After a series of disappointing losses, the Dartmouth football team looks to rebound this weekend in its contest with Columbia University, a team which has yet to win a single game.
But this is no ordinary game. It is Homecoming weekend, which brings hundreds of alumni back to campus and creates what is usually the most energetic game atmosphere of the season. Last year, the Homecoming game saw the highest attendance at Memorial Field in over a decade.
Dartmouth Night always draws alumni and their families from across the world to cheer on the Big Green, celebrate Dartmouth tradition and experience the bonfire. Players and coaches alike relish the additional excitement the weekend brings. The increased attendance at the Homecoming game and overall excitement provides a palpable difference for the players and ensures that this is not just another football game, according to players interviewed by The Dartmouth.
"The added people is always an energy boost," according to senior quarterback Conner Kempe '12.
The energy has a positive affect on the coaching staff as well, according to head coach Buddy Teevens. "It is always nice to have an opportunity to come back to a friendly environment," Teevens said.
The excitement level during Homecoming has the potential to have a negative impact and distract the players from the game, but this generally isn't the case for the Dartmouth team, Teevens said. While the days leading up to the game involve "different Friday preparation" for the players than the rest of the student body, Teevens said that as an alumnus himself, he realizes the importance of "having the guys involved in [the festivities]."
The players enjoy the charged atmosphere and look to the extra events as a fun addition to the rigors of the football season, according to senior running back Nick Schwieger '12. The bonfire is always a hit and the players also look forward to the honor of standing on the steps of Dartmouth Hall for part of the celebration. Rather than distract, the pregame excitement can serve to focus the players on the importance of the game, Schwieger said.
"Seeing all of those people, especially the alumni, you know you've got to win the game," he said.
Players and coaching staff try to keep in mind that in the eyes of the fans, the football game is the culmination of the weekend itself, according to Kempe.
"The football game is the main attraction," Kempe said.
The game will be played at 1:30 p.m. this Saturday at Memorial Field. The Big Green (1-4, 0-2 Ivy) looks to turn things around from a series of tough losses, including a close 25-17 loss at the College of the Holy Cross last Saturday.
The team hopes to continue a tradition of victory against Columbia (0-5, 0-2 Ivy), a team who the Big Green has beaten the past two years in a row. Last year, the team escaped with a 24-21 victory in New York, thanks to a touchdown run by Schweiger with under three minutes to play. The win marked Dartmouth's first Ivy League road win in four years, a major milestone in the team's development.
Schweiger the new Dartmouth all-time rushing leader will try to continue his strong season against a Columbia team that has given up over 150 yards per game on the ground.
Kempe also stressed the importance of leaving recent difficulties behind, moving on this week and showing confidence that his team can live up to its pre-season potential.
"We need to forget the past few weeks and just do what we're capable of doing," he said.
Despite his enthusiasm, the starting quarterback position remains a major question mark going into the game. Kempe, the opening day starter, has been out of the job for the past two weeks due to an inconsistent completion percentage, but has been called upon in the second half to restart the offense. Last week at Holy Cross, Kempe relieved fellow senior Dan Rooney '12 at the half-yard line and provided a spark for the offense, going 7-16 for 73 yards, and finishing with an 86 yard drive that culminated in a 13 yard touchdown pass with just over two minutes to play. Teevens has not yet announced the team's plans for quarterback this week.
The Columbia team is also off to a difficult start, having yet to see a win despite playing three games that came down to a difference of a single touchdown. Last week the Lions lost 37-20 to Penn in their own Homecoming game on a last-minute drive, similar to Dartmouth's loss to the University of Pennsylvania in the inaugural night game in Hanover earlier this season.
