Gaping Holes Everywhere?

Junior Andrew Kempler kicks off Brian Scullin's hold Tuesday as fullback Bobby Calderwood (37) seals the line.
Offensive linemen Alex Rapp (68), Alex Stonehouse (75), Tim Wheeler (78), Eddie Tabasky (54) and Evan Nogay (52) go through their paces. In the background: Jonathan Summers (69).
Being out of action doesn't mean being out of action.

Kudos to the Columbia Spectator for beginning a series of previews of every team in the Ivy League. That's not to say we can't quibble with something from the paper's Dartmouth preview: "The Big Green has to fill gaping holes at every position on the field." Hmm. The offensive line returned everyone on the two-deep except for one player. Both tight ends also return. The top running back and top wide receiver return. Both starting interior defensive linemen return and three players who started last year at safety are back. Now don't get the wrong idea. You can say there are holes, and you can make a case there are some gaping holes. But gaping holes at every position is a little over the top.

Remember that bit about how Air Force wanted to schedule an Ivy? As it turned out, the story out of a little-recognized news service was both confused and confusing. Well, it just got a little more confusing. The Falcons just agreed to a game with ... Colgate in 2013 according to the Raiders' web site. ... UNH, meanwhile, has announced a game with Marshall. According to a column in the Union Leader, "UNH was able to move a couple of Atlantic 10 conference games — the Wildcats were supposed to play Richmond on that date, and also moved a game against James Madison — and managed to fit Marshall in."

All credit to the Dartmouth athletic department for the tremendous building initiative currently underway and for its aggressive support of football and other sports programs, but please, if UNH can change the dates of two conference games next year to squeeze in a new game, how come the Big Green is so helpless to change its schedule until the current contracts expire? (Understand, the Ivy schedule is set in stone, but how about those other games?)

By the way, here's what the Union Leader reports Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald had to say about the upcoming (Wild)cat fight in Evanston between his team and UNH: "We’re going to have our hands full on Saturday.”

Penn coach Al Bagnoli, in the Daily Pennsylvanian, on his team's scrimmage against Widener: "To me, we looked a little bit slow. We didn't really have a lot of bounce in our step, so we're just starting to get our sea legs under us a little bit now."

It sounds as if Carolina Panthers coach John Fox wasn't surprised that Casey Cramer and several other players were scooped up after being released. "(T)here were 30 scouts at the Pittsburgh game. They're not there just for the heck of it. So we anticipated it." Cramer is now on the Tennessee Titans.

For some interesting reading, check out an Open Letter to Coach Norries Wilson on the Columbia football blog, Roar Lions Roar.

Speaking of Roar Lions Roar, I had to razz the author of that blog a bit because Roar Lions Roar is part of one of the more popular Penn State fight songs. Which reminds me, I was thrilled to discover Saturday's Mock Game is scheduled for 10 a.m.. That will give me a chance to catch the second half of my daughter's first home field hockey game with the Hanover High team, and then get home in time for PSU-Notre Dame. Roar Lions Roar.