Coming off a disappointing 2-8 season last year, the Dartmouth football team defeated Bucknell University, 43-20, last Saturday in Lewisburg, Penn., for the team's first road win since 2006. The team hopes to carry its momentum into Saturday's home game against Sacred Heart University.
Sacred Heart (1-2, 0-1 Northeast), who was picked to finish eighth in the Northeast Conference, is coming off its first shutout since a 24-0 loss to Monmouth University on Oct. 7, 2006. The Pioneers turned the ball over seven times and went on to suffer a 41-0 loss at the hands of St. Francis University on Sept. 18.
Given the Pioneers' loss and Dartmouth's (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) victory, the team is optimistic about its chances this weekend, tri-captain Charles Bay '11 said. A big win this weekend could go a long way towards restoring some of the luster to the Big Green football program and to re-establishing the program's prior dominance.
"The way we were able to rally back in the second half of the Bucknell game after being down so many points shows how we've matured as a team," Bay said.
In Saturday's game, the Big Green offense will be led by Connor Kempe '12, who ranks among Dartmouth's top 20 all-time players in career passing yards with 1,686 yards total, and Nick Schwieger '12, who recorded 273 all-purpose yards against Bucknell. Schwieger is Dartmouth's first All-Ivy first team tailback in 18 years, and led the Ivy league in rushing yards per game last season.
Rounding out a strong Dartmouth offense are receivers Tanner Scott '11, who was chosen as a preseason All-Ivy pick and caught 45 passes last year, and returning tri-captain Tim McManus '11, who caught 60 passes for 637 yards in 2008, but was sidelined last season with a broken leg.
"Our talent and experience is our biggest strength," Bay said. "We have a lot of returning starters and a lot of guys who have starting and game time experience, which is definitely an advantage."
The Big Green's defensive line will be led by Bay and tri-captain Pat Scorah '11. Last year, Scorah topped the team with 64 tackles, while Bay led Dartmouth in sacks.
Shawn Abuhoff '12 at cornerback is also a key to Dartmouth's success on defense. Abuhoff picked Bucknell quarterback Brandon Wesley last week and returned the ball 56-yards for a touchdown, becoming the first Big Green player to return an interception for a score since November 2008. Abuhoff also doubles as a return man earning All-New England FCS All-Star honors last year.
"Our defense needs to make sure we know what's happening," Bay said. "We need to get a lot of pressure on [Sacred Heart's] passer he's a very mobile guy."
The Pioneer's senior quarterback Dale Fink, who has completed 45 of 65 passes for 301 yards on the season, is the leader of the Sacred Heart offense. Fink threw for 2,064 yards and 17 touchdowns in the 2009 season and completed over 60 percent of his passes. He also led the Northeast Conference in passing yards per game, total offense, completions, completion percentage and touchdown passes last fall.
Last weekend, however, Fink completed just 13 of 32 passes for 72 yards and threw a career high four interceptions. In the same game, second-string quarterback senior Ray Sheehan went 2-8 for 48 yards and threw three interceptions.
"It's going to be a very physical match," Bay said. "They're going to come here thinking they have an automatic win it will definitely be a good game."
Prior to kickoff, Alpha Delta fraternity and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority are co-sponsoring the first of five College-sponsored tailgates to be held at AD in an effort to increase student attendance at games, event organizer Katie Horner '11 said. The event will feature Big Ray's Catering, kegs of root beer and cream soda, and a performance by the Dartmouth Aires. The pre-football game events are sponsored by the Athletic Department, the President's Office, Student Assembly and several Greek organizations.
"All of the Dartmouth community is invited," Horner said. "We want to get students awake and to the games and anyone who hears that Collis Ray' is having a barbeque will get out of bed because it is going to be delicious."
Saturday's kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Memorial Field in Hanover.
