Weekend Previews Up

The general sense around Hanover has been that the Big Green is improved this year, the 1-6 record notwithstanding. It appears that not everyone agrees. From the Daily Pennsylvanian:

Cornell might be on a five-game losing streak — the longest current skid in the Ivies — but it just might get the best possible medicine this weekend: a game with lowly Dartmouth.

The Harvard Crimson, which seems to enjoy taking shots at the Big Green in its weekly previews, gives the nod to Cornell, 35-28. The Crimson prognosticator writes:

...(B)oth offenses occasionally mask their general ineptitude with outstanding individual performances while both defenses could charitably be described as terrible.

and

Could the Big Green’s Nick Schweiger run for 300 yards?

Given that Schwieger was lost for the season last week when he shattered a finger at Harvard it's doubtful. Rob Mitchelson will head up a trio of running backs who will try to replace him.

Schwieger is quoted in the Daily Dartmouth preview of the Cornell game:

“(Mitchelson) is a good player and should do a great job against Cornell. As for me, I need to act as an inspirational leader for the rest of the season.”

The Ithaca Journal begins its preview this way:

Losing will shake you to your core, and perhaps nobody knows that better than the coaches on either sideline of Saturday's Cornell-Dartmouth matchup.

Cornell coach Jim Knowles is wary of the Big Green attack, telling the Journal:

"Dartmouth has as many tools as anybody does in this league, they're just young and going through some growing pains."

Knowles and the Big Red got a good look at Dartmouth's Conner Kempe when the 6-4 quarterback made his first career start at Schoellkopf Field last November. Knowles told the Cornell Sun Kempe isn't the same player he was a year ago:

"He’s really been much improved. He’s really a tall kid standing in the pocket and has made a bunch of improvements. I’m predicting that they’ll throw the ball a lot more. We have to do some things to mix him up. This year he’s better. We have to keep (the ball) in front of us. He’s got a strong arm and will throw it over the top if we don’t get some pressure on him. He’s a good player and some of their receivers have improved as well.”