Both teams figure to be in the title mix again this season with perennial power Harvard, which finished third last fall.Conspicuously absent from the story is Dartmouth, which a short year earlier was less than a minute away from an undefeated season. How soon they forget when you go 1-6 in the Ivy League and 4-6 overall.
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Penn may be one of STATS editor Craig Haley's favorites, but it will be without one of the key parts of the 2016 championship team. In an Athlon story headlined, "Best of"' 2017 NFL Draft Prospects From FCS College Football, graduating Alek Torgersen of Penn is listed as the top quarterback prospect out of the FCS. Again written by Haley, this story says:The three-year starter in the Ivy League has a pro-style skill set and, not surprisingly, an intelligent style of play. Boasting an excellent touch, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound signal-caller set the league’s career record for completion percentage (67.4).
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Penn may be missing a premier quarterback next fall but Week Two Dartmouth opponent Holy Cross has one back with talented Peter Pujals one of four starters back for a Crusaders offense that should be high-powered. From the Worcester Telegram:The good news, though, is that Pujals received a medical redshirt, and he will be back to lead Holy Cross in 2017. Coach Tom Gilmore said that Pujals, who is doing an internship this semester and not participating in spring practice, is fully healthy.
Also a bonus for the HC offense this coming season is the return of (running back Gabe) Guild and offensive linemen Nick Piker and James Murray, who all will be back for a fifth year.Guild led Holy Cross in rushing in 2013 and 2015. Piker and Murray are both returning starters.
The story also mentions head coach Tom Gilmore welcoming five new assistants for the fall, including former Dartmouth All-American and San Diego Charger defensive back Lloyd Lee '98.
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From a USA Today story about a rise in college applications across the country:Competition this year was fierce, as nearly (every) Ivy League — and “Baby Ivy” — school reported skyrocketing numbers of applications.Regarding that "nearly" Ivy League school bit, the paper wrote:
One outlier: Ivy Dartmouth College reported a lower number of applications, with 20,000 this year. The school still admitted a low 10.4% of the application pool for the lowest acceptance rate since 2013, according to campus newspaper The Dartmouth.
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It's back out to Memorial Field for spring practice number two today. It's in the low 30s with battleship gray skies and blustery winds here on the mountain. Check BGA Premium tonight for coverage of action down in the valley.
