Hype for Harvard Picks Up

It's been some time since the Boston Globe has written as extensive a story on Dartmouth football as John Powers has here in a look at where the Dartmouth program is and where it has been.

It helps, of course, that the Big Green is visiting Harvard tomorrow. And that Massachusetts native Nick Schwieger broke the school's single-season rushing record last week. But most importantly, it helps that Dartmouth stopped its 17-game losing streak last Saturday. Powers writes:

Beating Columbia, which hasn’t had a winning season since 1996, normally doesn’t call for confetti hereabouts, but this was no normal victory.

The story, which runs three "takes" on the Globe site, includes quotes from co-captains Peter Pidermann and Timmy McManus as well as coach Buddy Teevens and Harvard coach Tim Murphy. The accompanying photo from the Holy Cross game is mislabeled, but no one on the Dartmouth side is complaining when one of the best sports sections in America gives the Big Green that kind of coverage.

While the Globe was more than happy to toss a bouquet Dartmouth's way, the Harvard Crimson was more than happy to toss another stink bomb. Here's the paper's weekly shot at the Big Green:

Dartmouth beat Columbia, 28-6, last week, giving the Big Green its first win since the Bush administration. Apparently Dartmouth sophomore running back Nick Schweiger is still young enough to not know that the Big Green is never, under any circumstances, supposed to be impressive.

The Crimson writer predicts a 42-13 Harvard win with this thought:

Harvard is second in the league in total offense, with 1,034 rushing yards and 1,097 passing yards. Dartmouth also mixes up the run and the pass, in that the Big Green allows almost as many yards in the air as it does on the ground and is dead last in the Ivies in total defense.

It’s the perfect storm for a blowout. Expect the Crimson to haunt Dartmouth at every turn tomorrow, turning the Big Green’s dream week into a nightmare.

It's been written here before, but former Harvard coach Joe Restic once memorably said of playing at Dartmouth, "They secrete something up there." Current coach Tim Murphy is good with words, but not that good. In a Crimson preview he said:

“We’re Dartmouth’s biggest game. They go crazy to play Harvard. We will get their very best shot.”

The Daily Dartmouth preview can be found here.

The Daily Pennsylvanian Ivy preview under the headline, "Not So Fast My Green Friend," starts this way:

Dartmouth just ended its 17-game losing streak.

It’ll probably start a new one tomorrow.

Ouch.

Check Big Green Alert premium tonight for stats and a capsule story on today's junior varsity game at Harvard.