Preseason Football Practice Begins This Afternoon

HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth football team opens its preseason camp on Sunday at 2 p.m. in preparation for the 2021 season with a little extra excitement after the 2020 campaign was lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Picked to finish third in the Ivy League preseason poll after sharing the conference crown in 2019, the Big Green aim to prove the prognosticators wrong by adding to its league-record 19 Ancient Eight titles.

In order to do so, Buddy Teevens, the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach and winningest coach in program history, will have to replace nearly his entire starting lineup with eight gone from the offense and 10 from the defense. But most, if not all, of the other Ivy League teams find themselves in a similar situation.

The lone returning starter from a defense that ranked second in the FCS in points allowed is fifth-year strong safety Niko Mermigas, an All-Ivy League honorable mention and a Phil Steele preseason All-Ivy First Team selection who was fourth on the team with 47 tackles. Senior nickelback John Pupel (Phil Steele third team) provides another veteran presence in the secondary having amassed 55 stops two years ago, while graduate cornerback DeWayne Terry Jr. started all 10 games in 2018 and has 45 tackles and an interception in his career. Fifth-year Tanner Cross (22 career tackles) has the most experience among the linebacking corps, and fifth-year Seth Walter (11 tackles, 1 sack) is the veteran of the defensive line.

On the offensive side, fifth-year quarterback Derek Kyler (Phil Steele second team) returns as the program's leader in career completion percentage (68.2 percent) with nearly 2,500 passing yards to bring a calming, veteran presence to the action. He will also have a pair of accomplished linemen in fifth-year center Evan Hecimovich (2019 All-Ivy Second Team) and senior John Paul Flores, both of whom were chosen for the Phil Steele preseason All-Ivy Second Team, to protect him in the pocket.

The return of senior running back Zack Bair will be a welcome site for Big Green fans after he missed the last seven games of 2019; he was averaging over five yards a game on the ground and caught nine passes in the first three contests. Senior tight end Robbie Mangas was a big-play target in 2019 and the leading returning receiver for Kyler, while a host of others will get their opportunity to make a name for themselves this fall.

On special teams, the Green will rely on senior Connor Davis for the placekicking duties after he converted all 43 of his PATs and 6-of-9 field goals as a sophomore. But there will be a stiff competition to find out who will replace the graduated Davis Brief as the punter.

Dartmouth will travel to Valparaiso for the season opener and first-ever meeting between the schools on the gridiron on Sept. 18 before hosting Sacred Heart in the home opener the following week. Homecoming will take place on Oct. 9 as the Big Green clash with the team they shared the Ivy League title with in 2019, Yale. The Big Green will also welcome ESPNU to Memorial Field twice this fall for the games against Columbia (Oct. 22) and Princeton (Nov. 5). Each of the last two showdowns with the Tigers featured both teams entering the game with perfect 7-0 marks.

All practices will take place at Blackman Field today, weather permitting. Locations of other practices will be determined as the preseason unfolds.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE (Times tentative)
Sunday, August 22 — 2 p.m.
Monday, August 23 — 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 24 — 2 p.m.
Wednesday, August 25 — 3 p.m.
Friday, August 27 — 2 p.m.
Saturday, August 28 — 2 p.m.
Sunday, August 29 — 2 p.m.
Monday, August 30 — 2 p.m.
Wednesday, September 1 — 2 p.m.
Thursday, September 2 — 2 p.m.
Friday, September 3 — 2 p.m.
Saturday, September 4 — 10 a.m. (intrasquad scrimmage)
Monday, September 6 — 2 p.m.
Tuesday, September 7 — 2 p.m.
Wednesday, September 8 — 2 p.m.
Thursday, September 9 — 10 a.m. (intrasquad scrimmage)
Saturday, September 11 — Valparaiso preparation begins

Schedules