It may not bode well for this season, but the Pioneers can grow with a lot of young talent in the program. The leadership must come from fifth-year senior quarterback Kevin Duke, who will take a big step in the passing game. A more potent offense is key for the Pioneers because the defense is retooling with just three or four returning starters. They've won only three NEC games over the last two seasons, but were competitive in a number of the losses, so they're looking to turn the corner.Sacred Heart went 4-7 last fall and that doesn't make it sound as if a breakthrough is imminent. With Holy Cross coming off a 4-7 record that cost Tom Gilmore his job and longtime Patriot League bottom-feeder Georgetown going 1-10 last fall Dartmouth's 2018 nonconference opponents were a combined 9-24 a year ago. It's hardly an imposing schedule, but maybe that's a good thing given the Big Green's Ivy League slate.
Over a four-week period Dartmouth has three long and tiring bus trips, with games at Columbia (508 miles round trip), Princeton (647 miles RT) and Cornell (596 miles RT). The lone home game? That's a breather against Harvard, and all the Crimson has done is defeat the Big Green 14 years in a row.
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William & Mary has made the hiring of former Dartmouth wide receivers coach Jerry Taylor official. (LINK)
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Loading Griff the Wonder Dog up in the car yesterday to disappear for an hour while yet another potential house buyer wandered through the world headquarters of BGA here on Moose Mountain I found myself thinking about an old friend who played pro baseball. I remember him telling me that when he was in the low minors he lived in a model home to save money. It was no problem when his team was on the road, but every day when they played at home he had to get up and out of the house by a certain hour, being sure to neatly make his bed and put everything in its proper place. Me? I lug a bunch of junk out of the house, stuff it in the car for our drive and then lug it back in when Griff and I return. It's a hassle with a few writing deadlines fast approaching but it's the cost of doing business.We've got another showing tomorrow but I'm not at all sure it's going to happen. Local schools have already been called off and the hourly forecast is suggesting we could get snow right until tomorrow morning. My weather app is calling for 11-16 more inches. Trust me, it's just what we need. Not.
