Wednesday, April 26 Practice Report

By Bruce Wood
www.biggreenalert.com

Hanover -- Before Dartmouth's spring prospectus is sent to the printer it is vetted by the football office for things like player additions and deletions, position changes, heights and weights.

When this year's prospectus was released a couple of weeks ago, it listed 5-foot-10 tailback Jason Bash at 180 pounds, a weight dutifully repeated in a Green Alert posting last week.

Bash, who said last fall he weighed closer to 195 while leading Dartmouth in rushing, enjoyed a little good-natured teasing Wednesday by noting the 180-pound slight with each impressive gain he made during the scrimmage portion of practice.

Whether he's 180 -- which in truth is probably low -- or the near-195 he said he weighed last year, he ran like a 200-pounder in the midweek session on breezy Memorial Field. On consecutive carries he ripped off runs of 15, 12 and 5 yards, bringing a smile to Buddy Teevens' face.

"He keeps telling me he's bigger (than 180)," the coach said. "I haven't had him on the scale but I think he told me he's 190. I know he's thicker and I know he plays big."

Bash wasn't the only Big Green rusher who stepped up Wednesday. Freshman Milan Williams, looking slinkier than ever in his new No. 3 jersey, ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run down the right side. Fullback Dan Siegfried, whose name doesn't appear on the roster of the vetted prospectus, had a 15-yard gainer and Hudson Smythe continued to progress.

As pleased as he was with what his running backs were doing, Teevens sounded as impressed, or more so, with why they were doing it.

"It all starts with the offensive line," he said. "We're not a finished product be we are progressing. I think some of the adjustments we made are paying dividends.The backs had some seams. They've got some abilities and are seeing things better. Coach Hollis is doing a nice job with them and Coach Brock up front. The pass protection has been better; we're having a chance to set our feet and throw the ball.

"Mike Shannon inside has helped plug the interior. (Jared) Dowdakin has responded. (Tim) Wheeler and (Eddie) Tabasky are both competing at the left guard position and making progress. And (Preston) Copley and (Ben) Goeke at the edge. Lucius Alexander and Alex Rapp as well. So there are four guys that are really challenging each other and creating a competitive environment."

UPON FURTHER REVIEW Teevens had words of praise for tight ends Mark Brogna and Brett Lowe as well as Don Bly.

He was less happy with his wideouts. "I'm a little disappointed with the receivers," he said. "They're just not catching the football. And the ball is there. So we've got to get that up and going."

One area Teevens was pleased with: the downfield blocking of the wide receivers, who helped Williams break his run. "That's a huge emphasis and something we need to improve from a year ago," he said. "We didn't help appreciably downfield. They are doing a better job with that. We've got some competitive guys at the wide receiver spot and we want them to be complete players."

PLAY OF THE DAY During a drill quarterback Josh Cohen drilled a perfect bullet down the middle. Fullback Bobby Calderwood made the catch and the perfect play -- holding onto the ball when safety Casey Frost flat-out leveled him with an equally perfect hit.

While he was pleased by the throw and impressed by the catch-and-hold, it was the hit by a converted quaterback that really got Teevens' juices flowing.

"Frost is acclimating well," he said. "He's going to be a very good football player for us there. He has a great attitude. As a quarterback, you never know how physical they are going to be. But he's jacked up a couple of people the last couple practices. We're really excited to see that."

UP-DOWNS With the offense largely carrying the day, the Dartmouth defense was required to do its share of up-downs as penance.

"We're not tackling the way we should at this point," Teevens said. "A lot of guys are anxious and very aggressive and sometimes overly so. But the guys are working hard. ...

"We're missing guys in the back end. (Kyle) Cavanaugh and Jason Blydell (outfielders with the baseball team), Ian Wilson (out for the spring after surgery), John Pircon (hand injury Monday) and Joe Scola's not here. That's five pretty good guys we are missing in the secondary. It's putting our younger guys in position to get more time, which is good. Guys like Corey Goff and Frost."

LOOKING ON Several coaches from Division III Norwich University of Northfield, Vt., were on the sidelines seeing what they could learn from the Big Green practice.