Kicking It Off With Colgate Today

Game day. I'm here in Hamilton early and while the sky is overcast it's not cold and it's not supposed to rain and those are good things. ... Another good thing: an addition to the Dartmouth football family. Say hello to Carolyn Shea Hollis, born yesterday to running backs coach Adam Hollis and wife Laura. She's No. 1 on their roster, weighing in at 8.5 pounds and measuring 19 3/4 inches. ...

Today's game is a homecoming for three Dartmouth players who are graduates of the local Christian Brothers Academy: Rich Cummings, Joe Battaglia and Erik Estabrook. CBA grad Greg Hadley of Colgate will also be in the game. The local Time Warner cable channel that is carrying the game live will interview family members at halftime.

It's hard not to root for Colgate quarterback Mike Saraceno after reading this story in the Syracus paper. An excerpt:

Dedication is something Saraceno has needed a lot of. Five years after starting his Colgate career, he's leading the Raiders at quarterback, injury and distraction-free for the first time. He's been through a separated shoulder, a torn ACL, a broken ankle bone, and hardest of all, the death of his mother, Beth.

Find the Daily Princetonian's 10 Questions With Roger Hughes here. The Princeton head coach and former Dartmouth assistant is a friend but even I learned a little reading the piece. ... There's a nice story about Princeton quarterback Jeff Terrell here.

UNH is hoping to parlay its run in football into a new stadium to replace what the school athletic director readily concedes is one of the worst in the nation. The Union Leader story makes mention of the work being done on Memorial Field.

For a feel-good story out of high school football, read this from the New York Times. An excerpt:

Though closely matched in athletic prowess — last year, Roosevelt beat Cold Spring Harbor in the regular season, but the Seahawks prevailed over the Rough Riders in the playoffs and went on to become the Long Island champions — the teams come from different suburban planets.

More later if they have wireless in the Colgate press box this year. Otherwise, check back this evening for a Dartmouth-Colgate game story and a sidebar.