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Although Penn kicked off spring practice Tuesday in advance of a March 9 game against the American Football League of China All-Stars in the Global Ambassadors Bowl in Shanghai, today's notes are about Dartmouth's three nonconference opponents.The most familiar of the Big Green's out-of-league foes, old friend Colgate, will be without the best player from the team that went undefeated against FCS competition (losing only at Army, 28-14) before falling to national champion North Dakota State in the NCAA quarterfinals last fall. All-America linebacker TJ Holl has Tweeted his intention to complete his career as a graduate transfer at Louisville. The Courier Journal has a story about Holl, who had 121 tackles including 17 for a loss while earning 2018 Patriot League defensive MVP honors.
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Jacksonville (the one in Florida, not Jacksonville State in Alabama) opened practice last Saturday. Dartmouth's Week One opponent will hold its fourth practice tomorrow. The Dolphins are coming off a 2-8 season with their only wins against Division II opponent St. Augustine's and Pioneer Football League opponent Butler.
STATS takes a quick at Jacksonville in its PFL preview that includes this:PROJECTED RETURNING STARTERS: 17 (8 offense/9 defense)
OFFSEASON PRIORITY: The Dolphins had an uncharacteristically poor season last year, allowing nearly 39 points per game and beating only Butler in the PFL in a last-place finish. They need to shore up the defense. Linebacker Trevor Tufano, a 2017 standout, is not returning to the program.
NOTABLE: All of the key rushers were underclassmen. In converting from safety, Calvin Turner Jr. led FCS quarterbacks in rushing yards (1,431) last season and is expected to make a full recovery from a broken leg suffered in the final game. Shields utilized a bunch of freshmen, including standout running back Garnett Nicolas.
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The Big Green will have a double-dip of PFL opponents with an Oct. 19 game at Marist, which was 5-6 last year (including a 20-17 win at Jacksonville). Here's what the STATS capsule of Marist had to say:PROJECTED RETURNING STARTERS: 13 (9 offense/4 defense)
OFFSEASON PRIORITIES: There's no replacing Juston Christian, the best wide receiver in program history, but the Red Foxes were fairly young in the offensive skills positions last year. They lost all three starters on the defensive line plus standout linebacker Willie Barrett and cornerback Brandon Miller.
NOTABLE: The Red Foxes are usually competitive in the PFL, but their senior losses were substantial. A successful comeback from right guard Luke Butera (knee injury) will bolster the offense, which needs more punch.
