Hanover
That’s the situation for the Dartmouth College football team, which opens its season on Saturday at Stetson in DeLand, Fla. The Big Green shared the 2015 Ivy League title, its first such crown in 18 years, before crashing into the Ancient Eight cellar last fall.
True, two league losses came by two points and another by three, but bottom-feeder status stings. So this season starts off as a road to redemption for a team without stars but with numerous players who gained game experience during last fall’s injury-plagued campaign.
“It’s embarrassing to say we were here and this is where we ended up,” said head coach Buddy Teevens, dropping a hand from eye level to his waist. “There’s a greater edge in our recruiting, in our coaching and on the practice field.
“You can makes excuses, but we underperformed, and we don’t want to repeat it.”
Dartmouth gets to ease into the season against a Stetson team that’s 0-2 and has twice been routed. After that, however, the schedule stiffens in a hurry. Holy Cross, the opponent in the Big Green’s home opener, began the season by narrowly losing to higher-division Connecticut and by shutting out Bucknell on the road.
The Crusaders, who host No. 9 New Hampshire this weekend, boast senior Peter Pujals, one of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision’s best quarterbacks. He’s had big games against the Big Green before. After that, Dartmouth visits Pennsylvania on a Friday night. The Quakers have shared the last two Ivy League titles.
The next week brings Yale to Hanover. Although the Bulldogs have struggled in recent seasons, they have also been reeling in loaded recruiting classes. The fifth week is a trip to Sacred Heart, which has started 2-0, and which beat Dartmouth during its last visit to Fairfield, Conn.
“It’s a tough stretch, but it gives us a benchmark and will let us know what to work on,” junior linebacker Jake Moen said. “After last year, people start to wonder if (2015) was a fluke.”
Dartmouth brings back senior quarterback and second-year starter Jack Heneghan. The Californian threw for 2,725 yards and 11 touchdowns but also had 14 passes picked off and was replaced as the starter for the Harvard game. His top target, sophomore Hunter Hagdorn, caught 56 passes for 706 yards, but with only one touchdown, and is starting this season a tad gimpy.
Drew Hunnicutt and Emory Thompson also return in the receiving corps, having combined for 67 catches, more than 800 yards and three touchdowns. Starting tight end Cameron Skaff has been out since spring practice because of injury, but Stephen Johnson is an able replacement.
Miles Smith, last season’s leading rusher, had only 534 yards and three touchdowns as the offensive line struggled with injuries. Smith has been out hurt himself recently but might be back for the Holy Cross game. Senior Ryder Stone is a plugger, and junior Rashaad Cooper tantalizes with potential.
The offensive line returns numerous players with game experience, but will translate to a better running game? Twins John and Patrick Kilcommons, Phil Berton, Justin Call and Jack Anderson are all in the interior mix, while Matt Caskey and Ben Hagaman are set at the tackles.
“We’ve got to be able to establish the run, and we struggled with it last year,” said Teevens, whose off-season moves included firing running backs coach Chad Nice and demoting offensive coordinator Keith Clark. “We have to have a seam for the running backs to hit, and they’re saying they’re seeing them now.”
Dartmouth brings back nine starters on defense, but is without graduated Folarin Orimolade, a linebacker and rush end who was the Ivy League’s 2016 defensive player of the year. The front three should be ends Nick Tompkins, a second team All-Ivy pick, and fifth-year senior Jeremiah Douchee. The nose tackle is explosive Jackson Perry.
The linebackers feature middle man Eric Meile, last year’s second-leading tackler, and Moen and Jack Traynor on the outside. It looks like a solid, if not standout, group. The cornerback slots will see a three-man rotation of seniors Danny McManus and Jarius Brown and sophomore Isiah Swann, who started the final six games last season.
Safeties Colin Boit and Darius George can each play either the strong or free versions of the position.
Placekicker David Smith is back after making every extra point and seven of 12 field-goal attempts. He’s reliable on shorter distances, but longer boots remain something of a concern. The punter is sophomore Davis Brief, who’s a first-year starter, as is snapper Grant Jaffe. A team without much margin for error desperately needs its special-teams play to be outstanding.
“The big thing is to compete and go play fast and physical,” said Teevens, who’s in the 13th season of his second stint at his alma mater.
“We’ve got more talent and depth than we’ve ever had, we just have to step it up and deliver.”
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com or 603-727-3227.