Colgate Can Be Grand, Grand, Grand

The Syracuse Post-Standard has a column about Dartmouth opponent Colgate playing today in the FCS playoffs against Villanova. It sounds as if Dick Biddle's crew is going to have its hands full, although that's not why I mention the column. Nope, it's the following nugget from the story. (The italics are mine):

Not that favored 'Nova - which has lost only to Division I-A West Virginia (48-21) and the FCS's top-ranked-at-the-time James Madison (23-19) in its 9-2 season - is inclined to cooperate, but the Raiders are one productive afternoon removed from having three (3) 1,000-yard rushers in their backfield.

Given the level of opponent, it's probably not going to happen, but if Colgate had played Georgetown (the game was cancelled because of illness) and the Raiders had played the same backfield in that game that they should be playing today, they would be close enough that it probably would happen. Here are the season numbers:

• Senior tailback Jordan Scott – 1,077 yards (despite missing all or most of four games)
• Freshman tailback Nate Eachus – 872 yards (with just eight carries toal in the first six games)
• Sophomore quarterback Greg Sullivan – 865 yards

Worth noting is that while Colgate has an outside shot at having three 1,000-yard rushers in the same backfield, Dartmouth has had three in school history, and they came in consecutive years:

• 1989–David Clark '90 (1,063 yards)
• 1990–Shon Page '90 (1,087 yards)
• 1991–Al Rosier '91 (1,432)

Back to Colgate ... Sullivan gives a lot of credit to his offensive line, although his ballhandling and decision-making were obvious in the Raiders' win over Dartmouth back in the opener when he ran for 136 yards and Scott ran for 239. Here's what the modest QB had to say about the run game in today's story:

I'm not making this up, but I have done very little when it comes to the success of this team. This is all about the offensive line and the coaches. I mean, I'm not the fastest of kids. All those misdirection plays we run help me get into the lanes because otherwise I'm not quick enough. All I really do, honestly, is manage the game. Really, that's it. When I say I haven't done much, I'm just being honest."

Colgate is listed on the Dartmouth schedule for two more years – and Sullivan and Eachus will be in uniform for both of them.

Speaking of potent offenses that Dartmouth had to face this fall, another one will be on display in Carbondale, Ill., today when New Hampshire takes on Southern Illinois in the playoffs. SIU coach Dale Lennon has been impressed by video he's seen of UNH quarterback RJ Toman. He told The Southern newspaper:

"Their quarterback has really come into his own. He's the playmaker, the trigger guy. That's where a lot of their success has come."

Toman is another sophomore, meaning that like Eachus and Sullivan, he'll be around for a while longer.

And finally, Dartmouth football players and athletes who were on campus training in 2006 and 2007 will get a huge kick out of this Youtube video impression of former strength coach Dan Nichol (although the guess here is that most of you have already seen it). Nichol is now head strength and conditioning coach at Maine, which also will be in the FCS playoffs today.