Many Happy Returns

Jake Novak over at his Columbia football blog, Roar Lions Roar, continues a series about returning starters around the Ivy League by taking a look at Dartmouth. Jake writes of Dartmouth:

That's right. They have nine returing offensive starters and ten returning defensive starters.

And that STILL buries the lead.

Because their best overall offensive weapon, RB Nick Schwieger, was out in the final game against Princeton and he'll be back in 2010.

So were talking about 20 out of 22 starters returning for Dartmouth.

Throw in guys like the multi-talented 2008 starter WR/QB Tim McManus who should be back and QB Conner Kempe, who didn't officially start the final game but still threw 34 passes in the contest, and you're simply dealing with a bumper crop of experienced players in Hanover.

So where's the catch?

There are a few of them actually.

OK, now that I've whetted your appetite, you'll have to read Jake's post (we blogging types look out for each other) to find out exactly what he thinks those catches are. ;-)

Jake makes reference to quarterback Conner Kempe throwing 34 passes against Princeton in the finale and that sent me scurrying to document exactly how much experience the rising junior has had. Turns out he's one of the most experienced QBs in the league. Here's what I found:

Nine career starts

• Started final six games in 2009 (including Princeton)
  
• Started final three games in 2008

Completed 166-317 passes (52.4 percent) for 1,686 yards with 9 TDs, 12 Ints

• 101-196–1031, 7 TDs, 6 Ints in 2009
• 65-121–655, 2 TDs, 6 Ints in 2008

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Following up on yesterday's note in the BGA blog about the large roster Dartmouth is expected to field in the fall, a June 18 NCAA News posting says:

Cabinet members sponsored legislation for the 2010-11 legislative cycle to increase the number of student-athletes allowed to practice before an institution’s first day of class to 95 in FCS football starting in 2011. Currently, FCS football teams may have a maximum of 90 participants.

Note that the above refers to practice before an institution’s first day of class and not during the season.

Not that it pertains to Dartmouth these days, but the NCAA News also writes that:

The cabinet supports prohibiting institutions from providing accommodations to their student-athletes on the night before home contests in FCS football.

And no, silly, they aren't talking about making the players leave their dorm rooms on Friday nights. They are talking about bivouacking the team at an out-of-town hotel the night before a game to get a good night's sleep and avoid, shall we say, temptations.

I've been told Dartmouth would occasionally do that in the past. I know the "big boys" do it regularly.

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Meant to post this the other day but Bristol Herald down in Virginia has a story about Robert Young, the recent Dartmouth grad who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and and has reported to the team's Appalachian League affiliate. From the story:

Greek and Roman tragedy and Guerilla Warfare and Counterinsurgency were just some of the classes that he took at the prestigious New Hampshire school.

However, the Bristol White Sox pitcher doesn’t want to solely be defined by his Ivy League pedigree.

“We do play baseball there,” Young said. “We do more than just sit in a library and study.”

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Speaking of baseball, our Hanover Green Machine Little League team advanced to the championship game of the Connecticut Valley Little League playoffs last night with a 14-2 win before a large and enthusiastic crowd here in Hanover.

It has been a total joy coaching these kids and at the risk of jinxing them I almost hesitate to write that they are 15-0 in the league and 21-1 overall (counting the local 3-pitch tournament they won). The Green Machine will be bidding for its first CVLL championship since back in 2006 when That Certain Hanover High Junior-to-be was the starting catcher and leading hitter in his final season of Little League.