It's the ultimate cliché, but it's spot on. Last year was the best of times and the worst of times for the Yale football program.
It was the best because not only did the Bulldogs beat Harvard for the fourth time in a row to win a share of the Ivy League title, but they also won the first FCS playoff came in conference history one week, and the respect of the nation the next with a one-score loss to the eventual national champion.
The joy of the season, however, faded with the crushing news that head coach Tony Reno had to step down because of a debilitating health issue.
Reno, who guided Yale to five Ivy League championships in his final eight seasons, left a huge hole that Yale filled with a familiar name. Kevin Cahill, for a decade a key member of Reno's staff, steps in for his old boss after three years running the show at Lehigh, the last seeing the Mountain Hawks go 12-0 before a narrow loss in the FCS playoffs.
Cahill inherits a team that brings back its starting quarterback, but which nonetheless graduated its best player on offense.
Returning at QB is Dante Reno, who transferred back home from South Carolina to play for his father. He finished his first season in the Ivy League completing 64.5 percent of his passes with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
But the younger Reno will be missing his two top weapons this fall. Hard-running tailback Josh Pitsenberger, who ran for 1,571 yards and 19 touchdowns a year ago, has moved on to the Houston Texans' camp after finishing an outstanding career with 124 yards in a 21-13 loss at Montana State. Also moving on is top wide receiver Nico Brown, who grad transferred to Stanford after exploding on the scene last fall with 71 catches for 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns.
In addition to Pitsenberger, Yale graduated tailback Wilhelm Daal, who is at Duke after running for 439 yards last season. The means the top returning ground gainer is Hugo Djeumeni Kemeni, who had just 50 yards on 16 carries last fall. Given the lack of returning production, finding someone to take the pressure off Dante Reno is paramount this preseason.
The situation is less dire at receiver where 6-foot-3 Jaxton Santiago returns after catching 50 passes for 687 yards and five touchdowns last year. Lucius Anderson had 14 catches for 216 yards a year ago, with one of his two touchdowns camecomingagainst Harvard.
Tight end Spencer Mermans, how a Georgia Tech grad transfer along with Dartmouth's Chris Corbo '25, leaves a big hole there.
Returning honorable-mention pick Quinton Lewis headlines an offensive line that took a hit with the loss of two first-team All-Ivy performers.
Heading up the defense is nickel Abu Kamara, widely regarded as one of the best players in the nation at the FCS level. He filled out his bingo card last fall with 76 tackles, 13 pass breakups, four recovered fumbles, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and one blocked kick.
Brandon Webster is another solid returnee in the back end after making 46 tackles with eight pass breakups a year ago, but Josh Tarver and his three interceptions will be missed.
Linebacker and leading tackler Inumidun Ayo-Durojaiye's team-high 109 tackles will have to be replaced although running mate Phoenix Grant returns after posting 96 tackles with 8.5 for a loss last year. Outside backer Ezekiel Larry, who had 48 tackles with 10.5 sacks and six QB hurries, is now a teammate of former Dartmouth defensive back Patrick Campbell at Virginia.
The top returner on the interior D-line is 290-pound Jaylin Tate, an honorable-mention All-Ivy after making 32 tackles with 5.5 for a loss a year ago.
Kicker Noah Piper was a revelation last year, going 13-for-15 with a long of 50 yards to earn freshman All-America honors. Punter Reese Keeney also had a strong year, averaging 41.4 yards.
It's a little puzzling given the heavy graduation losses at Yale that so many are picking the Bulldogs to win the Ivy League again. Dante Reno had a fine first year in New Haven, but it's impossible to overstate how helpful Pitsenberger, Brown and Mermans were to him, not to mention graduated offensive linemen now at Richmond (Leo Bluhm) and Oregon (Michael Bennett).