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota, 32; West Georgia, 29; Western Carolina, 23; North Carolina Central, 17; Lafayette, 13; Penn, 11; Sacramento St., 11; UT Rio Grande Valley, 7; Central Arkansas, 6; Gardner-Webb, 4; Alabama St., 3; Dartmouth, 1; Duquesne, 1.
Inside the Trenches: How Yale’s Offensive Line Leads the Way
By John Altavilla
Offensive linemen are notoriously camera shy, content to do their jobs as anonymously as possible while letting skill position players collect the headlines.
That has certainly been true at Yale through the years, even though players like Nick Gargiulo, Dieter Eiselen, Kiran Amegadije, and Jonathan Mendoza have been talented enough to draw the attention of NFL scouts. Offensive linemen are just fine staying under the radar.
“Personally, I agree with that,” said senior center Leo Bluhm. “It’s not my role. My job is to play football. I know how hard each one of us works and I know the success we’ve had in the past.”
Anyone who knows football understands that controlling the line of scrimmage is one of the most important elements of the game. Breakdowns up front can stall an offense or open the door for an opponent. Yale’s offensive line has been determined not to let that happen, and experience has been a major reason why.
This fall, four of the Bulldogs’ five usual starters returned from last season, giving the unit a sense of rhythm and familiarity that shows on Saturdays.
“I think their experience shows,” said Chris Ostrowsky, Yale’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. “They are led by an extraordinary offensive line coach, Stefon Wheeler, who does a remarkable job. Beyond their talent, the group is incredibly loyal to one another. They love Yale football. They are hard-working, tough, and close-knit and when good players have good coaches they trust, you win a lot of games that way.”
Through the first five games of the season, Yale’s offensive line has been one of the team’s greatest strengths, keeping sophomore quarterback Dante Reno protected and opening lanes for captain Josh Pitsenberger, the Ivy League’s leading rusher. Pitsenberger has already totaled 539 yards and eight touchdowns, including 69 yards in the Bulldogs’ season-high 191-yard rushing performance during a 47–7 win over Stonehill.
“They are super aligned,” said Pitsenberger. “They take a lot of time to watch film together. It is a very intentional unit. They complement each other really well.”
That chemistry extends beyond game day.
“I like to think our offensive line is like a brotherhood,” said senior right tackle Michael Bennett, a 2024 All-Ivy selection and preseason All-Ivy pick this year. “We work together, eat together, and spend a lot of time together, and that shows on Saturdays. It is a complimentary offense. We find ways to get guys in space and take advantage of it. When you have a guy like Josh behind us and a front group that loves moving people, good things are going to happen. A lot of us have played a lot of football together.”
The offensive line’s talent and unity have also helped sharpen Yale’s defense during practice.
“They are a tight-knit group,” said junior defensive lineman Jaylin Tate. “You can tell they work every day to improve their craft. They make it difficult to get past them and that reflects the way they prepare.”
Quietly and without seeking attention, Yale’s offensive line continues to embody the heart of Bulldog football, showing discipline, toughness, and teamwork that drive success from the inside out.
