Homecoming Football Preview

By Kale Bongers | Friday, October 29, 2004

It's difficult to imagine two football teams in such disparate situations. Dartmouth is in the midst of a supremely disappointing campaign, having topped off a season-long losing skid by falling to perennial Ivy League bottom-dweller Columbia and woeful Holy Cross. Harvard, on the other hand, twentieth in the national Division I-AA rankings and one of only two undefeated I-AA teams, is poised to challenge Penn for league dominance.

Dartmouth's main task on Homecoming Saturday will be stopping the Crimson's star sophomore running back, Clifton Dawson, who averages 145 rushing yards and 15 points per game, good for fourth and first in Division I, respectively. This could prove especially problematic for the Dartmouth defense, as they've been comparatively weak against the run all season. Even if this hole is plugged, Harvard is hardly one-dimensional—it also boasts one of the Ancient Eight's most efficient quarterbacks in senior Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Crimson's one offensive weakness might be its receiving corps, which, though outstanding, is largely reliant on Corey Mazza, who averages 115 yards per game. The receiving game should be less of an issue, though Dartmouth's pass defense will still face a sizable test. Dartmouth needs its defense to step up.

The Indian offensive unit has other issues. While its passing game has averaged over 250 yards per game (indeed, better than Harvard), its running offense often fails to reach the 100-yard mark. Especially of late, the Indians have had a difficult time getting into the end zone; they've only scored one touchdown in their past two games, both against weak opponents. If Dartmouth's offense, specifically its running unit, cannot find a way to overcome the stingy Crimson defense, it will be a long game indeed.

If Harvard is to win this game, it will be because of its adherence to what has gotten it this far—the legs of Clifton Dawson and the arm of Ryan Fitzpatrick. If Dartmouth is to win, it will likely be because of a devotion to the fundamentals—poor kicking, for instance, has cost the Indians at least two games this year—and a refusal to make game-breaking mistakes, such as the fatal interception returned for a touchdown by New Hampshire earlier this season. Dartmouth also needs a few big plays, such as a reoccurrence of Andrew Hall '05's immortal "Catch" against the Crimson last season, to go their way.

Harvard is, to be sure, the odds-on favorite, and it will be immensely difficult for Dartmouth to pull out the win. But Dartmouth has a history of upsetting heavily-favored Harvard teams, most recently evidenced in last year's improbable 30-16 upending of the then-#16 (and then-undefeated) Crimson at Harvard Stadium. Let's hope the Indians can pull off another miracle. If they can't, let's at least be there to cheer the freshmen on as they rush the field.

Homecoming Football Preview

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