Homecoming Football Game This Saturday Versus Holy Cross

Tuesday, October 18, 2008

HANOVER, N.H. -- The Big Green reach the midpoint of the 2008 football season this Saturday when they host Holy Cross (2-3) in the annual homecoming game at Memorial Field. Dartmouth (0-4) is looking to break a six-game losing streak that dates back to last year, and also a personal four-game skid against the Crusaders. The last time the Big Green defeated Holy Cross came in 2003, a 24-20 victory in Worcester, Mass.

Last year, Holy Cross handled Dartmouth on its home field, 41-15. The Big Green tied the score at seven with a touchdown early in the second quarter, but the Crusaders rattled off the next 31 points before Dartmouth could respond with a 30-yard scoring strike from Alex Jenny (Wayland, Mass.). Jenny, now a junior, was the backup last year and completed 6-of-12 passes in the game for 108 yards.

Dartmouth had a difficult time stopping Holy Cross last year, yielding 503 yards of total offense. Crusader quarterback Dominic Randolph ? a Walter Payton Award finalist last year ? returns to guide the offense, and he currently ranks second in the nation with 314.8 passing yards per game. Last week he was named the FCS Offensive Player of the Week by the Sports Network for completing 41 passes for 430 yards and four touchdowns.

The Big Green suffered their second Ivy League loss of the season to Yale at Memorial Field last week, 34-7. Jenny's 21-yard pass to sophomore receiver Tim McManus (St. Paul, Minn.) accounted for Dartmouth's lone score in the game. Trailing 20-7 in the fourth quarter, Jenny had the team moving down the field, but a pair of uncontested sacks on third and fourth down ended the Big Green comeback bid. The Bulldogs tacked on a pair of touchdowns in the final 4:12 to bloat the final score.

“Right now we have a high number of young players that have been forced into action a bit ahead of their timetable,” stated Big Green Head Coach Buddy Teevens. “While they are making great progress, mistakes come with the growing pains on the field. We need to protect the passer better and give him time to operate. The team's attitude is good, working hard to correct their mistakes and make better decisions. Nobody is walking out on that field with their head down.”

Jenny and McManus (also the back-up quarterback) combined to throw for 192 yards in the game, but the running game was stymied once again with just 38 yards on the ground. Dartmouth has yet to gain 100 yards rushing in a game this season.

The defense showed improvement, limiting Yale to 358 total yards, more than 65 yards fewer than any of the first three games. Senior strong safety Ian Wilson (Burbank, Calif.) is tied for second in the Ivy League (and 18th nationally) with more than 10 tackles per game. Joining him among the conference leaders is senior linebacker Andrew Dete (Marietta, Ga.), who is tied for third in tackles for a loss per game. Freshman cornerback Shawn Abuhoff (Hialeah, Fla.) has been a nice addition with two interceptions this year to lead the team, plus has done a very good job returning punts, averaging 8.6 yards per return.

Special teams overall have been a bright spot for the Big Green, particularly the punt team. Senior Brian Scullin (Alexandria, Va.) averages over 40 yards per punt, and has helped Dartmouth net 37.6 yards per punt, fourth best in the FCS. On kick returns, freshman Nick Schwieger (Norton, Mass.) has taken over those duties, ranking fourth in the Ivy League at 21.4 yards per return.

Behind Randolph's performance last week, Holy Cross was able to hold off Brown, 41-34, never trailing in the game. The Crusaders' 2-3 record is a bit misleading as their three losses have been by a total of seven points, including a one-point loss at Harvard and a double-overtime loss at Yale.

Dartmouth and Holy Cross first began their series on the gridiron in 1903 and have played each of the last eight years. The Big Green currently holds a slim advantage at 34-33-4. A victory for the Crusaders on Saturday would even up the series for the first time as Dartmouth won the first 10 meetings. This will be the fourth opportunity for Holy Cross to even the score ? the Big Green won the three previous games by a combined score of 101-11.

The game will be broadcast over the Dartmouth Radio Network on 99.3 FM WFRD with Bob Lipman and Wayne Young '72 calling the action, and Andy Sloan on the sidelines. Fans can also listen to the broadcast over the internet at www.DartmouthSportsRadio.net, or watch the game videostreamed on the official Dartmouth athletics web site, www.DartmouthSports.com.

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