Yale Takes Magical Run to Treasure State

One of the biggest stories in the FCS right now as the playoffs head into their second weekend is the success of Yale. The Bulldogs, who many didn’t even think had much of a shot to get into the postseason just a few weeks ago, suddenly find themselves in the final 16 still standing. As the second round approaches, Yale prepares to take a crack at one of the top teams in the country in Montana State. The 2-seeded Bobcats will welcome the Ivy League champions in this Saturday and, while the Bulldogs will surely enter has heavy underdogs, they will bring some magic with them when they head West.

Tony Reno’s group has been impressive for a good portion of the season but even the most diehard Bulldogs fans probably wouldn’t have believed the team would be in the position it’s in right now. To even get into the playoffs… something that hasn’t been possible for Ivy League schools until this season… Yale knew it needed to beat longtime rival Harvard back on November 29. The Crimson were 9-0 heading into The Game this year and were the clear cut favorite to win the conference championship. All signs pointed a one-bid Ivy League and hardly anyone was giving Yale much of a chance.

The Bulldogs had other plans, though, and proceeded to score six touchdowns and drop 445 yards on the Crimson in what was a lopsided 45-28 upset at the Yale Bowl. Star running back Josh Pitsenberger dominated, running for 143 yards and three touchdowns, paving the way for the Ivy League championship and automatic berth into the FCS postseason. It was one of the biggest rivalry game wins in program history and that’s saying something for a history that dates back to 1872.

As big as that victory was, however, a playoff appearance was about as far as most thought it would go. A common misconception was floating around heading into the first round of the playoffs that the Ivy League could not stack up to the rest of the subdivision when it came to postseason ball and Harvard didn’t do a lot to help disprove that theory. The Crimson got obliterated by Villanova 52-7 in the opening round last Saturday. While that was going on over in Philadelphia, the Bulldogs looked as though they were in line for a similar beatdown in Youngstown, Ohio. Trailing 42-14 in the third quarter against a solid Penguins team from the Missouri Valley, they looked just as dead in the water as Harvard was.

And then it happened.

Fueled on by another monster performance from Pitsenberger and, admittedly, a meltdown of colossal proportions by YSU, Yale pulled off the unthinkable. Pitsenberger rumbled for 209 yards and three more touchdowns, quarterback Dante Reno shook off two early interceptions to toss three touchdowns himself and the defense forced stop after stop as the Bulldogs scored 29 unanswered points. They snatched a 43-42 lead with less than three minutes to go. Pitsenberger broke free on a 57-yard run that stunned the Youngstown crowd and the defense put the final nail in shortly after.

Against every imaginable odd, Yale had pulled off one the more miraculous playoff victories the FCS has ever seen and that sets the stage for this weekend. The Bulldogs will now get to travel to one of the most hostile environments in the country and take on last year’s national runner ups. Montana State is the #2 overall seed in the tournament and has real aspirations of getting back to the big game next month. They have lost just one home playoff game over the last decade and have won ten straight, many by a wide margin, heading into this game.

Yale has earned its place in Saturday’s second round and while they are again going to enter as an underdog, the moment is deservedly a program-defining one. It’s been an incredible ride for the Bulldogs up to this point and the last few weeks have been unforgettable for their following. Even if it all comes to an end this weekend in Bozeman, what the team has accomplished this year seems like it will serve as a springboard for the years to come. Pitsenberger and company are hoping the miracles haven’t run dry just yet, though. They’ll have their chance to send this season over the moon if they can pull one more out of their collective hat.

Yale and Montana State are set to kick off at 2:00 PM (ET) on Saturday on ESPN+. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals.