Football Attempting to Bring Home First Win Against Yale

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Game Notes

HANOVER, N.H. -- Having lost five straight dating back to last year, the Dartmouth Big Green (0-3, 0-1 Ivy) are looking to snap the streak when they host preseason Ivy League co-favorite Yale (2-1, 0-1) at Memorial Field on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Dartmouth has dropped the last five meetings with Yale, including last year's 50-10 defeat in New Haven, Conn. Five different Elis ran for touchdowns in the game, one of which was by Mike McLeod who finished the day with 155 yards on the ground. That running game allowed Yale to hold on to the football for nearly twice as long as the Big Green ? 38:46 to 21:14.

The only Dartmouth touchdown in the contest came after Peter Pidermann (Hialeah, Fla.) blocked a punt, which Zechariah Glaize (Fairburn, Ga.) scooped up and then loped 33 yards into the end zone. The last Big Green victory in the series ? which first began in 1884 ? came in Hanover in 2002 by a final of 20-17.

Neither team did much through the air as Dartmouth posted 55 passing yards while Yale threw for 78. This year very well could be quite different as the Big Green have averaged over 200 yards passing per game and has yet to run for 100 yards in a game. Yale began the season throwing the ball all over the field, but last week returned to a more balanced offensive effort with 135 yards rushing and 142 yards passing.

Dartmouth played in its Ivy League opener last Saturday, falling 23-10 at Penn. After a 7-7 stalemate in the first half, the Big Green took a three-point lead on a 22-yard chip shot off the foot of freshman Foley Schmidt (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) at the start of the second half. But the Quakers scored the final 16 points, icing the game in the fourth quarter with three field goals in the stanza.

Sophomore wide receiver Tim McManus (St. Paul, Minn.) was the offensive star for Dartmouth, catching eight passes for 99 yards, including a 38-yard bomb to the Penn 6 that set up the brief lead in the third quarter. He also is the back-up quarterback, and in his one drive as the signal caller in the fourth quarter, he completed 3-of-4 passes for 11 yards, plus ran seven yards for a first down on a 3rd-and-5.

The Dartmouth defense was stout in the first half, holding Penn to a single yard rushing while doing everything it could to neutralize the disparity in field position. And it was the defense that set up the Big Green touchdown as freshman defensive lineman Royce Egeolu (San Antonio, Texas) stripped the ball at the Quaker 17 and took it all the way to the one-yard line. Two plays later, senior Hudson Smythe (Menlo Park, Calif.) took the plunge for his ninth career rushing touchdown.

Yale is coming off a thrilling 31-28 double-overtime triumph over Holy Cross. McLeod had his first 100-yard rushing game of the year, going for 131 yards on a workman-like 39 carries. Quarterback Ryan Fodor was very efficient, connecting on 17-of-23 for 142 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Defensively, linebacker Bobby Abare was the star, earning national player-of-the-week honors from The Sports Network for his 10 tackles and two interceptions in the contest. After both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime period, Yale booted a 34-yard field goal and Holy Cross was wide left from 37 yards.

Dartmouth and Yale first began their series on the gridiron in 1884 and have played in every year since 1926. The Bulldogs have the advantage in the series, 49-36-6, while not losing any of the first 18 meetings. Since 1935, Dartmouth has won more than it has lost at 36-34-3. Although the Big Green won nine straight games in the series during the 1990s, Yale has had the upper hand of late, winning seven of the last nine contests.

The game will be televised by the New England Sports Network (NESN), featuring Eric Frede with the play-by-play, former Big Green quarterback Brian Mann '02 providing the analysis, and Laura Boyce and Ron Vaccaro on the sidelines. Dartmouth fans can also listen to the Dartmouth Radio Network on 99.3 FM WFRD with Bob Lipman and Wayne Young '72 calling the action, plus Andy Sloan on the sidelines. To listen over the internet, log on to www.DartmouthSportsRadio.net, or keep up with the live stats on the official Dartmouth web site, www.DartmouthSports.com.

Schedules