Following a tough loss at the hands of Ivy rival Penn, the obvious solution for the Big Green football team would be to try and look ahead to the next opponent and tell yourself things will be different. Unfortunately, a quick glance for the Big Green might provide more anguish than joy as looming on the horizon tomorrow is the Big Green's toughest opponent of the season, Maine.
The Black Bears, who play in perhaps the toughest Division I-AA conference, the Atlantic 10, enter tomorrow's contest 2-1 on the season following last weekend's loss to No. 20 Connecticut. The blemish did nothing to alter the opinions of Head Coach John Lyons on facing the Bears in their own backyard.
"This is the toughest team we will face all year because of their skill position players and their physical style of play," Lyons said.
While credit must be given to the athletic department and the football staff for challenging themselves with the best possible opponent outside of the ancient eight, some might be wondering if a road-trip to Maine is the wrong medicine to cure last week's mistakes. Consequently, the approach to this week's game is somewhat different than the season opener.
"We'd like to see improvement more than anything else," Lyons said. "We need to get better at the things we want to do offensively and focus on doing things right more than anything."
Da Bears 212, Dartmouth 0?
Not exactly. Even if the goal is just to improve, a closer analysis of the two squads provides Dartmouth with a glimmer of hope. Maine's strength is their powerful offense, but that will be challenged by the strength of the Dartmouth defense, which was outstanding against Penn.
On the other hand, the Black Bear defense has struggled to date, giving up over 400 yards of offense a game. That should be good news for the Big Green, who must utilize this weakness to improve their running game to take pressure off of quarterback Mike Coffey and the passing game to improve an offense ranked 119th out of 119 teams.
"Maine's defense has played some good offensive football teams, so their defensive stats can be deceiving," Lyons said.
The game plan for Dartmouth is relatively simple. The Big Green hope to spread the field against the Bears eight-man defensive front and use long, sustained drives to keep Maine's offense and the Dartmouth defense off of the field.
Quarterback:
Although he showed remarkable improvement in the second half of last week's game against Penn, senior Mike Coffey must continue to better himself. Like he did in last week's third quarter, Coffey needs to use his athletic ability to scramble and create plays while at the same time maintain composure in the pocket. Most importantly, Coffey and the Dartmouth offense need to protect the ball against a Maine defense that has intercepted eight passes already.
Maine senior quarterback Mickey Fein runs one of the most balanced and potent offenses in the Atlantic 10. A three-year starter, Fein has put together a fine season to date, completing 58 percent of his passes for 238 yards per game and seven touchdowns. Combined with the weapons surrounding him, Fein can be dangerous.
Advantage: Maine
Running Back:
A supposed strength of the Big Green offense heading into the season, Dartmouth experienced one of the worst days in recent memory rushing the football against Penn as they gained only 20 yards on the ground. Maine's defense has been extremely generous towards opposing running backs, giving up an average of 205 yards a game, but their strong eight-man front might present problems for a banged-up Big Green backfield in which the only healthy ball-carriers are freshmen.
If stopping the run has been a problem for Maine, running the ball certainly has not been. Sophomore tailback Ben Christopher has been solid, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and 103 yards a game. Given the success Penn tailback Jim Finn had against the Big Green, Christopher may present a problem for Dartmouth.
Advantage: Maine
Wide Receivers:
The biggest positive on offense for Dartmouth last weekend was the emergence of wide receiver Damon Ferrara '98. Having battled back from two injury-plagued seasons, Ferrara emerged as one of the Big Green's top threats for 1998. His 6'4" frame presents matchup problems for all opposing secondaries, matchups the coaching staff is certain to exploit. Although they had limited opportunities last weekend, the rest of the unit can be explosive as well, but need to improve their consistency with Coffey.
Just as Ferrara had a career game last weekend, so did Black Bear wideout Drew O'Connor. O'Connor hauled in 10 passes against UConn, giving him 21 receptions for the young season. His 344 yards and five touchdowns should keep cornerback Tom Reusser '00 busy all day. Maine's other wideout, Dwayne Wilmot, enters the game with 17 catches.
Advantage: Maine
Offensive Line:
This unit must pick up its level of play if Dartmouth is to have any success this season. With their size and strength, the offensive line should be able to open holes for Davis, giving Dartmouth the running game they need. Protecting Mike Coffey is crucial since Coffey was hit too many times by the Penn rush.
Maine's front line may hold the key to the contest. If Dartmouth's front seven is unable to put pressure on Fein, it could be a very long day for the Big Green defense.
Advantage: Maine
Defensive Line:
Hurt by injuries throughout the preseason, the defensive line was very solid against Penn and was able to generate a strong pass rush. Adam Kane '99, who moved to end from tackle because of injuries, had one of his finest games in a Big Green uniform. Dartmouth needs a big game from their rotating defensive front, but based on their play last weekend, they should not be disappointed.
The Black Bear pass rush has helped force a lot of opposing quarterbacks to make mistakes, but their run defense has been lackluster. As a result, Dartmouth will try to run the football against the physical eight-man front the Bears rely upon to rest the defense and open up the play-action passing game and really attack the Bears front.
Advantage: Dartmouth
Linebackers:
This has been the strength of the Dartmouth squad for the past three seasons, and this year is no different. Steve Varney '00 has a nose for making plays and linebacker Jon Gibbs '99 is one of the most consistent players in the Ivy League. Both Marshall Hyzdu '00 and Kyle Rogers '99 played well against Penn. Expect this unit to blitz Fein to try to force him into bad decisions.
Dartmouth had success in the second half against Penn by moving the pocket and using the option. The Black Bear linebackers need to stay honest and force the Big Green offense to make plays even if they are spread out by the Big Green's single-back formations.
Advantage: Dartmouth
Secondary:
With the exception of a questionable call, the Big Green secondary demonstrated their ability to cover receivers and make plays. Reusser may be the best cornerback in the John Lyons era and Brad Verber '99 looked strong at the other corner after moving over from safety. This unit will be tested by Fein and the Maine offense, which may be too much for the Big Green.
Even if the rest of the defense has struggled, don't blame Maine's secondary. The Black Bears are 11th in the nation in pass defense and boast two of the nation's best pass interceptors. Aaron Dashiel has an interception in each game this year and could have a field day if the Big Green falls behind early and is forced to throw 30 or 40 times.
Advantage: Maine
Special Teams:
The only word to describe junior punter Wayne Schlobohm's play last week is magnificent. The third-year starter single-handedly, or footedly, turned around the momentum and in the process set a school record for most punt yardage in the game. The return game will be crucial against Penn was atrocious, gaining just 5 yards on three kickoffs.
Maine's special teams lack the dynamicism of Dartmouth's, but remain consistent. The kick returners are solid and could exploit the Big Green's coverage units if Schlobohm continues to outkick them. Maine has yet to miss a field goal this season.
Advantage: Even
Final Analysis:
Dartmouth is undefeated in seven games against Maine and has shutout the Black Bears by a remarkable score of 126-0 in those contests. However, the last time these two teams met was in 1934. As a scholarship school in one of Division I-AA's elite conferences, the Bears offense brings in too much firepower for Dartmouth to handle. The Big Green should improve drastically over last week's performance, but in the end, its a pretty sure bet that both the winning streak and 28 quarter scoreless streak will come to an end.
Prediction: Maine 38, Green 10
