Recapping Columbia
By John Altavilla
The selfless nature that’s always permeated Yale’s football program has been best personified over the last four seasons by the attitude of players like senior running back Billy Daal.
Daal spent the first three years of his career in support of teammates like Josh Pitsenberger, Yale’s current captain and one of the greatest backs that’s ever played at Yale. Coming into this season, he’d carried only 18 times for 84 yards.
But this year has been different; Daal has been Yale’s first option when Pitsenberger needs a break. And on Saturday at Yale Bowl, Daal turned in the performance of his lifetime.
“It feels amazing after years of hard work,” said Daal. “After years of weight rooms and practicing...to finally put it on display.”
In the third quarter against Columbia, the Bulldogs holding a tenuous 10-point lead over an inspired opponent, Daal (nine carries, 112 yards) broke off a spectacular 81-yard touchdown run – the longest rushing scoring play for Yale since 2017 – that provided the cushion for a 24-10 win.
Since losing consecutive road games to Lehigh and Dartmouth, the Bulldogs have now won three-straight to thrust themselves into the race for the Ivy League championship.
“We are a completely different product than we were three weeks ago. We still have a long way to go, but the sky is the limited for these guys,’’ said Chris Ostrowsky, Yale’s offensive coordinator. “I don’t know if I’ve been around a stronger brotherhood, a group of guys who really love each other…that’s why we’re in the position we’re in today this season.”
Yale’s defense produced five sacks. And its offense rushed for a season-high 253 yards, the largest slice of a 432-yard performance that wore the Lions down.
And once again, at the head of the spear, was Pitsenberger. After his 145 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown game against Pen earned him the Ivy League’s Offensive Player of the Week award, he followed it up with another 132 yards on 25 carries
Pitsenberger's performance moved him past Rich Diana and Zane Dudek into sixth place in career rushing yards by a Yale player (2,680). He is currently the Ivy League's rushing triple crown leader, topping the conference in attempts (166), rushing yards (816) and rushing touchdowns (nine).
It was also a good day for Yale’s invigorated defense which has allowed only 47 points in its last four games. Brandon Webster and Ezekiel Larry each had two sacks in holding the Tigers to 270 total yards.
“They (the defense) own it,” said Sean McGowan, Yale’s defensive coordinator. “We just try to put them in the right locations and are lucky to have some very talented football players. They own it. It’s their defense. They allow us to do a variety of different things.”
It has not been a good season for Columbia, which tied for the Ivy League championship last season. Winless (0-4) in league play – it lost 49-3 to Dartmouth two weeks ago - the Lions came into the game last in the Ivy in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
Meanwhile, Yale was coming off its top two performances of the season, scoring 82 points in consecutive wins over Stonehill and Penn. But Columbia was not easily dispatched and trailed by only a touchdown at the half.
“Coach Reno and Coach McGowan always echo that it’s going to be a rock fight,” said Larry. “It’s all about the chase.”
Yale extended the lead to 17-7 on a 40-yard field goal from Noah Piper with 5:35 to play in the third quarter. Then Yale put the game away when Dal sped past a cadre of tacklers for his score with 3:43 remaining in the quarter.
“What was I thinking [while he was running]? No thoughts, really. Just one foot in front of the other,” said Daal. “Just run down the field as hard and as fast as I can.”
Yale opened the scoring in the second quarter when Dante Reno (16 of 25, 179 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions) hit sophomore Jaxton Santiago (five catches, 92 yards) for a 7-yard score with 13:22 to play in the half
It looked like Columbia would respond when quarterback Chase Goodwin connected with Lucas Bullock for a 69-yard catch and run to the Yale 6. Eventually, the Lions moved the ball within inches of the end zone but were called for a false start penalty on 4
th-and-goal.
“It’s just about trusting the process and one another,” said Larry.
At that point, the Lions were content to settle for a field goal but kicker Hugh Merry missed a 24-yard attempt.
A 71-yard completion from Reno to Santiago placed he ball on the Columbia 6. And on the next play, Reno connected with Nico Brown (seven catches, 63 yards) for a touchdown that increased the lead to 14-0 with 4:52 to play in the half.
Reno’s Corner
"We're a player-led team with tremendous leadership, and when you have that, your momentum becomes self-sustaining. I'm so proud of this group and the drive they're playing with."
Players of the Game
RB Josh Pitsenberger, Sr., 6-0, 220, Bethesda, Md. (The Avalon School)
Yale’s captain, and the Ivy League leader in carries, rushing yardage and rushing touchdowns, had another great day, leading the way with 132 yards on 25 carries. Pitsenberger, who has five 100-yard games this season, is now sixth in Yale history in rushing yardage.
RB Wilhelm Daal, Sr., 6-1, 221, Amityville, N.Y. (Taft School)
Daal emerged from years of playing backup to gain a career-high 112 yards on nine carries, including an 81-yard score in the third quarter, which was Yale’s longest rushing TD since Deshawn Salter had one of 82 against Cornell in 2017.
DB Brandon Webster, Jr., 6-0, 195, Cleveland, Ohio (St. Ignatius)
One week ago against Penn, Webster put the clamps on Penn receiver Jared Richardson, one of the top receivers in the FCS. Against Columbia, he gathered his first two career sacks and made seven tackles.
DL Ezekiel Larry, Jr., 6-2, 240, Palmdale, Calif. (Sierra Canyon)
Yale’s sack leader recorded another two to help hold Columbia to only 270 yards of offense. Larry totaled five tackles. He now six sacks this season, which is second in the Ivy League.
Ivy League Standings
Harvard: 4-0, 7-0
Penn: 3-1, 5-2
Yale: 3-1, 5-2
Dartmouth: 2-2, 5-2
Cornell: 2-2, 3-4
Princeton: 2-2, 3-4
Brown: 0-4, 3-4
Columbia: 0-4, 1-6
In the National Standings
Unbeaten Harvard moved up two spots and is now ranked No. 13 in the AFCA FCS Top 25 Coaches poll.
The Crimson improved to 7-0 on Saturday when Jaden Craig threw four touchdown passes in setting a Harvard record in a 31-10 win over Dartmouth.
Craig has a school-record 43 career TD throws, surpassing Neil Rose's 41 reached in 2003. Harvard becomes the first school to win 300 Ivy League games and is 7-0 for the first time since 2015.
Harvard is also one of just five undefeated programs in the FCS joining North Dakota St., Montana, Lehigh and Tennessee Tech.
Dartmouth is down to eight points in the poll after earning 12 last week. And Yale, on the strength of its 24-10 win over Columbia, makes its first appearance in poll this week with two points.
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Rec. |
Pts. |
| 1 |
North Dakota St. (25) |
9-0 |
625 |
| 2 |
Montana |
9-0 |
598 |
| 3 |
Montana St. |
7-2 |
567 |
| 4 |
Lehigh |
9-0 |
521 |
| 5 |
Tennessee Tech |
9-0 |
488 |
| 6 |
Monmouth (N.J.) |
8-1 |
485 |
| 7 |
Tarleton St. |
9-1 |
474 |
| 8 |
Villanova |
6-2 |
417 |
| 9 |
South Dakota St. |
7-2 |
389 |
| 10t. |
Mercer |
7-1 |
378 |
| 10t. |
Rhode Island |
7-2 |
378 |
| 12 |
UC Davis |
6-2 |
367 |
| 13 |
Harvard |
7-0 |
310 |
| 14 |
Southeastern Louisiana |
7-2 |
298 |
| 15 |
North Dakota |
6-3 |
263 |
| 16 |
Southern Illinois |
6-3 |
243 |
| 17 |
Illinois St. |
6-3 |
240 |
| 18 |
Lamar |
7-2 |
173 |
| 19 |
Jackson St. |
6-2 |
157 |
| 20 |
ACU |
5-4 |
156 |
| 21 |
Stephen F. Austin |
7-2 |
148 |
| 22 |
Youngstown St. |
5-4 |
120 |
| 23 |
Presbyterian |
8-1 |
115 |
| 24 |
Western Carolina |
6-3 |
51 |
| 25 |
South Dakota |
6-4 |
36 |
Dropped Out: Northern Arizona (21), Austin Peay (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Lafayette, 29; West Georgia, 27; Alabama St., 12; Sacramento St., 12; Northern Arizona, 10; UT Rio Grande Valley, 10; Dartmouth, 8; Gardner-Webb, 7; North Carolina Central, 4; Austin Peay, 3; South Carolina St., 2; Yale, 2; Central Connecticut St., 1; Delaware St., 1.
The Next Kick: Piper’s Resilience Fuels Yale’s Success
Despite his credentials as a high school All-American, and the strong performances he put on during the preseason, Noah Piper came to Yale understanding not too many first year players get a chance to play.
“I came to Yale with the goal of contributing to the team,” said Piper, a kicker, who is from Flower Mound, Texas and attended Greenhill School. “Ultimately, I tried to not let being a freshman affect me and I just tried to contribute to the team in my own way.”
Piper also played goalie for the soccer team at Greenhill, which he partly credits for his ability on the football field. “Being a goalie, you have to have a strong leg to be able to kick the ball far,” said Piper. “So, that part of my game translated to me being able to kick a football pretty far.”
Early in the season, Yale turned to the first-year Piper for a 50-yard field goal attempt against Cornell. He delivered, drilling it straight through to announce his arrival.
“Depending on the conditions, I would say I am confident in my long-range field goals back to the mid-50s. In high school, my longest scoring field goal was 52 yards,” said Piper.
Perhaps that was all Reno and special teams coach Steve Vashel needed to see because by the time Yale traveled to Dartmouth, conversions and field goal responsibilities belonged to Piper.
“It is very rare for a first year to earn a starting role, especially early in the season,” said Vashel. “Those who do go on to be great players. Once we got to preseason camp, it was certainly noticeable that Noah had worked hard during the offseason, and it was easy to see he had a very powerful leg, as good as we’ve had since our staff arrived in 2012. The thump when he hits it is different. The question was could he improve his operation time from snap to kick while maintaining accuracy and strength. He’s young and has a high ceiling, but he’s earned his spot in the lineup.”
But kicking can be a vexing profession. With under a minute remaining at Dartmouth, Piper narrowly missed an extra point that would have given the Bulldogs a 17-14 lead. Unfortunately, the Big Green went down field and won the game at the horn on a 51-yard field goal by the 2024 Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Year Owen Zalc.
“A frustrating moment,” said Vashel. “Coach Reno tells our players you win, and you learn, so yes, we viewed it as a learning moment. A tough moment to overcome as a player and more so as young player, but Noah is confident in his ability and mature enough to accept feedback while sticking to the fundamentals.”
Piper’s teammates could relate — each had faced similar pressure at some point in their careers. They rallied behind him, with senior kicker Nick Conforti providing steady support and encouragement.
“Obviously, he’s a freshman and had his name called in a big moment and came up short,” said senior center Leo Bluhm. “I’ve been there myself, although not in the same way. You can’t let it get to you. You just move on to the next play and learn from it forget about it and move on to the next one. You can’t let it affect the next one. And he took that to heart. He listened to the guys around him that were supporting him.”
Piper’s experience in such situations came into focus. “It was definitely hard coming off a week like Dartmouth, but all my teammates and coaches went out of their way to make sure I knew I had their trust,” said Piper. “As a specialist, your mentality is critical and throughout the week I just kept focusing on my training and reminding myself that the most important kick is the next one in front of me.”
And then came Bulldogs game against Stonehill at Yale Bowl on Oct. 18. It was a big day for the team, the start of a three-game home stand that that would go a long way in determining if the Bulldogs would compete for the Ivy League championship and automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. It turned out to be Yale’s finest day of the season. The Bulldogs won 47-7; a total team effort that made Reno and his coaches proud. But no player on the team had a more monumental day than Piper.
“I was really happy for Noah [Piper], to bounce back and have the day that he did,” said Sean McGowan,” Yale’s Head Coach of Defense. “It’s great to see the young man maturing. To see him mentally able to bounce back and play at the level he did is a credit to his training and his ability to get pushed and be coached to help him improve. He had a great week at practice which translated for him.”
Piper converted four field goals and five extra points giving him 17 points for the game. He was perfect, not a single miss.
“The way this team supports each other works to bring out the best in each other,” said Piper, who has converted on eight of nine field goals and 14 of 15 extra points. “I look forward to working hard for this team the rest of this season and a few more seasons to come, and hopefully can help break some records with my team.”
