Dartmouth, which currently sports a 0-5 overall record, is yet to reach the crux of the Ivy League season. Despite its losses, the team has only played two of its seven scheduled conference games, and, with a little luck in the upcoming weeks, could potentially gain a winning conference record and salvage something out of what has been a disappointing season for both players and fans.
It is important to note that at this juncture last year, the team was just 1-4, having barely squeaked out a win against University of Pennsylvania. During the second half of their season, the 2007 Dartmouth football squad was able to win two games, and lost two more games by a total of just 10 points. It's not unlikely that this season's team could perform comparably.
It is not advisable, however, to have any false hope. In 2007, the Big Green was prevented from breaking the .500 barrier by a total of 13 points over three games. They lost by seven to Harvard and by three to both Colgate and Princeton, both of which went to overtime.
This year's team, on the other hand, has lost each game by no less than 13 points.
In the 2008 team's quest for a winning season, the statistics are against them. In five losses, Dartmouth has averaged just 13.8 points per game and given up 35.4. That's a differential of over three touchdowns per game. The 2007 team's loss differential averaged just 7.6 points a game.
This illustrates the essential difference between Dartmouth football of years past and this year's team. Although it may not have won many games, the 2007 Big Green was at least a threat, a competitive team that had a realistic chance of beating a team like Harvard, who finished second in the league last season.
So far this season, with the possible exception of the Penn game, Dartmouth football has not even realistically threatened any opponent.
The Big Green has been out-gained in nearly every major statistical category in every single game they have played thus far.
It's a sure sign of a tough season when Dartmouth football leaves fans nostalgic about a campaign that culminated in a 3-7 record.
Even sadder is the fact that this season has been highlighted by great individual performances in almost every area of play.
Ian Wilson '08 has led a slowly but steadily improving defense, with two interceptions and 48 tackles on the season. Co-captain Andrew Dete '09 and Pete Pidermann '10 have each recorded over 30 tackles as well. Freshman standout cornerback Shawn Abuhoff '12 has also shown promise, notching two interceptions on the season.
On the offensive side, Tim McManus '11 has spearheaded a talented but frustratingly inconsistent crew. McManus has netted 309 yards receiving with three touchdowns, and has even taken a few snaps at quarterback when starter Alex Jenny '10 has struggled.
Jenny has taken much of the heat for the team's offensive struggles, but he has managed to perform well, if not consistently, this season. He's amassed 1046 yards and five touchdowns with a 56.1% completion percentage, good enough for a 103.4 QB rating, despite having thrown eight interceptions on the year.
Jenny's struggles can, to some degree, be attributed to a struggling Big Green running game. Co-captain Milan Williams '09 has performed steadily, gaining 249 yards on the season on 69 carries. The Big Green's second-leading rusher on the season, Nick Schwieger '12, has 29 yards, as Williams has rushed for almost 90% of Dartmouth's yardage, a load that he has never taken in the past.
In total, the Big Green has amassed 278 total yards on the ground this season. That is almost 100 yards less than Dartmouth gave up against the Colgate rushing attack in just one game. Dartmouth's opponents, meanwhile, have gained 1,014 rushing yards through five games, a horribly lopsided statistic that may shed some light on why Jenny cannot get comfortable in the pocket in passing situations.
Regardless, if the team has a chance to win any game this season, it's against Columbia. The Lions and the Big Green have a matching 0-5, 0-2 Ivy record, and the Lions have lost 13 straight games dating back to last season. Dartmouth head coach Buddy Teevens has also never lost to Columbia, either as a player or a coach.
Despite one of their more dismal starts in recent memory, there is no better place to find a win and some confidence, and to jump start a season, than in New York City against the Columbia Lions. If the Big Green can find a way to win this game, perhaps they can gain some momentum going into the heart of the conference play, and maybe even turn this season around.
Dartmouth kicks off against Columbia on Saturday at 4 p.m. in New York City. The game will be televised nationally on VERSUS.
