In August, the central question for Dartmouth was whether the team could replace 18 graduated starters, including the College's all-time leading rusher and third most prolific passer. 184 passing yards from transfer quarterback Alex Park '14, a career-high 170 rushing yards from Dominick Pierre '14 and a stifling defense provided a good first answer on Saturday night.
The Big Green (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) rolled to a 35-7 win against Butler University in the team's season opener, scoring on the opening kickoff before using a two-minute drill to effectively put the game away, 21-7, before halftime.
Miles Gay '13, a 215-pound linebacker who played running back in high school, picked up the ball on the opening kickoff and barreled down the left sideline to score just 14 seconds into the game.
"It was a nice boost right off the bat to put some points on the board," head coach Buddy Teevens said.
After a missed field goal by Butler (1-2, 0-0 Pioneer), a raucous crowd of 9,089 fans cheered Dartmouth's offense to a methodical 11-play, 76-yard drive to go up 14-0.
"It starts with that offensive line," Butler head coach Jeff Voris said of the Big Green offense. "They kept the pocket clean."
Park utilized the pocket to repeatedly connect with his receivers throughout the game, including Michael Reilly '12, who finished with 92 yards after sitting out last year, and Ryan McManus '15, who hauled in five receptions for 42 yards, eclipsing last season's yardage total.
"[Reilly] is an experienced vet who has been around, played against everybody," Park said of the repeat-senior wide receiver. "Whenever we need a play, Mike is ready."
Park, known for his fervent energy, utilized the game plan's flexibility and option-reads to find open receivers in all four quarters.
"He played very steady football throughout the course of the game," Teevens said.
Dalyn Williams '16, the change-of-pace backup quarterback, relieved Park periodically to receive his first collegiate action, a game plan that the Big Green will most likely use throughout the season, according to Teevens.
"It was good for him to get in and get snaps," Teevens said. "He was productive when he was in there."
The Big Green offense, despite losing the time-of-possession battle by five minutes, finished with an average gain per play of 5.5 yards. The Butler offense, which racked up 583 yards in its previous game against Franklin University, attacked the Big Green defense with three wide-receiver sets and ran 52 pass plays compared to only 22 running plays.
"We didn't execute as well as we wanted to, and a lot of that you have to tip your hat to their play," Voris said of the Butler offense.
Dartmouth excelled in the red zone on both sides of the football. Butler finished one for three in red-zone scoring chances, while the Big Green scored all three times.
"When you get the ball in the scoring zone, you got to be able to finish," Voris said. "We didn't finish well tonight."
Butler finally broke through on their third possession, a 15-play, 86-yard touchdown drive that took 7:21 minutes off the clock.
Hesitant to employ a kicking game that had been unable to convert three extra point attempts earlier in the season and missed a field goal in the first quarter, the Bulldogs twice rolled the dice on fourth down and converted in both instances.
The second time, a fourth-and-11 from Dartmouth's 34, Butler wide receiver Derek O'Connor beat the Dartmouth secondary on a 23-yard out route, as Butler repeatedly found success in attacking the Dartmouth cornerbacks. "The back end is a concern," Teevens said. "We need to pressure the passer, get our hands up in the air, and then we've got to react better to the ball in flight."
Butler, who leads the Pioneer League in total offense, finished the game with 416 yards. After their initial touchdown, however, the Bulldogs were unable to score for the rest of the night.
"They capitalized on their [big plays] and we didn't," Voris said of the difference between the Butler and Big Green offense.
On defense, co-captains Bronson Green '14 and Garret Waggoner '13 led a squad whose biggest goal-line stand occurred in the fourth quarter, when Butler could not put points on the board after having first and goal from the Dartmouth two-yard line.
On the ensuing Dartmouth drive, Pierre's seven rushes, including a one-yard touchdown run, put the finishing touches on the Big Green's 35-point outburst.
"[Pierre] is a powerful guy," Reilly said. "It looks like there's nothing, and then all of a sudden he hits a seam, and he's eight yards up field. I think as we realize that and guys stay on their blocks longer, he's going to pop off some long runs."
Dartmouth's offensive line, led by co-captain Patrick Lahey '12, created running lanes throughout the game, often getting to the second level.
"They bring their hard hat and lunch bucket to work every day," Park said of the five offensive-line starters. "We have a great group up front I wouldn't trade them for anybody."
As the clock wound down and temperatures dropped, the fatigued players' breath could be seen on the cold field.
"I was pleased with our conditioning," Teevens said. " I thought we wore them down as time went on."
Saturday night marked the second-ever night game at Dartmouth and first-ever matchup between Dartmouth and Butler.
Next year, the Big Green will reciprocate the favor and travel to Indianapolis, Ind., one of three Ivy League teams to face a Pioneer League opponent.
"I think the leagues are set up similarly as far as the true student-athlete," Voris said. "I think you're looking at similar kids across the line of scrimmage."
All eyes now turn to next Saturday, when the Big Green will travel to Worcester, Mass. to play College of the Holy Cross before returning to Hanover for a highly-anticipated matchup against the University of Pennsylvania, a game which will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.
"I like the mindset of the team after," Teevens said. "Yeah they were happy, but there's more to do."
