"That was a tough one," quarterback Mike Fritz '07 said. "There was a lot of emotion out on that field Saturday. We played hard, but it just wasn't enough." Fritz did play hard, completing 15 of 26 attempts for 147 yards through the air. He also rushed 10 times for 74 yards, including a blazing 36-yard scamper to tie the game at 7-7 early in the contest.
Fritz knows, however, that the next few weeks will present an opportunity to either go on an amazing -- but, at this point, improbable -- run to capture a share of the Ivy League title, or play spoiler to this season's top Ivy League teams. This Saturday, the Big Green men have a chance to get the ball rolling against the only team that was ranked lower than them in the preseason Ivy League polls, the Columbia University Lions (3-2, 0-2 Ivy League).
"At this point," Fritz went on, "all we can do is continue to work and prepare for our next Ivy game at Columbia next weekend."
What Dartmouth will have to put behind them without a doubt is the fiasco that occurred after last week's game. Spurred by Holy Cross' almost Terrell Owens-esque dancing on the Dartmouth "D" at midfield after the loss, a fight ensued between the Crusaders and the Big Green, with both coaches becoming involved as well. The general consensus among players and students is that the act was "classless."
Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone has stated that the fight was nothing like the melee that took place between Florida International University and the University of Miami on Saturday. "I don't remember seeing anyone using a helmet as a weapon," said Giaccone. "It was not any type of fighting situation. There was a lot of screaming, yelling and personal contact."
The brawl is currently being investigated by Hanover Police, and Dartmouth players that threw punches could face arrest or disciplinary action.
The Lions are led by new coach Norries Wilson, who has, thus far in his first season with the team, seemed to revamp the Columbia football program. Still, things are looking bright for the Big Green, who command the all-time series with a 59-16-1 advantage, including a remarkable 27-12 advantage in games played in New York.
Dartmouth will have to contend with Columbia quarterback Craig Hormann, who has completed 85-of-160 passes (a 53.1 percent completion rate) for 884 yards (176.8 per game), four touchdowns and four interceptions.
Although Hormann's statistics are not stellar, he gets the job done thanks to Columbia's special teams unit, which is led by phenomenal punter Jon Rocholl. Rocholl leads the Ivies in yards-per-punt, with 40.85 yards per kick, good for 19th nationally.
The Lions are also able to garner great field position thanks to their Ivy League and NCAA lead in turnover ratio (plus two per game), thanks to nine interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.
In essence, the Big Green will have to execute better this Saturday than the team has all season. The Lions are six of eight in the red zone this season, and with their great special teams unit, they should pin Dartmouth back very often in its own territory. That is where budding sophomore running back Hudson Smythe '09 and star wide receiver Ryan Fuselier '06 should factor into the game.
With Fuselier gaining so much attention this season, two defensive backs have often covered him, leaving other Big Green receivers open. Alas, to the other teams' dismay, wide receivers Brian Evans '08, Andrew Von Kuhn '09 and Phillip Galligan '09 have been able to pick up the slack.
This Saturday's game will begin at 12:30 p.m. at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium with the radio pregame show starting at noon on 1340 AM (WDCR) and 99.3 FM (WFRD 99 Rock), and also online via webcast. Video footage of the game is available online for a small fee.
