Recapping Brown
By John Altavilla
Throughout this season, Yale’s offense has found comfort in the reliability of its stellar seniors, running back Josh Pitsenberger and receiver Nico Brown. When the Bulldogs have needed a big play, one of the two has usually complied.
Things were no different on Saturday. Pitsenberger, Yale’s captain, gained a career-high 173 yards rushing and scored a pair of touchdowns, including one from 62 yards on the game’s first play. And Brown, who has emerged as one of the Ivy League’s top receivers, chipped in another six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
It all contributed Yale’s 34-22 win over Brown. The Bulldogs have won four-straight to improve to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Ivy League. It was Yale’s eighth-straight win over the Bears.
"I think our guys did a great job at understanding the significance of going on the road and winning. It was really good to see us go about our business and do that. We found ourselves from an identity standpoint in all three phases," said Chris Ostrowsky, Yale’s offensive coordinator.
Yale continues to control its destiny in the Ivy League. If the Bulldogs beat Princeton next Saturday and Harvard at Yale Bowl on Nov. 22, they will win the league championship and earn the Ivy’s first automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
The surging Bulldogs came into Saturday’s game ranked second in the Ivy League in both scoring (29.1) and scoring defense (16.0). Their high-flying offense has now scored 140 points during the four-game winning streak. And they did it against the Bears (3-5, 0-5) by accumulating 463 yards, a season-high 255 on the ground.
Yale’s defense sacked Brown quarterback James Murphy (26 of 42, 366 yards, one touchdown) seven times – including two from Ezekiel Larry - and held the Bears to 19 yards rushing. Linebacker Phoenix Grant had 11 tackles (three for a loss), one interception and one sack.
Incredibly, Yale had averaged 51.7 points in its previous seven games against Brown, including games of 63 (2019) and 69 (2021). Still, it hoped that kind of day wouldn’t be needed, even though Murphy is leading the Ivy League in passing yardage. And it wasn’t.
Yale quarterback Dante Reno completed 20 of 28 for 208 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Reno has not been intercepted during Yale’s winning streak, a span of 99 pass attempts.
"Our defense played great. We knew we had to come out, start fast on the road. We haven't really done that yet," said Reno. "Over the past four weeks, we've been clicking as an offense. When the defense gets a stop, we go out there and we play our best, go and score, and feed off of each other's energy."
The two touchdown receptions by Nico Brown helped Yale to a 21-9 halftime lead. Brown’s only offense came from three field goals by first year Drew Crabtree.
Then Yale opened the game up. A 34-yard completion from Reno to Nico Brown placed the ball on the 19. Then Pitsenberger took over, gulping the remaining yardage on three carries and scoring from the 1 with 3:08 to play in the third.
It was an important score because Brown quickly moved to its first touchdown, a 5-yard rushing score by Matt Child with two seconds to play in the third.
Yale then increased the lead on a 33-yard field from Noah Piper, a score set up by a 40-yard gain by Billy Daal. And after Grant’s interception, Piper, the talented first year player, drilled another field goal from the 40 to increase Yale’s lead to 34-16.
Brown did make a late run, highlighted by a 55-yard scoring pass from Murphy to Ty Pezza with 7:06 to play. A two-point conversion failed. But that was it.
Reno’s Corner
“I'm proud of how our team stayed focused and got the job done today. We know there are areas we need to tighten up and execute with greater consistency. Tomorrow, we'll get back to work and stay committed to continued improvement as we move forward to Week 9."
Players of the Game
RB Josh Pitsenberger, Sr., 6-0, 220, Bethesda, Md. (The Avalon School)
Yale’s captain had another spectacular game. He gained a career-high 173 yards on 27 carries – his sixth 100-yard game of the season – and he scored from 62 on the day’s first play. Pitsenberger's performance pushed his career total to 33 rushing touchdowns, placing him third all-time among Yale running backs. He leads the league in carries (193), yards (989) and TDs (11) and has averaged 123.6 yards per game.
WR Nico Brown, Sr., 6-0, 185, Huntington Beach, Calif., (Edison)
Yale’s leading receiver, one of the Ivy League’s breakout performers this season, caught another six passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Brown now has 47 receptions for 687 yards and nine touchdowns, good enough for second in the league behind Penn’s Jared Richardson (58 for 859).
QB Dante Reno, So., 6-2, 205, Sturbridge, Mass. (Cheshire Academy)
Reno completed 20 of 28 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. He has not thrown an interception in 99 attempts during Yale’s four-game winning streak. Reno’s completion percentage (66.2) is second in the Ivy League and he has only four interceptions in 210 attempts with 14 touchdowns.
LB Phoenix Grant, Jr., 6-2, 225, Sherman, Texas (Gunther)
Yale’s defense collected seven sacks and held Brown to only 19 yards. No one had a more complete game than Grant. He had 11 tackles (three for a loss), one sack and an interception – the first of his career.
Ivy League Standings
Harvard: 5-0, 8-0
Yale: 4-1, 6-2
Dartmouth: 3-2, 6-2
Penn: 3-2, 5-3
Cornell: 3-2, 4-4
Princeton: 2-3, 3-5
Brown: 0-5, 3-5
Columbia: 0-5, 1-7
In the National Poll
Unbeaten Harvard (8-0) jumped two spots and is now ranked No. 11 in the AFCA FCS Top 25 Coaches poll.
Xaviah Boston ran for two touchdowns and Seamus Gilmartin caught two touchdown passes from Jaden Craig to lead the Crimson past Columbia 31-14 on Friday.
Bascon opened the scoring with a 1-yard rush to cap a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive for the Crimson. He added his second with 11 seconds left in the first half. Craig found Gilmartin twice for scores in the second quarter.
Harvard remains one of five unbeaten teams in the nation joining North Dakota St., Montana, Lehigh and Tennessee Tech.
Yale (6-2) now has 18 points in the poll – up from two – after its 34-22 win over Brown on Saturday.
And Dartmouth (6-2) is up to 11 points after Grayson Saunier threw for a touchdown and ran for another to help the Big Green beat Princeton 20-17 on Saturday.
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Rec. |
Pts. |
| 1 |
North Dakota St. (23) |
10-0 |
599 |
| 2 |
Montana (1) |
10-0 |
573 |
| 3 |
Montana St. |
8-2 |
527 |
| 4 |
Lehigh |
10-0 |
514 |
| 5 |
Tarleton St. |
9-1 |
480 |
| 6 |
Tennessee Tech |
10-0 |
473 |
| 7 |
Villanova |
7-2 |
441 |
| 8 |
Mercer |
8-1 |
423 |
| 9 |
Rhode Island |
8-2 |
379 |
| 10 |
UC Davis |
7-2 |
367 |
| 11 |
Harvard |
8-0 |
309 |
| 12 |
Monmouth (N.J.) |
8-2 |
293 |
| 13 |
Illinois St. |
7-3 |
289 |
| 14 |
Lamar |
8-2 |
280 |
| 15 |
South Dakota St. |
7-3 |
249 |
| 16 |
Jackson St. |
7-2 |
213 |
| 17 |
Stephen F. Austin |
8-2 |
205 |
| 18 |
North Dakota |
6-4 |
199 |
| 19 |
Youngstown St. |
6-4 |
178 |
| 20 |
ACU |
6-4 |
176 |
| 21 |
Southeastern Louisiana |
7-3 |
163 |
| 22 |
South Dakota |
7-4 |
145 |
| 23 |
Southern Illinois |
6-4 |
78 |
| 24 |
West Georgia |
7-3 |
53 |
| 25 |
Lafayette |
7-3 |
46 |
Others Receiving Votes: Western Carolina, 33; Alabama St., 26; Yale, 18; Dartmouth, 11; Gardner-Webb, 11; Sacramento St., 11; Presbyterian, 9; UT Rio Grande Valley, 9; Northern Arizona, 8; Austin Peay, 4; Central Connecticut St., 3; New Hampshire, 2; South Carolina St., 2; North Carolina Central, 1.
Reno Finding His Rhythm at Quarterback
When Dante Reno arrived on campus for the first time, he received one of the most important books he’ll study at Yale — the offensive playbook for the Bulldogs football program.
Fresh off his freshman season at South Carolina and a move through the transfer portal, the quarterback brought with him an understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level — and an eagerness to learn how Yale wins.
“It’s faster paced and gives us flexibility to make adjustments at the line,” said Reno. “It’s a little different from what I’ve seen elsewhere.”
Following in the footsteps of standout quarterbacks like Kurt Rawlings, Nolan Grooms and Grant Jordan, Reno, a redshirt first year, has stepped confidently into a leadership role. The responsibility doesn’t faze him — he’s long admired the standards of the program and understands what’s expected of a Yale quarterback.
As Yale enters the final stretch of the season, it’s clear the moment has not been too big for him.
“He grew up around this program. He’s been around for years, and the players were always great with him,” said defensive coordinator Sean McGowan. “It’s interesting — the reality of growing up around the program and realizing he’s now its starting quarterback. It’s a huge transformation, and he’s handled it well.”
Reno and the offense have built steady momentum since a 2-2 start. Following consecutive road losses at Lehigh and Dartmouth, Yale has won four straight, outscoring opponents by more than 90 points.
“He’s continued to mature and understand what it takes to lead at this level,” said offensive coordinator Chris Ostrovsky. “He’s embracing the process and improving every week. At this point, you just want to make sure your quarterback keeps getting better. He’s doing both — protecting the ball, leading drives, and understanding situations. That’s the next step for him.”
Reno’s numbers back it up. His completion percentage (66.2) ranks second in the Ivy League, with 14 touchdown passes and just four interceptions — and he’s avoided an interception during Yale’s four-game win streak.
“For me, the biggest thing has been wins and losses. That’s what you’re measured on as a quarterback,” said Reno. “Then it’s about protecting the ball — touchdowns and turnovers. I look at how many drives turn into points and how efficiently we move the ball. And lastly, taking care of the ball and having a good completion percentage.”
Yale’s offensive success has been fueled by balance. A dominant offensive line has paved the way for captain Josh Pitsenberger, who leads the Ivy League in rushing, while the passing attack — led by senior Nico Brown and sophomore Jaxton Santiago — has added big-play potential.
Like all quarterbacks, Reno spends countless hours in the film room with his coaches, continuing to refine his understanding of the offense. The mistakes from the first few weeks have diminished as he becomes more comfortable in command.
“What I respect most about Dante is his commitment,” said senior receiver Mason Shipp. “Every week, he’s focused on his relationships with his receivers, running backs and offensive linemen. He’s put in the work.”
Saturday’s win over Brown means Yale remains firmly in the mix for another Ivy League title and potential postseason opportunity. The Bulldogs will look to keep their momentum rolling in the weeks ahead — with Dante Reno leading the way.
“Seeing Dante’s growth has been huge for us — a freshman quarterback working to grasp the system,” said McGowan. “He’s been efficient with the football and managed the offense with poise. Yale hasn’t had many freshmen asked to step in and do what he’s done — and he’s helping to write the next chapter of the program’s proud tradition.”
