Football in Hanover? No joke, it really does exist as Dartmouth plays their first home game of the season when they entertain Cornell tomorrow at noon. The game is the second big Ivy League test for the Big Green in the first three weeks as Cornell arrives at Memorial Field with a lot of question marks but a lot of talent as well. Dartmouth enters the game 2-0 on a 19-game unbeaten streak but their last loss was by five points to Cornell in Hanover two years ago. Cornell brings a 1-1 record (1-0 Ivy) into the contest after losing in overtime to Colgate last weekend.
Quarterback:
This may be an unfair comparison for Big Green signal-caller Pete Sellers '98. Sellers has performed well in his first two weeks, completing over 60 percent of his passes, and had a strong performance at Holy Cross with three touchdown strikes. However, Sellers isn't a dynamic quarterback and Head Coach John Lyons does not ask him to win games for the Big Green.
Cornell's quarterbacks however are asked to win games for the Big Red. The Big Red have used two quarterbacks this season, and both have been effective. Mike Hood is listed first on the depth chart, but expect to see more of three-year starter Scott Carroll, who threw for 272 yards last weekend against Cornell. Unfortunately for Carroll, this game will not be the high-scoring affair he played in last week and Dartmouth's secondary is the best in the Ivy League. Hood is a better runner and carries the ball often, but isn't the passer that Carroll is. Head Coach Jim Hofher will probably go with whoever has the hottest hand.
Advantage: Cornell
Running Backs:
Big Green tailback Dylan Karczewski '99 had a breakout game for Dartmouth last weekend at Holy Cross with over 130 total yards rushing and receiving, showing the speed and moves that have impressed the coaching staff for the past two years. Even better news for Dartmouth is that Cornell allowed 336 yards rushing against Colgate last weekend, and Lyons and his staff are sure to exploit that. As a result, Karczewski and backups Eric Davis '99 and Jeremiah White '00 can expect to get around 40 combined carries as Dartmouth will try and pound the ball to set up the deep pass.
Cornell's running game has been nearly non-existent, averaging 90 yards a game now that the record-breaking Chad Levitt has departed. Terry Smith was supposed to step in for Levitt but has been a disappointment, forcing the Big Red to rush the ball by committee. Hood is their leading rusher.
Advantage: Dartmouth
Wide Receivers:
This is issue of quantity versus quality and of game-breakers versus possession receivers. Dartmouth's Zach Ellis '98 is a special type of receiver with good hands and game-breaking ability. Ellis leads the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns with two in the first two weeks and is utilized in a variety of ways. His best feature is his game-breaking ability which makes him dangerous every time he touches the ball. Eric Morton '97 has not been a featured part of the offense to date, but is a deep threat on the outside. Ken Bollens '98 had a nice game against Holy Cross last weekend and has developed into a solid third-down receiver. Will Harper '98 is a rangy tight end with good hands who serves as a major part of the offense.
Cornell's receiving corps has lofty numbers that might be a little deceiving, considering the team has already attempted 113 passes in two games. Wide out Eric Krawczyk leads Division I-AA in receptions per game with 10, but 14 of those came in last week's overtime shoot-out. Aside from Krawczyk, the teams only other threat is two-sport athlete Pat Dutton, who caught 11 balls last week but only two in the first week. Dutton is returning for his first season of football in four years. Neither is a breakaway threat however.
Advantage: Dartmouth
Offensive Line:
In their second game of the year, Dartmouth's offensive line came together and helped Dartmouth establish a running game that was sorely missing in the opener against Pennsylvania. With two games under their belts, this week should be a further improvement. Furthermore, Cornell's defensive line is small, averaging 30 pounds less than Dartmouth's blockers. The pass protection has been solid as well, allowing Sellers time to throw the ball.
Cornell's offensive line has done little to spring the Big Red ground attack but has only given up four sacks in 113 chances. As a result, Cornell's passing attack has flourished. Four of the starters are seniors and both guards tip the scales at 300 pounds or more. They will face a test with Dartmouth's pass rush, especially if the running game fails and Dartmouth sends blitz after blitz to pressure Carroll or Hood. Their leadership will be tested.
Advantage: Cornell
Defensive Line:
Dartmouth's defensive line had a stellar game against Holy Cross not only stopping the run but getting pressure on the quarterbacks, recording five sacks. The defensive line is the best in the league and is without weakness. Defensive ends Scott Hapgood '97, Damon Blechen '98 and Greg Dietrick '99 form an excellent outside rotation. The tackles are improving as Brent Crombie '99 is becoming an inside force, nabbing three sacks in last weekend's win. As aforementioned though, Cornell's line is big and experienced and may have a chance to slow down the Big Green pass rush.
Like their offense, Cornell's defensive line is experienced with three seniors starting. But they are small, averaging only 245 pounds, which has allowed teams to run all over them as the Big Red has given up close to 189.5 yards per game on the ground. The line needs to play as they did against Princeton when they limited the Tigers to 194 total yards and 10 points.
Advantage: Dartmouth
Linebackers:
Quietly, all-Ivy standout Zach Walz '98 leads the Big Green in tackles the first two games with 25 total stops to go with one sack, three pressures and a forced fumble. However, the linebacking corps has received a major boost from Jon Gibbs '99, who has stepped in and ably replaced departed Mark Abel '97 in the middle. Gibbs ranks second on the team in tackles but has three tackles for loss and four pass breakups also to his credit. Dan Liebsch '98 has played solidly on the outside opposite of Walz. If the linebackers can join the front four in stopping the Cornell running attack, expect Dartmouth to blitz linebackers to force Cornell to throw the ball quickly.
The good news for Cornell is that all three starting linebackers return from last season. The bad news is that Cornell ranked last in the league in every major defensive category a year ago. John Hanson is probably the second best linebacker in the league behind Walz and was a second-team All-Ivy pick a year ago. But the question is which defense will show up, the one that limited an inept Princeton offense or the squad that allowed Colgate to romp to 44 points. The answer is most likely a combination of the two. The linebackers will need to show speed to stop Karczewski from getting to the outside or it could be a very long day for the Cornell defense.
Advantage: Dartmouth
Defensive Backs:
This is not even a contest. Dartmouth's secondary is the class of the Ivy League and has played that way to date, recording five interceptions in the first two games. Led by safety Lloyd Lee '98 and cornerback Brad Jefferson '98, the secondary has taken advantage of the mistakes caused by the heavy pass rush. The Big Green should be able to continue their ball-hawking as Carroll threw 13 interceptions last season. Brad Verber '99, Kevin Ritter '98 and Tom Reusser '00 round out a unit that is Dartmouth's greatest team strength. They may give up a lot of total yards but have limited the opposition to only one play for longer than 30 yards this season.
Cornell's secondary has only given up 168.5 yards a game but don't be fooled, this secondary can be exploited. The Big Red hasn't faced a strong, balanced attack yet and will be forced to roll a safety up to the line to give Cornell an eight-man front to improve their run defense. That should give Sellers and his deep-threat receivers single coverage and could mean big yardage for the Dartmouth passing game. This unit has four starters returning, but not four quality starters.
Advantage: Dartmouth
Special Teams:
Last week, the Big Green blocked a punt to add to their special teams highlight reel on the season. Dave Regula '98 is one of the top two kickers in the league and is on a hot streak. Punter Wayne Schlobohm '00 has consistently helped pin opponents deep in their territory while Reusser is ninth in Division I-AA in punt returns. Dartmouth's special teams might just be their most special unit of all and have come up with big play after big play. Don't be surprised if Reusser breaks a punt return for a touchdown this weekend.
The Big Red meanwhile have struggled on special teams, especially in the field goal department where they are one out of four on the season. Cornell needs to be at the top of their game to prevent Dartmouth from a big special teams play that could be the difference in the game.
Advantage: Dartmouth
Intangibles:
This is a huge game for Dartmouth in terms of confidence and the Ivy League standings After stealing a win on the road at Penn and following that win with a whipping of Holy Cross, the Big Green still doesn't know where they stand as a team. Only this game stands between Dartmouth and the possibility of entering the homecoming game against Harvard 6-0 and a 23-game unbeaten streak. The schedule gets soft after this game for Dartmouth. This game would also put the Big Green in first place at 2-0 in the Ivy League with only Yale to play in the month of October.
Cornell's necessity for this game is also to remain unbeaten in Ivy League play. But their drive is even greater because they face Harvard next weekend, and losses in both games would eliminate them from title contention, so getting a win in at least one of the games is key.
Advantage: Cornell
Prediction:
The formula should be simple for the Big Green. If Karczewski can get the first 100-yard game of his career, Dartmouth should be able to come away victorious. The ability of the Big Green to run the ball is key because a strong running game will allow Sellers single coverage to throw the home-run pass to his speedy wide-outs. Furthermore, it will keep Cornell's offense off the field. On the other side , Cornell has the offensive tools to compete with Dartmouth and might have the edge if the game turns into an offensive shoot-out. First though, Carroll and company need to solve Dartmouth's pass defense. Expect Dartmouth to control the line of scrimmage and come away with a hard-fought win.
Score: Big Green 24, Cornell 14
