Dartmouth Ranked in 2022 HERO Sports FCS Preseason Poll

HANOVER, N.H. — Coming off its second straight Ivy League title and third consecutive campaign in the final FCS top 25 polls, the Dartmouth football team was ranked 23rd in the 2022 HERO Sports FCS Preseason Poll as released today.

The Big Green finished the 2021 season with a 9-1 record and 6-1 mark in the Ivy League for the third straight year — earning a share of their conference-record 20th crown — to garner a national ranking of 20 in the final Stats Perform poll and 23 in the coaches' poll. And the team with whom they shared the title, Princeton, suffered a 31-7 defeat at the hands of Dartmouth on Nov. 5.

While Bushnell Cup finalist Derek Kyler, who was ranked in the top four nationally in both completion percentage and passing efficiency, has graduated and concluded his Big Green career, his quarterbacking tandem Nick Howard will return to continue his bruising runs while also taking up more of the passing duties. He will have plenty of weapons at the skill positions with the top two running backs — Zach Bair and Noah Roper — back in the fold along with all but one of the eight players who caught 10 passes returning as well.

The defense that was third in the FCS in points allowed and fifth in yards allowed will have to restock as just three starters will be back. Two of those returnees, however, will be the Big Green's top two pass rushers in defensive end Shane Cokes and linebacker Marques White. But the pundits questioned the defense in the preseason last year with just one returning starter, yet Dartmouth found a way to put together one of the stingiest units from around the country.

The Big Green and the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach Buddy Teevens will open the 2022 season in Hanover at Memorial Field when they host Valparaiso of the Pioneer Football League on Sept. 17. Season tickets are now on sale through the official website of Dartmouth Athletics, DartmouthSports.com.

Notes: Harvard also was ranked in the poll, coming in just ahead of Dartmouth at No. 22 … the 27 wins over the last three seasons and 35 over the last four are the most in program history … Teevens will be guiding the Big Green for his 22nd season and is the program's winningest coach all-time with a mark of 114-94-2.

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