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Football Has a Homecoming Date with Columbia
10/21/2009 3:30:00 PM | Football
HANOVER, N.H. — After taking on the most difficult schedule in the entire Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) for the first half of the season, Dartmouth (0-5, 0-2 Ivy) is setting its sights on finishing the season strong, beginning with a homecoming game this Saturday, Oct. 24, against the Columbia Lions (2-3, 1-1 Ivy). But Big Green fans should note that although Columbia has the worst overall record since the Ivy League began play in 1956 at 86-282-5 in the conference and 121-375-9 overall, this Lion squad already has an impressive 38-0 victory on the road at Princeton this season.
Of Dartmouth's first five opponents, three are currently ranked among the top 25 in the FCS, including last week's opponent Holy Cross, which is now 22nd in the polls. The Crusaders had a successful homecoming in defeating the Big Green, 34-14, despite 312 passing yards from sophomore Conner Kempe, who was making his first start of the season — and fourth start of his career — in the place of injured senior Alex Jenny. Kempe became just the 12th Dartmouth quarterback to throw for at least 300 yards in a game, completing 26-of-45 passes with two touchdown tosses and just one interception.
“Conner stepped in and was productive moving the ball and also protecting it,” said head coach Buddy Teevens. “And he did all that against one of the top teams in the country. The other players have really responded to Conner behind center, and as long as he stays with the program and not try to do too much, we can have a productive offense.”
The return of sophomore Michael Reilly helped Kempe's cause last Saturday, giving him an additional receiving threat. Reilly had missed the previous two games, but looked as if he hadn't missed any time at all with four catches for 67 yards. He still leads the Big Green in receiving yards (211) despite missing those two contests.
But it was junior Tanner Scott who led the receiving corps with career highs in receptions (7) and yardage (126), making him the first Dartmouth player with a 100-yard game this year. He also caught the first Big Green score of the day from 16 yards out, his first career points.
The receivers are in good shape, but the running game needs to continue to establish itself to take the pressure off Kempe. Sophomore Nick Schwieger is second in the Ivy League in rushing yards with 366; the problem stems from the fact that the rest of the team has combined for two yards. Yet Schwieger still managed to average more than four yards per carry at Holy Cross with 83 yards on 20 rushes.
If the Big Green are to defeat Columbia, the defense will need to contain the three offensive weapons for the Lions — quarterback M.A. Olawale, running back Ray Rangel and receiver/returner Austin Knowlin. Olawale leads the Ivy League in pass efficiency and is very mobile as he leads the team in rushes. Rangel is the Ivy's leading rusher at 84 yards per game, in spite of being held to 22 yards last week in a 27-13 loss to Penn. Knowlin has nearly half of the team's receptions with 28 (fourth in the Ivy League) for 344 yards (third).
Dartmouth has yet to hold an opponent to less than 30 points this year, and Columbia averages 25. What the Big Green defense would like is to be even half as opportunistic as Penn, which forced seven turnovers last week, although the Lions had coughed the ball up just twice in the first four games combined. Six of those turnovers were committed by Olawale with his first three picks of the year and three fumbles.
The defense will try to force the issue with junior defensive end Charles Bay and his team-high four tackles for a loss (two sacks) leading the charge. Senior strong safety Tony Pastoors, the Big Green's leading tackler, may return to the field after missing the last two games with pneumonia. But if he can't go, sophomore Anthony Diblasi proved he could fill in admirably after leading Dartmouth with nine tackles and an interception at Holy Cross.
Last year, the Lions held off Dartmouth in a rain-soaked game in New York, 21-13. Olawale came off the bench late in the third quarter with Columbia leading by a single point, 14-13, to spark Columbia to the final score of the game. Jenny gamely tried to get the touchdown to potentially tie the score, but the drive stalled out at the Lion 22.
The Big Green hold a sizeable advantage in the overall series at 61-17-1 and have won five of the past seven meetings. The two schools have squared off every year since 1942, and the series dates back to 1899.
The game will be broadcast by WFRD 99.3 FM out of Hanover with Bob Lipman calling the action and Wayne Young '72 providing analysis. Big Green fans can also listen over the internet at www.DartmouthSportsNetwork.com or visit Big Green Insider on the official Dartmouth athletics web site at www.DartmouthSports.com to sign up for the subscription-based service to view the video stream online.
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