In The News

Two difficult stories lead off BGA Daily this morning.

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First, Tris Wykes of the Valley News takes another look at the bicycle accident involving Dartmouth football coach Buddy Teevens, sharing some previously unpublished details including that the truck that hit him was traveling 50 mph. Find the story HERE.

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The Dartmouth has a story about the passing of former Big Green lineman Josh Balara headlined, ‘He just cared for everybody’: Josh Balara ’24 remembered for his warmth and humorous personality; Known for his constant smile and endless kindness, Josh Balara ’24 cared deeply for his friends and family. Find the story HERE.

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This graphic is starting to show up on the Twitter pages of incoming football players:

Not coincidentally, The Dartmouth has a story headlined Dartmouth offers admission to 1,798 applicants for the Class of 2027. The college drew a record 28,841 applications this year. From the story (LINK):

“Accepted students hail from all 50 U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. They also represent 75 other countries, a record high, and 56% of those admitted attend a public or charter high school.” 

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It turns out that incoming kicker Matisse Weaver is quite an athlete. From a Wyoming Preps story about the 5-foot-10, 190-pound player (LINK):

Weaver recorded 62 tackles from his defensive end spot for the Tigers with 17 of them solo. He also had a couple of sacks and a fumble recovery which earned him all-state status in 3A. On offense, he had 193 yards and 3 touchdowns running the football and 32 catches for 520 yards and 3 TDs. On special teams, Weaver converted 25 extra point attempts and 4 field goals and averaged 37 yards per punt.

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The Daily Pennsylvanian has a story headlined, All work, no pay: Athletic scholarship lawsuit threatens future of Ivy League conference HERE.

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Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy has a novel suggestion for how to get the transfer portal under control at scholarship schools. It involves offering athletes binding one-year, two-year, three-year or four-year scholarship agreements. FootballScoop has a story HERE.

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EXTRA POINT
I've read that with climate change more and more robins are spending winters in the north but I'm here to tell you I hadn't seen a single one until yesterday, when they arrived in droves. This morning our field is alive with dozens of robins pecking away at the ground. With robins and major league baseball arriving on the same day, can spring be far behind?

Across The Pond

From a report about action in the Italian Football League, where former Dartmouth standout Jared Gerbino '20 was chosen MVP after leading his team to the championship a year ago (LINK):

Interim Guelfi quarterback (due to the injury of starting quarterback Andrea Fimiani) Jared Gerbino came out slinging. On one of the first plays of the Guelfi drive, Gerbino hit his Italian wideout Fermosa on a 42-yard bomb down the sideline to open the scoring up. 

Gerbino did little else wrong from here on out and dissected the Frogs defense clinically with a mix of run and pass. The Dartmouth graduate finished the game with 209 yards through the air and four touchdowns, and 111 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

Gerbino's Firenze team defeated Legnano, 49-28.

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The second transfer portal window will be open April 15-30 and there could be news about another former Dartmouth player (who has no more Ivy League eligibility). Stay tuned.

In the meantime, here's the list of Ivy League to FBS players we know about per various reports:

BROWN
WR Allan Houston to Louisville
TE Chris Boyle to Vanderbilt

COLUMBIA
K Alex Felkins to Penn State

CORNELL
S Demetrius Harris to Buffalo

DARTMOUTH
TE Zion Carter to Buffalo
DL Shane Cokes to Colorado
DL Michael Flores to Old Dominion

HARVARD
DB Alex Washington to Boston College
OL Alec Bank to Stanford

PENN
OL Trevor Radosevich (o Cincinnati
P Ben Krimm to Notre Dame
OL Trevor Mayberry to Stanford
DL Jake Heimlicher to UCLA
OL Ben Hoitink to Duke

PRINCETON
LB Cole Aubrey to Notre Dame
TB Ryan Butler to Stanford
P Will Powers to UCLA

YALE
OL Nick Gargiulo to South Carolina

IVY LEAGUE TO FCS TRANSFERS

BROWN
DL Cam Gagnon to Villanova

DARTMOUTH
TB Zack Bair to Robert Morris
DB Robert Crockett III to Bryant
DB Tyron Herring to Delaware
DL Bobby Jefferson to Robert Morris
DB Seth Verilus to Robert Morris

HARVARD
DL David Madzivanyika to Campbell
WR Jack Bill to Butler

PENN
LB Garrett Morris to Samford
WR RJ Starkey to Samford

PRINCETON
DB Michael Ruttlen to Austin Peay

And while we're at it, there are two reported FBS to Ivy League transfers:

LB DJ Brown from Charlotte to Penn
LB Tyler Morris from Navy to Princeton

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Former Dartmouth defensive lineman Shane Cokes has made an impression both on and off the field during spring practice at Colorado. Check out this interview with him last week:

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EXTRA POINT
Griff the Wonder Dog had a chance to stay with friends for a few days while we were in California and they shared this photo of the proud fellow while we were away. He was as glad to see us yesterday as we were glad to see him and bring him home.

Looking Ahead

FBS Schedules has posted skeds for Ivy League teams next fall and there are curiosities surrounding both Columbia and Yale. The former still has an open date on Oct. 7 (Jake Novak of Roar Lions writes about that HERE), and the latter is listed with a whopping seven home games. Neither Columbia nor Yale has posted their official 2023 schedules so there could be adjustments. Stay tuned.

Also, keep in mind there will be games shifted to Friday night for TV purposes.

BROWN
Sept. 16 - at Bryant
Sept. 23 - at Harvard
Sept. 30 - Central Connecticut
Oct. 7 - Rhode Island
Oct. 14 - Princeton
Oct. 21 - at Cornell
Oct. 28 - at Penn
Nov. 4 - Yale
Nov 11 - at Columbia
Nov. 18 - Dartmouth

COLUMBIA
Sept. 16 - at Lafayette
Sept. 23 - Georgetown
Sept. 30 - at Princeton
Oct. 7 - TBA
Oct. 14 - Penn
Oct. 21 - at Dartmouth
Oct. 28 - at Yale
Nov. 4 - Harvard
Nov 11 - Brown
Nov. 18 - at Cornell

CORNELL
Sept. 16 - at Lehigh
Sept. 23 - at Yale
Sept. 30 - Colgate
Oct. 7 - at Harvard
Oct. 14 - Bucknell
Oct. 21 - Brown
Oct. 28 - Princeton
Nov. 4 - at Penn
Nov 11 - at Dartmouth
Nov. 18 - Columbia

DARTMOUTH
Sept. 16 - at New Hampshire
Sept. 23 - Lehigh
Sept. 30 - at Penn
Oct. 7 - Yale
Oct. 14 - at Colgate
Oct. 21 - Columbia
Oct. 28 - at Harvard
Nov. 4 - Princeton
Nov 11 - Cornell
Nov. 18 - at Brown

HARVARD
Sept. 16 - St. Thomas
Sept. 23 - Brown
Sept. 30 - at Holy Cross
Oct. 7 - Cornell
Oct. 14 - Howard
Oct. 21 - at Princeton
Oct. 28 - Dartmouth
Nov. 4 - at Columbia
Nov 11 - Penn
Nov. 18 - at Yale

PENN
Sept. 16 - at Colgate
Sept. 23 - at Bucknell
Sept. 30 - Dartmouth
Oct. 7 - Georgetown
Oct. 14 - at Columbia
Oct. 21 - at Yale
Oct. 28 - Brown
Nov. 4 - Cornell
Nov 11 - at Harvard
Nov. 18 - Princeton

PRINCETON
Sept. 16 - at San Diego
Sept. 23 - Bryant
Sept. 30 - Columbia
Oct. 7 - Lafayette
Oct. 14 - at Brown
Oct. 21 - Harvard
Oct. 28 - at Cornell
Nov. 4 - at Dartmouth
Nov 11 - Yale
Nov. 18 - at Penn

YALE
Sept. 16 - Holy Cross
Sept. 23 - Cornell
Sept. 30 - Morgan State
Oct. 7 - at Dartmouth
Oct. 14 - Sacred Heart
Oct. 21 - Penn
Oct. 28 - Columbia
Nov. 4 - at Brown
Nov 11 - at Princeton
Nov. 18 - Harvard

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In anticipation of the opening of spring football practice, Dartmouth players are going through "mat drills" at 6 a.m. this week. Curious about the term mat drills? Check out an older BGA Daily post for the origin story HERE.

Day 1 ✅#TheWoods pic.twitter.com/k3WDfC6ngQ

— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) March 28, 2023

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With spring football practice scheduled to begin on Tuesday, BGA Premium will kick into gear that night HERE. As is always the case, a good number of you will have forgotten your passwords. A reminder that for the protection of those of you who re-use passwords (you know who you are), I don't have access to your passwords. There is a small "forgot" link on the sign-in that will allow you to get up and going again.

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EXTRA POINT
We arrived home from San Diego last night (this morning) at precisely 3 a.m.. Suffice it to say it was an eventful two weeks that now has been capped by a lollapalooza case of "airplane ear" that I am battling. Swallow, yawn, chew as I might, I can't shake it. It feels as if someone smeared a tablespoon of peanut butter in my ear. A little Googling tells me my blocked right ear could stay that way for a few days. Hope not.

And you wonder why I prefer train travel?  ;-) 

Best Specialist Spans

Today we'll look at kicker, punter and return specialist spans. As always, your mileage may vary.

KICKER
Columbia 2016-2022
2016 - First team: Oren Milstein
2017 - None
2018 - First team: Chris Alleyne
2019 - HM: Alex Felkins
2021 - 2nd team: Felkins
2022 - 1st team: Felkins

PUNTER
Princeton 2004-08
2004 - 2nd team: Colin McDonough
2005 - 1st team: McDonough
2006 - 1st team: McDonough
2007 - 1st team: Ryan Coyle
2008 - HM: Ryan Coyle

Columbia's had a strong punting game for the past decade as well and if the selection was best special teams overall, the Lions would be right there.

RETURNER
Columbia 2017-21
2017 - HM: Will Allen
2018 - 1st team: Mike Roussos
2019 - 1st team: Roussos
2021 - 1st team: Roussos

Dartmouth had a terrific run of returners from 2010-2015 with Shawn Abuhoff making first team in '10 and '11, Bo Patterson making honorable mention in 2013 and Ryan McManus making the first team in '14 and the second team in '15.

Tomorrow: Back to normal but not early. We aren't supposed to get in until 3 a.m. or so.

Best D-Line, Linebacker, D-Back Groups

Today we'll look at the best defensive line, linebacker and defensive back spans. As always, your opinion may differ!

DEFENSIVE LINE
Harvard 2006-13
2006 -1st team: Mike Berg; 2nd team: Matt Curtis, Brad Bagdis
2007 - 1st team: Bagdis, Curtis; 2nd team: Peter Ajayi; HM: Chuks Obi, Carl Ehrlich
2008 - 1st team: Curtis; 2nd team: Ajayi, Desmnd Bryant
2009 - 2nd team: Ehrlich, Obi, Josue Ortiz; HM: Victor Ojukwu
2010 - 1st team: Ortiz; 2nd team: Obi
2011 - 1st team: Ortiz; 2nd team: Obukwelu; HM: John Lyon
2012 -1st team: Zach Hodges; 2nd team: Lyon, Obukwelu, HM: Grant Sickle
2013 - 1st team: Hodges, Obukwelu

LINEBACKER
Penn 2006-10
2006 - Joe Anastasio; 2nd team: Kory Gedin
2007 - 2nd team: Anastasio, Jay Colabella
2008 - 2nd team: Colabella, Jake Lewko
2009 - 1st team: Lewko; 2nd team: Zach Heller; HM: Brian Levine, Erik Rask
2010 - 1st team: Rask, Heller: HM: Levine

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Dartmouth 2013-15
2013 - 1st team: Garrett Waggoner; 2nd team: Steve Dazzo, Vernon Harris
2014 - 1st team: Harris, Troy Donahue; 2nd team: Steve Dazzo
2015 - 1st team: Harris, David Caldwell; 2nd team: Troy Donahue; HM: Chai Reece

Dartmouth's 2017-19 run was just about as strong with Danny McManus and Isiah Swann second team and Colin Boit honorable mention in '17, Swann and Kyran McKinney-Crudden first team, Bun Straton second team and Ryan roegge honorable mention in '18 and in '19 Swann making first team, Roegge and Darren Stanley second team and Niko Mermigas honorable mention.

Tomorrow: Specialists

Best Running Back, Quarterback Spans

Today we'll look at the top spans at running back and quarterback.

RUNNING BACK
Yale 2006-08
2006 - 1st team: Mike McLeod; 2nd team: Taylor Craig
2007 - 1st team: McLeod; 2nd team: Joe Fucillo
2008 – 1st team: McLeod

Almost a dead heat with Brown.

Brown 2003-05
2003 - 1st team: Nick Hartigan
2004 - 1st team: Hartigan
2005 - 1st team: Hartigan, Carson Brennan

QUARTERBACK
Harvard 2002-12
2002 - HM: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Neil Rose
2003 - HM: Fitzpatrick
2004 - 1st team: Fitzpatrick
2005 - HM: Liam O'Hagan
2006 - None
2007 - 1st team: Chris Pizzotti 
2008 - 1st team: Pizzotti
2009 - 2nd team: Collier Winters
2010 - None
2011 - 2nd Team: Winters
2012 - 1st Team: Colton Chapple

Tomorrow: Defensive line, linebacker, defensive back

Best O-Line, Tight End And Wide Receiver Spans

For the next four days we'll look at the top Ivy runs in the various position groups. Today we'll look at offensive line, tight end and wide receivers.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Harvard 2004-09

2004 - 1st team: Brian Lapham, Will Johnson; HM: Frank Fernandez
2005 - 1st team: Lapham, Johnson

2006 - 1st team: Frank Fernandez; 2nd team: Nick Sobic; HM: David Paine

2007 - 1st team: Andrew Brecher, David Paine, James Williams

2008 - 1st team: James Williams; 2nd team: Alex Spisak; HM: Zach Copple, Ryan Pilconis, Tom Rodger

2009 - 1st team: Ben Sessions, James Williams; 2nd team: Ben Osborne, Alex Spisak

That's a whopping 10 first-team selections, four second-team and five honorable-mentions in six years, perhaps as dominant a run as any school had at any position group.

TIGHT END

Harvard 2011-16 (H-backs reclassified as TE's)
2011 - 1st team: Kyle Juszczyk; 2nd team: Cameron Brate

2012 - 1st team: Juszczyk, Brate

2013 - 1st team: Brate

2014 - 1st team: Tyler Hamblin; 2nd team: Anthony Firkser

2015 - 1st team: Ben Braunecker; 2nd team: Firkser

2016 - 1st team: Firkser

If Harvard's offensive line wasn't the strongest position group, this was might be, featuring a handful of future NFL players.

WIDE RECEIVER
Brown 2007-09
2007: 1st team: Buddy Farnham; 2nd team: Bobby Sewall; Paul Raymond

2008 - 1st team: Farnham, Sewall

2009 - 1st team: Farnham, Sewall

Tomorrow: Running back and quarterback

Punter U

One final time, this is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team over the last 10 seasons as well as over the last 20.

Columbia has had a terrific run of punters, including several who went on to have success as post-grad transfers.

Interesting that over a 20-year span Princeton overtakes Columbia.

Tomorrow: The best O-line, tight end and wide receiver spans of the past 20 seasons.

Defensive Back U

Yada, yada, yada. A reminder that this is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team over the last 10 seasons as well as over the last 20.

Like Don Dobes, Dartmouth secondary coach Sammy McCorkle has it going.

Harvard takes the 20-season crown thanks to a big first decade.

Tomorrow: Punter

A Dangerous Road For Cyclists

 A TV news report from Florida shows the location of Buddy Teevens’ bicycle accident and addresses the danger cyclists face on that road. Find the video HERE. 

Dartmouth has set up a way to send messages of support and encouragement to the longtime football coach HERE.

Linebacker U

You know the drill by now. This is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team over the last 10 seasons as well as over the last 20. 

Don Dobes arrives in Hanover and Dartmouth is Linebacker U. Coincidence? I think not.

Just call the Quaker State Linebacker U.

Tomorrow: Defensive backs

Defensive Line U

A reminder that this is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team over the last 10 seasons as well as over the last 20.

The absolute stunner is Cornell, with just one honorable-mention defensive line pick in the last 10 seasons. Had to check that three times to make sure no one was overlooked.

Even over a 20-season span defensive line has been a struggle for the Big Red.

Tomorrow: Linebacker

Placekicker U

A reminder that this is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team over the last 10 seasons as well as over the last 20.

Columbia has made a run at the kicker title in recent years but Harvard still edges the Lions for the crown.

A nice run from 2004-08 Brown allows Brown to join Yale in edging out the Crimson. Dartmouth trails badly.

Tomorrow: Defensive line

Quarterback U

A reminder that this is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team over the last 10 seasons as well as over the last 20.

Princeton edges out Dartmouth for the title with a sizable gap to Yale, followed closely by Penn.

A strong 2002-11allows Harvard to edge Princeton for the 20-season title with the honors relatively evenly balanced except for the New York schools.

Tomorrow: Kicker

Josh Balara

The Dartmouth writes about the passing of Big Green lineman Josh Balara after a valiant fight against adrenal cancer. Find the story HERE and an obituary HERE.

Coach Teevens

Dartmouth has issued a release about head football coach Buddy Teevens being injured and hospitalized in Florida as a result of a bicycle accident. Find the release here.

I am in California and will be largely out of touch for another 10 days with limited internet access so like you I will be relying on Dartmouth for updates on the situation. Please keep Coach Teevens and his family in your thoughts.

Running Back U

Another reminder that this is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team over the last 10 seasons
as well as over the last 20.

Yet another strong showing by Harvard over the past 10 seasons. The numbers are a little deceiving because running quarterbacks Jared Gerbino and Nick Howard are recognized by the Ivy League as QBs. 

Pretty much a dead heat between Harvard and Yale with Penn a strong third and Dartmouth sixth.

Tomorrow: Quarterback

Wide Receiver U

A reminder that this is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team over the last 10 seasons as well as over the last 20.

Princeton leads the way thanks to a terrific five-season run it is on, with Yale second and Dartmouth and Penn tied for third. Harvard is a surprising sixth over the past 10 seasons.

Surprise! Brown takes the overall title of Wide Receiver U thanks to a strong showing between 2002 and 2011.

Tomorrow: Running backs.

EXTRA POINT

The view from our tent high above the Pacific at sunset after a Chamber of Commerce San Diego area day. 

Tight End U

A reminder that this is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team over the last 10 seasons as well as over the last 20.

Anyone who has been paying attention shouldn't be surprised that Harvard is Tight End U over the past 10 seasons.

Harvard's percentage is still strong over the 20-year span although Yale rises in the rankings thanks to a strong group of tight ends between 2002 and 2011.

Tomorrow: Wide receivers

EXTRA POINT

Left the motel in Manchester at 7:55 am yesterday and arrived in San Diego at 11:25 local time or 2:25 eastern. Made our way to  the campground by 1 am and were in the tent at 1:30 listening to the ocean breaking below the cliff at our feet. Total time between leaving NH and shutting our eyes: don’t ask. But hey, we’re here right now and if we hadn’t “adjusted and improvised” we’d be in New Hampshire until tomorrow morning per the airline’s attempt to rebook us. Now I’m going back to sleep!

Offensive Line U

Buckle up because the BGA positional survey begins today with a look at the offensive line. A reminder that this is based on All-Ivy League teams chosen by the coaches with first-team selections assigned five points, second-team three points and honorable-mention picks one point. The charts show the percentage of available points earned by each team, first over the last 10 seasons and second over the last 20.

Over the last 10 seasons, Harvard is O-Line U, followed closely by Dartmouth and Princeton.

Over the 20-season span Harvard's dominance up front is even more pronounced.

Tomorrow: Tight end

EXTRA POINT - For those of you following along, instead of a beach day yesterday was spent playing Scrabble and Boggle at the motel in Manchester NH between numerous phone calls trying to find a way to San Diego before our rebooked Friday flight. 

We found a way but it’s not direct.  Southwest let us switch to a flight out of Boston this afternoon. So we had to Uber 25 minutes to a bus station and then take a 75-minutes bus ride to Logan. Then we have a flight to Chicago and a four-plus hour layover. We are due in San Diego at 11:25 pm and then Uber five minutes to our Turo car rental. Then it’s 40 minutes to the campground where we hope we can get in and set the tent up in the dark. It will all be worth it to wake up to the sound of the Pacific Ocean right below the tent rather than two more days in snowy NH. 

Coming Your Way

Penn State has been called Linebacker U, Iowa takes pride in being Tight End U and lately Oklahoma has been Quarterback U.

Who is the Linebacker U of the Ivy League? Or Tight End U? Or Quarterback U, or any of the other position groups? That was the premise for a study of Ivy League football teams over both the last 10 years and the last 20 years that will appear here each day while Mrs. BGA and I spend the next two weeks at our oceanfront camping hideaway on the West Coast.

The study used the All-Ivy League teams as the baseline, assigning an admittedly arbitrary five points for each first-team selection, three points for each second-team choice and one point for each honorable-mention pick. The total points for each position from 2002 through 2022 and the percentage of available points were calculated for each school. The titles Linebacker U, Running Back U etc., were given to the schools that claimed the highest percentage of available points.

Things got a little tricky with the Ivy League making occasional changes in how teams were chosen. The fullback category eventually disappeared and so the decision was made to put fullbacks into the running backs fold. For several years there were H-backs listed and for purposes of this study they were considered tight ends. For a few years players on the offensive line were tagged by position but because they wasn't consistent – even within a particular year – for this purpose an offensive lineman is just that. An offensive lineman. What to do with wildcat quarterbacks was a concern, and because they took snaps the decision was made to categorize them as quarterbacks.

It would have been easier if there were 11 players chosen each year for the first team, 11 for the second and a fixed number of honorable-mention choices, but it didn’t work that way. The numbers, particularly on the second team, would regularly vary. It was the same at individual positions where numbers could go up and down according to the talent in the league and the Ivy League didn't make collecting these data easy by some years listing honorable mention by position, some years by school and some years seemingly at random.

The spreadsheet detailing the All-Ivy history had 160 cells (20 years x eight teams) each for offensive line, tight end, wide receiver, running back, quarterback, kicker, defensive line, linebacker, defensive back and punter for a total of 1,600 cells. That number grew once the Ivies started recognizing return specialists in 2009.

Pulling this together was a eye-blurring undertaking made harder because the Ivy League’s online archives for football go back only to 2017 and the so-called “Ivy League Football Record Book” is something less than user friendly. Dartmouth’s media guides were a huge help but even there the honorable mention selections listed only Big Green players until 2007.

Also keep in mind, this was done without a second set of eyes checking every entry. Could there be an occasional player who made honorable-mention who was overlooked or a few other mistakes? Guaranteed.

But in the final analysis, the difference between a school earning 15.3 percent of the possible All-Ivy points at a position and a school earning 15.1 percent and because of the possibility of the occasional minor data entry error isn’t significant anyway. The real value of this effort, if any, is in painting a larger picture of where there really are significant differences and trends.

The first position group to be charted is the offensive line, and that will appear tomorrow. It will be followed in order by tight end, wide receiver, running back, quarterback, kicker, defensive line, linebacker, defensive back, punter and return specialist. The last few days of the series will take a look at one person's opinion of the best runs of All-Ivy production at each position group, drawn from a statistical breakdown.

So there you have it. Mrs. BGA and I will be airborne by the time you read this. Barring the decision to chuck it all and buy a tiny house overlooking the Pacific Ocean or being washed away by the latest storm on the West Coast, BGA Daily will resume regular operation on March 29 and BGA Premium will kick back into gear for the first spring practice on April 4.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Our flight was slated to take off at 5:25 a.m. today, the better to get us to our campsite overlooking the Pacific Ocean with plenty of daylight remaining. Lucky us, early yesterday afternoon we received a notification that our flight had been canceled and we've been rebooked. Now our first stop on the way to Chicago is in . .. wait for it ... Orlando. We now are slated to land in San Diego just before midnight. Then, if we are lucky and can get our car, we get to head 45 minutes away and try to set up a tent in total darkness - if we can get into the campground. 

EDITOR’S NOTE II: As it turns out we are still in Manchester. Our flight was canceled for a second time. Instead of waking up to the sound of the Pacific outside our tent we awoke to the sound of snowplows. Stay tuned. 

EDITOR’S NOTE III: just received word tomorrow's flight has been cancelled. Ugh. 

EDITOR’S NOTE IV: They have rebooked us for FRIDAY! This is not OK. 

Everything Is Jake

Former Dartmouth offensive lineman Jake Guidone '21, who helped UConn to a bowl game as an anchor of the Huskies' offensive line, is probably the only center hoping to make it to an NFL camp who has two touchdown catches to his credit. The 2021 AP All-American third-team member hauled in a four-yard TD pass against Penn in 2018 and a 27-yarder against Cornell later that season when he was pressed into action as a tight end.

Guidone told The Gridiron Crew website his athleticism should be a selling point for NFL teams. Asked, "What separates you from the other pro prospects at your position?," he answered:

My versatility separates me from other pro prospects. Over my career, I have played center, guard, and tight end, gaining significant confidence in my abilities. I look forward to the opportunity to help any team, at any position.

Find the full Q&A HERE.

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Princeton men's and women's basketball teams swept their way into the NCAA Tournament by each winning a pair of games in the Ivy Tourney held in the friendly confines of Jadwin Gymnasium.

The 14th-seeded Princeton men (22-8) will now play two-seed Arizona (28-6) in the South Regional on Thursday in Sacramento at 4 p.m. Eastern.

The Princeton women (23-5) earned a 10 seed and will play seventh-seeded North Carolina State (20-11) Friday in Salt Lake City with the time to be announced. The other opening-round game in SLC pits No. 2 Utah against No. 15 Gardner-Webb (29-4).

Three other Ivy League basketball teams also will see their seasons continue.

The Yale (21-8) men will play in the NIT at No. 2 seed Vanderbilt (20-14) Tuesday at 8 p.m., with the winner to face the winner of Michigan-Toledo.

On the women's side Columbia (23-5) – agonizingly the first team out of the NCAA’s – earned the WNIT automatic qualifier bid. Harvard (17-11) and Penn (17-11) also are in the field, with the bracket to be announced around 11 a.m. today.

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EXTRA POINT
Mrs. BGA and I are escaping town just ahead of the Nor'easter. (At least we *hope* we are getting out ahead of it.) It used to be anytime we went away meant a stop at the bank to get traveler's checks. To a large extent I guess in this era of credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay and ATMs they've gone the way of landlines. Oh wait. WE still have a landline, but rest assured, we won't be stopping by the bank to pick up any traveler's checks. ;-)

FYI, you'll still get your BGA Daily fix while we're away. More on that tomorrow.

Let's Go To The Videotape, Uh Video

You know the drill. It's Sunday and you've got the time. Let's revisit the three games you enjoyed the most last year and perhaps the most enjoyable one of the past decade!

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First, last fall's season-opening 35-13 win over Valparaiso:

   

 Now the last-second, 27-24 win at Columbia down in the Big Apple:

   

 Fianlly, the 30-7 win over Brown that bookended the season with Memorial Field victories:

   

 And just because, let's revisit 2019's epic win over Harvard:

 

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EXTRA POINT
I don't know about you, but I had to ask Siri what time it was when I got up this morning. I can never remember if the clock radio in our bedroom "springs ahead" or not. Turns out that it does, and it did. ;-)

Now if only I can figure out how to change the clock in my car. But wait . . . does that reset itself? Time will tell (pun intended).

Stay Tuned

Spent all last week working on a project for BGA Daily using 20 seasons worth of media guides and press packets that are still spread out over the BGA World Headquarters floor. (It was the easiest way to jump from one to another.) Hopefully all the work was worth it. Look for a series starting next week.

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Cleveland.com has a story about Callie Brownson, whose career in football took off after Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens brought her to the Manning Passing Academy and then went on to hire her for the Big Green.

From the story (LINK):

“I’ve spent three years dedicating myself so much to this chief of staff role and doing everything I could for Kevin (Stefanski) and the coaching staff to make their lives easier and to help keep this going,” Brownson told cleveland.com at the NFL combine last week. “So it was a little bittersweet in a way to say goodbye to that piece. But I got into the NFL to coach, so there was this great piece of it that has just been really exciting."

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EXTRA POINT 

This is a short one today because I have to head out to recycling and the dump, but only after a sweet taste a slice of life in a small Vermont town.

The text below the photo of people lining up outside our town hall is tiny so I'll share it here:

Shakeoff winter at the West Newbury Hall, have a great breakfast and stick around to relax with your neighbors. Served in the best West Newbury style you expect, the menu includes pancakes with fresh strawberries, real whipped cream and West Newbury maple syrup; locally sourced sausages and bacon; coffee, tea, milk, cider, orange juice. 

And no, that photo is not from this year. We still have snow, and lots of it, on the ground. 

Doing Their Part

This is a little difficult to follow but it's a sampling of part of Dartmouth defensive coordinator Don Dobes' presentation for the Lauren’s First and Goal Virtual Coaches Clinic:

One of the best defensive coordinators in all the football! Thx ⁦@DartmouthFTBL⁩ DC ⁦@coach_dobes⁩ who has been a huge force for https://t.co/pRuJVRun2p since the very beginning! pic.twitter.com/24l6CZ9PcK

— LFG Foundation (@LFGfootballcamp) March 8, 2023

Dobes and offensive line coach Keith Clark join with dozens of other coaches from powerhouse FBS programs like Penn State, Michigan and Nebraska down to Cortland State and Rose-Hulman as well as the Denver Broncos and CFL teams in the event, which benefits Pediatric Brain Tumor Research. It's an offshoot of the Lauren’s First and Goal Football Camp, started in 2004 by John and Marianne Loose in honor of their daughter, Lauren, a pediatric brain tumor survivor.

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Catching up on Week Three of the XFL, former Dartmouth defensive lineman Niko Lalos '20 had four tackles in the Seattle Sea Dragons’ first win, 30-26, over the Vegas Vipers. Through three games he’s second on the team with 13 tackles, including three for a loss. The Sea Dragons host the San Antonio Brahmas this week at Lumen Field, also home of the NFL's Seahawks.

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In its lastest update, HERO Sports has Princeton wide receiver Andrei Iosivas as the third-ranked NFL prospect in the NFL Draft and a likely fourth-round selection.

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Should have posted this on International Women's Day on Wednesday:

Katie Blackburn’s decades of hard work have earned her the distinction of being the first woman on the @NFL's Competition Committee.

The trailblazing @Bengals EVP and chief contract negotiator is driving the game forward. #WomensHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/yjdJAT88F1

— Troy Vincent, Sr. (@TroyVincentSr) March 9, 2023

Blackburn '86 is the daughter of former Dartmouth quarterback Mike Brown ’57, the Bengals' owner. Her daughter Elizabeth ’15 is the team’s director of strategy and engagement.

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A story in Axios about the NCAA wanting to shorten games (LINK) notes that the rules would mean on average eight fewer players per game that would "save 96 potential injury exposures per team" over a 12-game season. From the story:

MLB wants to play baseball faster because games can be sluggish.

The NCAA wants to play football less because games can be barbaric.

Green Alert Take: That's a little harsh, don't you think? I can't imagine anyone in the NCAA applauding the use of the word barbaric.

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The Athletic has a damning story headlined, New allegations of hazing, mistreatment of athletes within Harvard women’s ice hockey program. The story begins this way:

The Harvard women’s ice hockey program, under scrutiny following a January report from the Boston Globe that alleged abusive behavior by coach Katey Stone and hazing within the program, held annual “Naked Skates” that were considered hazing by some players. And during a preseason event known as “Freshmen Fun Night,” some newcomers felt pressured to consume alcohol and simulate sex acts, according to new reporting by The Athletic. 

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EXTRA POINT
Shouting out answers watching Jeopardy last night I was reminded of an idea a friend had that I think would improve the viewer experience. His thought was for the show to keep the category listed on the screen under the clue. That might save those of us playing at home from making the same mistake a contestant did last night and give a two-syllable response in the category One-Syllable Body Parts.

Thursday Stuff

With so little turnover in the Dartmouth football coaching ranks the past few years there hasn't been much news regarding the whereabouts of former coaches. One who has moved around a bit since leaving Hanover is Mike Bruno, who coached nickels in these parts for five years.

After two seasons as a grad assistant at Mississippi State, one year at Louisville as a defensive quality control assistant and four seasons in a defensive quality control role at Cal, Bruno spent the last year served as linebackers coach at UNLV. With the firing of head coach Marcus Arroyo the staff was also let go.

Bruno resurfaced this winter as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at Minot State. He joins the staff of new head coach Ian Shields, who had been on staff at UNLV as well. Shields was the head coach at Jacksonville when Dartmouth defeated the Dolphins in 2019, 35-6.

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Jared Gerbino '20 had a busy first game of the 2023 season with defending Italian Football League champion Guelfi Firenze and the '22 MVP could be even busier in the coming weeks. With the American tailback who played a big role in last year's championship run moving on and their dynamic quarterback hurt late in Guelfi's opener, Gerbino will be doing double-duty. American Football International writes (LINK):

“Gerbino undoubtedly provides an excellent replacement, but the loss does take a level of dynamism away from the reigning champions who will now seem a little less invincible.”

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A Sportico report on YahooSports goes into a little more depth on the lawsuit regarding the Ivy League's refusal to offer athletic scholarships. From the story (LINK):

Noting that the Ivy League colleges have a combined endowment of more than $170 billion, Choh and Kirk take issue with how out of the more than 350 colleges and universities in DI, only the Ivy League schools collectively “refuse to provide any athletic scholarships or other compensation/reimbursement for athletic services.”

And . . .

The complaint notes that Ivy League colleges agree to restrain competition in ways that other academically elite universities—such as Stanford, Georgetown, Notre Dame or Duke—do not. “These [non-Ivy] schools,” the complaint charges, “demonstrate they can maintain stellar academic credentials while competing for excellent athletes, and without agreed-upon limits on price.”

and . . .

Sticker prices for tuition, room, board and incidental expenses can exceed $80,000 a year, an amount that need-based financial aid falls short of covering.

Meanwhile, Ivies generate significant revenues from athletics, such as Yale reaching a 10-year, $16.5 million branding rights deal with Under Armour in 2016. They also attract contributions from donors; for example, Penn announced last year it would start construction of a new track and field facility that will cost $69 million, with donors pledging support.

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EXTRA POINT
On a shelf here in BGA headquarters I have a Simon & Shuster audiotape presentation of Charles Kuralt reading his book A Life on the Road. I was a huge Kuralt fan and thought it would be fun to dub the book from the cassettes onto a sound file on my iPod to listen to while I hike.

Serendipitously, I had a Walkman on the shelf right next to the Kuralt cassettes and put two double-A batteries inside. I was pleased to see the red power light come on, and before inserting the first cassette tuned the radio to an FM station I like. Nothing. I turned the volume control up and still nothing.

Then I put palm to forehead and thought, "You idiot." The Walkman doesn't have a speaker!

So I plugged in a set of headphones and voilá, I was listening to NPR.

At that I powered down the radio, pulled open the tape door, slapped in the first Kuralt tape and hit the play button. The readout read TAPE but nothing happened.

Thinking perhaps the AAA batteries were a little weak, I put in two new ones. Still nothing. The tape wouldn't move.

Somewhere in a box in our basement I think we have one of my mother's beloved cassette players that I'm pretty confident will work and allow me to move Kuralt's stories onto the iPod. In the meantime the best I can do is check out those shared by CBS commentator Steve Hartman, a worthy successor On the Road who recently offered up this piece:

Last August, Blossom the goose lost her mate, Bud. They'd lived on a pond at Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown, Iowa. Blossom's grief was evident to the cemetery's staff, and so general manager Dorie Tammen decided to post a personal ad for Blossom. https://t.co/thqAas7H5K pic.twitter.com/80J7UJ6kaa

— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) March 5, 2023

A Conversation With An Old Friend

Former Dartmouth linebacker Jalen Mackie '22, who earned All-America honors as a Big Green senior (LINK) and independent All-America first-team honors as the leading tackler at UMass last fall (LINK), spoke for 25 minutes on the New England Football Journal podcast:

Feel The Draft: Jalen Mackie, LB, UMass https://t.co/HTJRF2PYRz

— New England Football Journal ® 🏈 (@newftbj) March 8, 2023

At 1:40 Mackie talks about how a rare strain of double-pneumonia in his senior year of high school played into his ending up at Dartmouth.

At 4:10 he shares why he so values playing at Dartmouth.

At 4:50 he talks about not tackling each other at Dartmouth but how the Big Green practiced tackling "more than any college in the country."

At 5:44 he touches on Coach Buddy Teevens' stressing the importance of being best person you can be off the field and the best player you can be on the field. He credits Dartmouth football for making him "the man I am today."

At 8:00 he discusses going from Don Dobes' bend-don’t-break concept to Don Brown's blitzing all the time approach. 

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Watch as Jared Gerbino '20 scores the first touchdown and Dartmouth gets a nod from the announcer when Gerbino's Guelfi Firenzi team begins defense of its Italian championship. Gerbino was the season MVP last year.

The Road to Toledo and the @italianbowlusa began yesterday in Firenze as the @guelfifirenze 🏈 defeated Varese in impressive fashion 👀, 42-7, to open the @fidafgameday season. 👏 pic.twitter.com/3WMtLPCZkm

— BCSN (@BCSNsports) March 5, 2023

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Headline in the Wall Street Journal:

Ivy League’s Agreement to Ban Athletic Scholarships Is Illegal, Lawsuit Says; Suit alleges Ivies engage in price-fixing by not awarding financial aid like other Division I schools do

From the story (LINK):

"The eight schools that make up the Ivy League engage in illegal price-fixing by not awarding athletic scholarships, alleges a lawsuit filed Tuesday by current and former Brown University basketball players."

From a piece in the Law360 site headlined, Ivy League Athletes Hit 8 Universities With Price-Fixing Claim (LINK):

Eight Ivy League universities are engaged in an illegal price-fixing scheme to raise the cost of education and suppress the compensation that student athletes receive for their services, two basketball players alleged in a proposed federal class action filed Tuesday in the District of Connecticut.

From a Philadelphia Inquirer story (LINK):

The two plaintiffs are current Brown University women’s basketball player Grace Kirk and former Brown men’s basketball player Tamenang Choh. The suit says they are bringing the lawsuit “on behalf of a class of fellow current and former Ivy League collegiate athletes.”

The Inquirer also includes this:

In detailing the commercial aspects of Ivy League sports, the suit alleges that Penn “demonstrated its commercial zeal by selling the naming rights for its iconic Palestra ...,” and that Penn athletic fundraising in 2018-19 was $63 million, also noting “the importance of revenue generation to the University Defendants is underscored by the million dollar-plus salaries paid to their Presidents and other high-ranking officials, and to those who manage their investments.” 

Robin Harris, the Ivy League executive director, responded to the challenge this way, per the Inquirer:

“As students and their families consider the higher education and, specifically, the intercollegiate athletics opportunities available to them, there are a wide variety of options. Each choice, including the Ivy League, represents an individual decision and carries its own distinct features and benefits.

“The Ivy League athletics model is built upon the foundational principle that student-athletes should be representative of the wider student body, including the opportunity to receive need-based financial aid. In turn, choosing and embracing that principle then provides each Ivy League student-athlete a journey that balances a world-class academic experience with the opportunity to compete in Division I athletics and ultimately paves a path for lifelong success.”

Green Alert Take: I wonder if this suit will have former Ivy League football players-turned-lawyers thinking about ways to pressure the conference into allowing its football teams to do what it allows every other athlete to do, and that is compete for a national championship.

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EXTRA POINT
Vermont is just 157 miles north to south, 42 miles east to west on the Massachusetts border and 90 miles across at the Canadian border. Although it's a small state the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) grooms more than 4,700 miles of trails for snowmobiling.

One of VAST's trails crosses our road at the top of the hill and runs along the far edge of the property belonging to our nearest neighbor. I'm the furthest thing from a snowmobiler but I have to admit it's kind of cool that I could get on one of those things essentially in my back yard and travel from north to the Canadian border or south to Massachusetts.

Fully Staffed

With 28 days until the first spring (sic) practice, Dartmouth has announced its new nickels coach.

Joining the Big Green program is Joe Castellitto, a former Utica College player who spent three seasons at UConn (two as a grad assistant and one as a defensive analyst) after one year coaching linebackers at Central Connecticut. His coaching career began as a grad assistant at Utica and included a short stint at Western Connecticut. He played his college ball at Utica.

Find a Dartmouth release about the new coach HERE. He replaces Ahmaad Smith, who spent two seasons with the Big Green.

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Per old friend Craig Haley of Stats Perform/The Analyst, Princeton receiver Andrei Iosivas was one of the two FCS players at the NFL Combine who had the "biggest" performances. Iosivas' college choice coming out of Hawaii came down to Princeton and . . . Dartmouth.

#FCSOvertime@CraigHaley on which two FCS prospects had the biggest performances at #NFLCombine2023.

Full recap: https://t.co/D57YjlbRmF pic.twitter.com/gZL1uCPHVF

— FCS Football (@FCS_STATS) March 6, 2023

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Taking advantage of a COVID Super Senior Season is a lot easier for a Dartmouth football player than a basketball player because it requires being on campus for just one extra term. Because of the overlap of seasons, basketball requires being "on" for two extra terms and therefore taking more time off, hard to do when your season overlaps terms (or in most cases semesters). Dame Adelekun, the 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward who became a dominant Ivy League force for Dartmouth this season, has chosen to enter the portal as a grad transfer and already has attracted the interest of Wisconsin, Ohio State, Arkansas, Vandy, Seton Hall and others. (LINK)

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The Dartmouth has named Kristin Chapman ’24 Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, effective March 15. (LINK) Chapman's father, Pete '91, was a co-captain of the 1990 Big Green, Buddy Teevens' first Ivy League championship team. I always enjoyed my interactions with Pete when he was a player and I was the beat writer covering Dartmouth for the local daily, and we share a friendship to this day.

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EXTRA POINT
Some people say there are five seasons in New England: Spring, summer, fall, winter and mud. Former Hanover High soccer player Noah Kahan, a singer-songwriter now selling out venues nationwide, has added another to the fold with his well-regarded single, Stick Season.

Sitting here in the BGA World Headquarters I'm reminded of yet another season: sugaring. Our hillside home abuts a real Vermont sugarbush and the farmer who taps the maples has a right-of-way through our lower field to access his trees. A sign that sugaring is starting up was this ATV with snow tracks on heading down to the pump house that collects sap and pumps it underground to the farm at the top of the hill where it is boiled. For those of you from away, sugaring season relies on below freezing temperatures at night in late winter/early spring, and above freezing temps during the day.

Oh, and it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, which is why the sweet stuff ain't cheap. ;-)

Recruiting Around The League

With "Signing Day" behind us and coaches already working hard at identifying junior prospects, the incoming Ivy League recruiting classes are all-but wrapped up. Those classes won't go public until the spring but like BGA Daily, there are people out there doing some digging and posting unofficial classes.

 Here's a look at the classes they have uncovered, keeping in mind some of these names may disappear, some may be wrong and there may be a few additions. That said, this is the best we an do at this point. (Couldn't find lists out of Harvard and Cornell.)

COLUMBIA

Qwincy Amos, 5-11, 170, DB, Warren H/San Antonio, Texas

Terell Battle 6-3, 190, WR/DB,  Mountain View HS/Lawrenceville, GA

Jalen Campbell D6-4, 295, OL/DL, Jackson-Reed HS/Washington, DC

Jaylen Carter 6-, 180, WR/DB, Taft School, Watertown/Conn.

Christian Carti , 6-1, 190, WR, Bergen Catholic HS/Oradell, N.J.

Colin Cook, WR, 6-3, 185, Pope John Paul II Prep/Hendersonville, Tenn.

Braden Dougherty, 6-5, 230, TE/DE, Dublin Coffman HS/Dublin, Ohio

Titus Evans, 6-1, 170, WR, Mansfield Timberview HS/Arlington, Texas

Ethan Fullerton, 5-11, 170, WR/DB, Notre Dame HS/Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Braylon Gardoni, WR,6-0, 180, Fort Bend Christian Academy/Sugar Land, Texas

AJ George 6-2, 190, LB/RB, Ottawa Hills HS/Toledo, Ohio 

Chase Goodwin 6-2, 200, QB, Memorial HS/Houston, Texas

Quinn Herlihy, 6-3, 230, DL/LB, Cheshire Academy/Shrewsbury HS/Worcester, Mass.

Santiago Hernandez, 6-4, 235, DE/TE, Harvard-Westlake School Los Angeles, Calif.

Jaden Hinton 6-3, 300, OL/DL, Ames HS/South Easton, Mass.

Griffin Johnson5-11, 190, RB, Marysville HS/Marysville, Ohio

Sean Kimani 6-5, 290, OL Duluth HS/Duluth, Ga.

Bailey Kornegay-Douhadji, 6-3, 230, DE, East Coweta HS/Sharpsburg, Ga.

Keelan Kornegay, 6-3, 230 DE, East Coweta HS/Sharpsburg, Ga.

Xander Menapeace 6-4, 208, QB, Hamburg Area HS/ Hamburg, Pa. 

Malachi Mercer, 6-2, 225 LB, Bergen Catholic/Oradell, NJ

Hugo Merry, 6-3, 210, P/K, Frederick HS Frederick/Md.

Mikey Nabbout, 6-3, 245,  DE/TE, St. John's Prep/Danvers, Mass. 

Charlie Newton, 6-3, 195,  WR/DB, Walter Payton Prep/Chicago, Ill.

Ahmari Owens, OL, 6-5, 305, Springfield Central HS/Springfield, Mass.

Levi Robins, 5-11, 175, DB,Saguaro HS/Scottsdale, Ariz.

Will Rubalcava, 6-0, 170, DB, Rick Reedy HS/Frisco, Texas

Nik Winzer, 6-6, 285, OL/DL, Matawan Regional HS/Matawan, N.J.

PENN

Darius Beauvois Community School, Fla. 6-2 185 DB

Cadin Olsen Armstrong High, Pa. 6-5 215 QB

Michael Fernicola Wayne Hills, N.J. 6-4 260 DL

Michael Zack Choate Rosemary Hall, Conn. 6-4 280 OL

Cole Shannon Lawrenceville, N.J. 6-0 180 RB

Cole Olsztyn St Mary’s, Mich. 6-1 205 LB

Aaron Kruse Mt Pisgah Christian, Ga. 6-6 285 OL

David Rolands Berkley, Mich. 6-4 270 OL

Devin Malloy Episcopal, Va. 6-0 177 CB

Jamal “Scoota” Bing Dutchtown, Ga. 5-9 174 RB

Emmanuel Deng Centerville, Ohio 6-2 172 CB

Devin Page Kellenberg, N.Y. 6-3 190 QB

Luke Sacchetti Forsyth Central, Ga. 6-3.5 300 OL

Kayleb Ervin Bishop Gorman, Nev. 5-11 175 CB

Zach Darche Blue Valley West, Kan. 6-2 215 LB

Christian de Villiers Columbus, Fla. 6-4 200 P

 Dante Barone Hun School, N.J. 6-3 265 DE/TE

Hunter Lay Mullen, Colo. 6-3 235 DE

Jayden Drayton Brunswick, Ga. 5’10 170 WR/DB

Raashad Hall St John’s College, D.C. 6-2 245 DL

Christian Carter Carrollwood,Tampa Fla. 5-10 170 CB

Josh Narcisse Paramus Catholic, N.J. 6-0 180 CB

Malachi Hosley Northside, Ga. 5-10 190 RB

Trevor Pajak Mater Dei, Calif. 6-4 215 OLB

Sean “Pup” Williams, Milford Mill, Md. 5-10 190 RB

DJ Brown UNC Charlotte, N.C. 6-0 235 LB

Davis Greene Brentwood Academy. Tenn. 6-4 250 DL/OL

PRINCETON

Jay Mentink DB 5'11" 180 lbs. Sumner, Wash.

Weston Smith QB 6'5" 215 lbs. Colleyville Heritage, Texas

Jack Comeau TE 6'3" 235 lbs. Bergen Catholic, N.J.

Philip Eichelzer OL 6'3" 275 lbs. Walton, Ga.

Mavrick Torrico LB 6'0" 215 lbs. Blessed Trinity, Ga.

London Robinson DL 6'1" 280 lbs. St. Peter’s, N.J.

Robert Sanders LB 6'3" 220 lbs. All Saints Episcopal. Texas

Chase Christopher LB 6'1" 220 lbs. Holly SpringsM/C/

Justin Selbert OL 6'4" 270 lbs. Eureka, Mo.

Connor McAllen OL 6'5" 290 lbs. St. Joseph’s, N.J.

Evan Haynie DB 6'0" 175 lbs. Baylor , Tenn.

Brady Clark K 6'1" 190 lbs. West Deptford, N.J.

Rocco Marcelino DL 6'5" 250 lbs. Creighton Prep, Neb.

William Beargie DL 6'5" 270 lbs. Nazareth Academy, Ill.

Caden Wright DL 6'3" 220 lbs. Reagan , Texas.

Ral Nwogbo DL 6'2" 240 lbs. Choate , Conn.

Trey Richardson OL 6'6" 290 lbs. Archer, Ga.

Torian Roberts DB 5'11" 160 lbs. Winter Park, Fla.

Ethan Clark RB 6'1" 200 lbs. Clarkston, Mich.

Jackson Green WR 6'3" 185 lbs. Pittsford Mendon, N.Y.

Roman Laurio WR 6'1" 175 lbs. Saline, Mich.

Oyintare Porbeni OL 6'5" 245 lbs. Stillwater Senior, Minn.

Joey Wassler TE 6'5" 225 lbs. St. Xavier, Ohio

Barrett Eddelmon OL 6'4" 290 lbs. La Vernia, Texas

Kavon Miller DB 5'11" 175 lbs. Bolles, Fla.

Tyler Morris LB 6'0" 205 lbs. Lexington Christian Academy, Ky.

Nnamdi Udeogu DL 6'5" 235 lbs. Georgetown Prep, Md.

Troy Bruce, Jr. RB 5'8" 180 lbs. Center Point , Ala.

Rashad Caldwell WR 6'0" 180 lbs. Denver South, Colo.

Aidan Besselman WR 6'2" 180 lbs. Upper Saint Clair , Pa.

BROWN

Kai Faucher OT/DT 6'6" 280 Harvard-Westlake Calif

Danny Thompson OL 6'5" 305 Scituate HS, Mass.

Charles Pietrosante OL 6’4” 270 Brother Rice, Mich.

Charlie Hines OL 6'3" 285 Lincoln HS San Diego, Calif.

Karl Schmalz DL 6'4" 240 Notre Dame College Prep, Ill.

Tyson HollowayOT/DT 6'4" 275 Richmond HS, Va.

James Murphy QB 6’5”, 210 Reading Memorial Mass. 

Brady Dever QB 6'2" 185 Fort Bend Christian Academy. Sugar Land, Texas

Jackson Bennett RB 5'11" 215 Windermere Prep, Fla.

Tyler Emans RB 5’11” 204 Harmony HS St. Cloud, Fla.

Michael McGhee RB 5'11" 185 Rye Country Day, Rye, N.Y.

Michael Nesbit WR/PR 6'4" 185 South Mecklenburg HS Charlotte, N.C.

Levi Linowes WR/TE 6'3" 210 Atlanta, Ga.

Najih Rahman WR 5'11" 190 Red Bank Catholic, N.J.

Pierce Leverett TE 6"4" 235 St John's Houston, Texas

Ben Taylor TE 6'4" 220 Choate, Conn.

Ike Odimegwu DE/LB 6'3" 215 Coppell, Texas

Nico Bossi TE/DE 6'3" 220 Abington Heights, Scranton, Pa.

Michael Reddick DE/LB 6'2" 225 (Taft) Watertown, Conn.

Max Malo LB 6’2 218 Sehome HS Bellingham, Wash.

Ennis Udo LB/DE/TE 6'2" 200 Malvern Prep, Pa.

Malachi Marshall-Harris LB/S 6'2" 180 Lake Highland Prep, Fla.

Stefano Montella LB 6'0" 215 West Morris Central HS, N.J.

Jamari Myers CB/WR 6'1" 180 St Paul's, NH by way of Allen, Texas

Brock Owen DB 6'1" 195 Cookeville HS, Tenn.

Camryn Williams-Dalton(Jones) CB 6'0" 175 West Charlotte, N.C.

Kalyl Lindsey DB/WR | 5’11” 185 The Rivers School Weston, Mass.

Karrel Davis DB 5’10 165 Moeller HS Cincinnati, Ohio

YALE

Brandon Webster, DB/WR, 6’0″, 182 lbs., St. Ignatius /Cleveland, Ohio

Jackson St. Aubyn, OL, 6’5″, 271 lbs., Palmer Ridge/Monument, Colo.

Graham Smith, TE/DE, 6’5″, 225 lbs., Lyons Township/La Grange Park, IL

John Kemp, CB, 5’11”, 175 lbs., St. Ignatius/Chicago, IL

Aidan Warner, QB, 6’3″, 215 lbs., Winter Park/Winter Park, Fla.

Phoenix Grant, S, 6’1″, 185 lbs., Sherman/Sherman, Texas

Christopher White, CB/ATH, 6’0″, 183 lbs., Lincoln (San Diego/Calilf.

Zairion Jackson-Bass, DL, 6’2″, 245 lbs., Julius Chambers/Charlotte, N.C.

Spencer Mermans, TE/DE, 6’6″, 245 lbs., Charlotte Country Day/Charlotte, N.C.

Kevin Cassidy, OL/DL, 6’6″, 285 lbs., Mountainside/Beaverton, Ore.

Joseph Barry, LB, 6’3″, 220 lbs., Bergen Catholic/Oradell, N.J.

Joey Fortner, LS, 6’2″, 215 lbs., Marist/Chicago, Ill.

Cooper Austin, OL, 6’2″, 265 lbs., Mt. Lebanon/Pittsburgh, Pa.

Dylan Garrity, OL, 6’3″, 255 lbs., Bergen Catholic/Oradell, N.J.

Donovan McKoy, WR, 6’5″, 210 lbs., St. Joseph/Montvale, N.J.

Lukas Witt, OL, 6’6″, 285 lbs., Cheshire Academy/Cheshire, CT/Germany

Osize Daniyan, DB, 6’1″, 180 lbs., Mount Juliet/Mount Juliet, Tenn.

James Cave, DE, 6’6″, 240 lbs., Parish Episcopal/Dallas, Texas

Jesse Schutzman, LB, 6’2″, 220 lbs., Brunswick/Greenwich, Conn.

Zavier Avera, OL, 6’5″, 270 lbs., Jones/Orlando, Fla.

Brice June, WR, 6’2″, 190 lbs., Maret/Washington D.C.

Robby Tattersall, DE, 6’5″, 200 lbs., Wilmington Friends/Wilmington, Del.

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Results from 6-3, 250 Princeton wide receiver Andrei Iosivas at the NFL Combine:

• 40-yard dash: 4.43 (tied for 11th of 53 WRs)
• Vertical: 39’’ (tied 10th of 40)
• Broad Jump: 10’8’’ (tied 15th of 42)
• 20-yard shuttle: 4.12 (2nd of 19)
• 3-Cone: 6.85 (2nd of 14)
• Bench Press:19 reps (5th of 13)

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EXTRA POINT
Mother Nature finally cooperated this morning and cleared away the clouds so the two of the visiting skiers who hadn't been here previously could finally see our gorgeous views. We'd been socked in since they arrived on Friday.

Stranger Than Truth

Promise, I'm not going to do this with any regularity but we're headed out to breakfast before Mrs. BGA and the out-of-towners hit the slopes, so time is short. That being the case, I thought to try something fun and offered ChatGPT the following prompt:

In about 400 words discuss the college football careers of Dartmouth's Jay Fiedler and Dalyn Willliams and explain why one might be chosen over the other as the school's all-time quarterback.

Immediately, and I mean immediately, the computer started spitting out this essay, which it took less than 30 seconds or so to write. Agree or disagree with the conclusion, this is somewhere between freaky and scary. The scary part is the numbers it got that are wrong, some very wrong as an alert emailer pointed out, writing, "(Fiedler) ran for more than 1,000 yards fewer than what the AI wrote and six fewer TDs as well." So, caveat emptor:

Jay Fiedler and Dalyn Williams are two of the most successful quarterbacks in the history of Dartmouth football. Fiedler played for Dartmouth from 1990 to 1993, while Williams played for Dartmouth from 2012 to 2015. Both quarterbacks led their teams to Ivy League championships, and both left their mark on the program in their respective eras. However, when considering who should be chosen as the all-time Dartmouth quarterback, there are several factors to consider.

First, it's worth looking at their individual statistics. Fiedler finished his career with 6,684 passing yards, 43 touchdown passes, and a completion percentage of 57.5%. He also rushed for 1,614 yards and 21 touchdowns. Williams, on the other hand, finished his career with 7,445 passing yards, 53 touchdown passes, and a completion percentage of 62.6%. He also rushed for 1,162 yards and 22 touchdowns. In terms of raw statistics, Williams has the edge, both in passing and rushing.

However, statistics alone don't tell the whole story. Fiedler played in a different era of football, when passing wasn't as prevalent as it is today. Additionally, the Ivy League has become more competitive in recent years, so it's possible that Williams faced tougher competition than Fiedler did. Furthermore, Fiedler's ability to run the ball was a major asset for Dartmouth, and one that can't be easily quantified in the statistics.

Another factor to consider is the success of their teams. Fiedler led Dartmouth to two Ivy League championships during his career, in 1990 and 1991. Williams also led Dartmouth to an Ivy League championship in 2015, and the team had winning seasons in each of his four (sic) years as the starting quarterback. However, it's worth noting that Williams had a stronger supporting cast during his career, with a more experienced offensive line and more talented skill position players.

Finally, it's worth considering their intangibles. Fiedler was known for his toughness and his leadership ability, and he was named team captain in both his junior and senior years. Williams was also a team captain, and he was known for his intelligence and his ability to read defenses. Both quarterbacks were respected by their teammates and coaches.

Ultimately, when choosing the all-time Dartmouth quarterback, it's difficult to make a definitive choice. Fiedler's success in a different era of football and his ability to run the ball make him a strong candidate, while Williams' statistical superiority and success in a more competitive era of the Ivy League make him a worthy contender as well. However, when considering their overall impact on the program, including their leadership and intangibles, Williams may have the edge.

Green Alert Take: I don't know what to say but AI clearly doesn't have that problem.

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EXTRA POINT
Yeah, well, a final AI prompt this morning:

Write a humorous note of about 150 words in the style of BGA Daily's Extra Point saying that BW has to go to breakfast with friends and is letting you do the work today.

Here's what it wrote:

Good morning, sports fans! This is your favorite BGA Daily columnist, coming to you live from the comfort of my own kitchen. Why, you ask? Well, it appears that our esteemed leader, BW, has decided to go out for breakfast with his so-called "friends" and has left me to do all the work today. I mean, seriously, who needs friends when you have a loyal and hardworking assistant like me, right?

But fear not, dear readers, for I am up to the task. I may not have the wit and charm of BW, but I sure do have the typing speed and coffee-making skills to get the job done. Plus, I promise to keep the puns and dad jokes to a minimum (no guarantees, though).

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the latest news and updates from the world of sports, brought to you by yours truly. And to BW, I say this: enjoy your breakfast, buddy. Just remember, what goes around comes around. And I know a thing or two about revenge...