One week after suffering a heart-breaking loss to Ivy League powerhouse Pennsylvania, the Big Green hope to rebound when they jump back into action Saturday against the Fordham Rams.
Although last week's defeat was a disappointment, it still left the Dartmouth fans with a high level of optimism as the season progresses into its third week.
The Dartmouth defense looked stellar in holding Penn, the league's most explosive and productive offense, to only thirteen points last Saturday. Led by the inspired play of senior co-captains Josh Bloom and Hunter Buckner (a combined 16 tackles), the defense rose to the occasion.
The Penn offense appeared frustrated, especially in the second half, as their leading rusher, Terrance Stokes, was held to a sub-par performance with only 76 yards on 26 carries.
Other than a long touchdown strike early in the game, the Quaker air attack seemed stifled, as All-American receiver Miles Macik managed only 6 catches for 47 yards.
Big Green quarterback Ren Riley '96 struggled early in the game against Penn, completing only 1 of 10 passes, but the fourth-leading passer in the Ivy League made an impressive comeback in the second half by organizing a six- minute, 79 yard drive that nearly won the game.
Riley's favorite target, wide-out Andre Grant '95, was instrumental in the final drive, making two key catches. As usual, tailback Pete Oberle '96 had a highly productive game, adding on to his league-leading rushing total with 109 hard-earned yards.
Fordham comes into this week's contest with a disappointing 0-4 record after having lost 13-6 to Cornell last week.
The Fordham offense revolves around the passing game, averaging 205.5 yards per game. Last week, Ram senior quarterback John Pohlman replaced the injured Joe Moorhead (separated shoulder) and looked impressive in throwing for a career-high 198 yards.
In addition to featured wide receivers Randy Zingo and Brian Bathan, sophomore running back Andre Robinson could be a threat to the Dartmouth defense. He racked up 79 rushing yards last week and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
On the defensive side, the Rams, despite only giving up only 13 points to Cornell, have looked less than spectacular this fall, giving up a combined 104 points through the first four weeks of the season.
The Rams were effective at stopping Cornell's running game, holding the Big Red to a meager 47 total yards on the ground. Cornell's passing attack, however, opened the game up with 183 yards and two touchdowns.
Kick-off for Saturday's contest at Memorial Field is 1:30 p.m.
