It must be interesting to be a member of the Big Green football team these days. Coming into the season, the team was picked to vie for the Ivy League cellar as in the past three seasons, consecutive 2-8 campaigns. Now, after playing three solid games, many are optimistic that Dartmouth can contend for the Ivy crown.
The season started with a stirring comeback, albeit a belated one, against nationally ranked UNH (which only failed on a heroic touchdown with three ticks left). Next came a one point loss to defending Ivy champion and preseason favorite Penn (which came down to a blocked point after touchdown). Most recently was last weekend's contest against Yale during the Bulldogs tri-centennial, during which Dartmouth finally got its first victory.
The team stands at only 1-2, but expectations around Hanover for the rest of the season are as lofty as they have been in most students' memories. It is not only that Dartmouth has lost some close games to good teams; it's that the squad has looked really good doing it.
Led by quarterback Greg Smith '02, in his first year as the unquestioned starter, the offense has rolled over people at times and looked like a unit that can run with, if not past, anybody else in the Ivies.
Smith leads the Ivies in passing with 366.0 yards per game and truly looks like a possible first-team All-Ivy quarterback. Through three games (two of which saw him eclipse 400 yards passing), he has passed 1,098 yards and ten touchdowns while sporting a gaudy 135.99 passing efficiency rating.
The deep Dartmouth receiving corps has made all that possible. Five of Smith's receivers have caught at least 16 balls for at least 100 yards. Small, speedy freshman Bobby Murphy leads the way with 20 receptions, but the stars have been wideout Matt DeLellis '02 and tight end Casey Cramer '04. Both have caught 19 balls for over 300 yards. While DeLellis has five TD's to Cramer's three, it would hard to say that Smith favors one over the other.
The defense has been the most pleasant surprise. Last year, the Big Green routinely let up 40+ points in games and its secondary was the easiest target in the Ivies. This year, while still giving up the yards, the Big Green D has managed to hold firm in key situations (including stuffing Yale three straight times after second and 1 to save the game) and make adjustments to improve its play as the game progressed. Against UNH, the defense allowed only one score in the second half and, against Penn, it didn't even allow the Quakers on the board after halftime.
The running game is still inconsistent and the run defense can be porous at times, but the team has played well, looked good, improved and gained all-important confidence with every game.
This Saturday, Dartmouth travels to Holy Cross for its last nonleague game. It is the Crusaders' Homecoming weekend, and, although Penn blew them out of the water last weekend, the team only lost to Yale by one the week before. The 2-2 Crusaders are certainly capable of winning, but the Big Green only seems to be getting warmed up and it will take a lot more to stop the victory train. Look for Smith to keep pilingup the yards and for the defense to finally play an entire game at its full strength as Dartmouth wins 35-14.
