Original Article: http://dartreview.com/archives/2005/08/26/football_prepares_for_fall_season.php
Friday, August 26, 2005
The Indians are looking to rally behind new head coach, Buddy Teevens '79 and avenge the losses to all but one of their Ivy League opponents last season. The 2005 team includes eleven returning starters, two on offense and nine on defense.
The Dartmouth offense is looking to rebuild after suffering two shutouts last season. Quarterback Charlie Rittgers and tackle Daniel Tootoo are the two returning starters; senior tackle Michael Shannon is returning after missing last season due to injury.
With only one starter returning on the offensive line, Dartmouth is looking to fill the gaps in the wall. Juniors Preston Copley and Donald Bly have seen action while sophomores Taylor Layman and Jared Dowdakin also turned heads during spring practice.
The offense is going to look for big production from sophomore running back Chad Gaudet. Gaudet found success late last season rushing for two, 100 yard-games and will follow fullbacks Charles Ganske and Bobby Calderwood again this season.
Out wide, senior, Ryan Fuselier has to step up to replace go-to man Drew Hall. The rest of the receiving corps lack experience but showed potential during spring practice this year. Sophomore Brian Evans, Jason Raiti, and Sam McDonald will bring much needed speed to the line-up. Leading the receivers in touchdowns during spring practice, the technician Matt Whyland will also be looking for time next season.
Last year's record is no indication of this year's talent on the defensive side of the ball. Despite losing first team all-Ivy defenders Clayton Smith and Ryan Conger, the defense is returning seven starters including 2004 first team all-Ivy player Anthony Gargiulo.
Gargiulo will continue to bewilder opposing lineman with his quickness and superhuman strength after leading the league last season with twelve sacks. He will be joined on the defensive line by seniors Mike Rabil and Brian Osimiri. The Dartmouth defense allowed only 84 yards rushing per game during the final half of last season.
The "Bash Brothers," Josh Dooley and Joe Gibalski, are also returning to punish those escaping the grasp of the beef on the defensive line. Dooley has been second team all-Ivy twice and was nominated for Ivy Rookie of the Year in 2002.
In the secondary, three-year starter Mike Ribero will continue to pester wide receivers with his tenacious coverage. He broke up thirteen passes last year and had multiple touchdown-saving interceptions. Brooks Goff is expecting to return healthy after missing spring practice due to injury. Expect to see sophomores John Pircon and Ian Wilson make plays in the secondary as well.
Dartmouth football is entering a new era. Losing seasons will no longer be tolerated. Buddy Teevens has been a part of three Ivy championships, one as a player and two as a coach. He knows what it takes to win and will lead Dartmouth to its unprecedented eighteenth Ivy Championship. Teevens also has revamped the team's coaching staff, naming Chris Wilkerson as the team's defensive coordinator in June. Formerly the linebackers coach at San Jose State University, Wilkerson helped the Spartans finish second in the Western Athletic Conference and rank in the top 20 nationally in pass defense. Before coaching at San Jose State, Wilkerson was the head coach at Division I-AA Eastern Illinois University, where he led the Panthers to two Ohio Valley Conference championships.
In recent years, Penn and Harvard have been the dominant forces of the Ivy League and are picked by preseason polls to lead the league again in 2005. Dartmouth starts Ivy League play against Penn the third week of this season. In the preseason media poll, Dartmouth was picked to finish seventh in the Ivy League, ahead of Columbia.
Dartmouth's first two games are against two very tough non-conference opponents. Dartmouth has lost to Colgate for the past six years and has not defeated University of New Hampshire since 1976. This year's Homecoming game will pit Dartmouth against Columbia on October 22, and will be televised on the YES Network.
In the past two seasons, the Harvard-Dartmouth game has been the game to watch. In 2003, Dartmouth upset Harvard in their 100th meeting to prevent them from winning the Ivy League title. Only a failed two-point conversion in the fourth quarter of last season's match prevented Dartmouth from repeating the upset. This year, Harvard has fifteen starters returning this season including senior Clifton Dawson, who will make a run for the all-time Ivy League rushing record. Dawson will need a big year to make up for the loss of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who threw for 1,986 yards last season and was selected by the Rams in the seventh round of the NFL draft.