Saturday Stuff

There are probably at least few Dartmouth fans who were watching a game on TV last night and sighed heavily when this score went across the bottom of the screen: Lehigh 7, Army 7 after one quarter.

The Big Green, of course, was supposed to play at West Point in Week Two of the season only to have the game canceled after Army was required to clear most of – but not all of – its schedule to make way for American Athletic Conference opponents.

Lehigh survived the schedule purge but not its FBS opponent. The Cadets took a 21-7 lead into the half and went on to post an unsurprising 42-7 win over the Mountain Hawks, widely expected to be one of the Patriot League also-rans this fall.

A Friday night crowd of 23,760 turned up for the game at historic Michie Stadium. In place of the game at Army Dartmouth will travel to Merrimack to play in 3,500-seat Duane Stadium.

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The Analyst has a posting about FCS players on NFL opening-day rosters and as you might expect, HYP is well represented. The list includes players on practice squads, on injured reserve or physically unable to perform. Here are the three Ivies with the most players listed (LINK):

Yale (5): Kiran Amegadjie, OL (Bears); Nick Gargiulo, OL (Broncos); Foyesade Oluokun, LB (Jaguars); Rodney Thomas II, S (Colts); Mason Tipton, WR (Saints)

Harvard (4): Truman Jones, DE (Chiefs); Kyle Juszczyk, FB (49ers); Tyler Ott, LS (Commanders); Chris Smith, DT (Lions)

Princeton (3): Henry Byrd, OL (Vikings); Stephen Carlson, TE (Bears); Andrei Iosivas, WR (Bengals) 

Because the list stops at three players, Dartmouth was not included but if it had been . . .

Dartmouth (2): Niko Lalos, DE (Saints); Isaiah Johnson, CB (Dolphins)

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Schools can have only one nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, often referred to as the Heisman of academics, but Dartmouth has two this fall. How can that be? Read on.

Congrats to Braden Mullen on being named this years #CampbellTrophy nominee!#TheWoods #GoBigGreen https://t.co/8SA8gsQhOh pic.twitter.com/ajwrL8IjnR

— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) August 30, 2024

And Dartmouth's second nominee? Gannon McCorkle '24, the former Big Green defensive lineman who won't play his first-ever game as a grad transfer at Marist for another week:

D-lineman Gannon McCorkle is Marist's nominee for the 2024 #CampbellTrophy! Congrats, @Corkes20! #FoxholeGuys pic.twitter.com/hUp48ixbzE

— National Football Foundation (@NFFNetwork) August 30, 2024

Green Alert Take: Given the well-respected academics in the Ivy League and the number of former Big Green players on rosters elsewhere this fall, it wouldn't be a surprise if Dartmouth ends up having at least one more Campbell nominee.

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For the life of me I will never understand why Princeton let Don Dobes go 16 seasons ago. Not only is he an absurdly gifted defensive coordinator, but he's an unmatched recruiter and as this piece from Dartmouth's social media shows, he's a player's coach. (And to complete the picture, he's pure gold for the media.)

For all that know and LOVE DoubleD - there is NO ONE that does it better! @DartmouthFTBL https://t.co/iFe13XSnLC

— Danny O'Dea (@coachirishodea) August 31, 2024

Find Dobes' bio from Dartmouth HERE. 

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EXTRA POINT
Back on the electric tractor yesterday mowing the ever-growing grass next to some shrubbery. Apparently I got too close and one of the bees living in a hive in the bush took offense. Just like that, I felt (literally) a stinging pain on the inside of my forearm. . . .

And just like that, I hit the accelerator instead of the brake on the little tractor. . . .

And just like that the hose that we use to water flowers near the bush and which hadn't been properly stowed yet now has a gash in the side of it.

Oh yeah, if you are keeping score it's now Bees 2, BW 0 and I have a red and very itchy two-inch circular patch of skin in a tender place on my arm as I head out to mow again this morning . . . far from the shrubbery in question.

Elsewhere

Two of Dartmouth's nonconference opponents opened their seasons against FBS teams last night and while both lost by lopsided scores one showed it may have a pretty potent offense. The scores: Central Michigan 66, Central Connecticut 10, and Bowling Green 41, Fordham 17.

Week One Dartmouth opponent Fordham gave up a 100-yard return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff of the game and fell in a 20-0 hole after one quarter. Although the Rams never really challenged after the rough start, they finished the game with a solid 401 yards of total offense, including 182 on the ground. Julius Loughridge, who ran for 1,146 yards a year ago, carried 16 times for 112 yards against BG. Quarterback CJ Montes completed 13-of-21 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown without an interception.

As an aside, Bowling Green's quarterback was Connor Bazelak, son of one of Dartmouth's all-time best 3-point shooters (Len Bazelak '88). He played three years at Missouri and one at Indiana and is in his second season at Bowling Green.

Central Connecticut managed 194 yards rushing against Central Michigan but was absolutely destroyed by big plays. They Blue Devils gave up an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown as well as TD passes of 72 and 47 yards.

Week Two Dartmouth opponent Merrimack opens at Air Force tomorrow at 3:30.

Other FCS-FBS games of interest last night included New Hampshire taking it on the chin at Central Florida, 57-3, and Buffalo topping Lafayette, 30-13, giving former Dartmouth assistant Pete Lembo his first win in Western New York.

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Almost forgot this. HERO Sports came out with its Patriot League forecast and has Fordham finishing second behind defending champion Lafayette.

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Defensive lineman Shane Cokes '23, now in his second year at Colorado, was credited with two tackles in the Buffs' 31-26 win over FCS North Dakota State last night. He started and was in the regular rotation for the Buffaloes, who barely held on for the win when a Bison Hail Mary came up four yards short of the end zone.

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From Dartmouth social media:

🏈 @DartmouthFTBL Preseason Camp Update: Special Teams#TheWoods🌲 | #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/tPwNqXCtas

— Dartmouth Athletics (@dartmouthsports) August 29, 2024

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From a preview of CAA member Stony Brook team (LINK): 

Factoring in on the outside will be linebackers Clarens Legagneur, Tyson McCloud and Chayce Chalmers. Legagneur tallied an interception to go with 28 total tackles, a sack and 4.5 tackles for loss last season, while McCloud notched 36 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and four passes defended with Dartmouth. Chalmers is new to the position after transitioning there from safety this offseason.

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EXTRA POINT
For those of you keeping score, our 400-mile drive back from the New Jersey shore town of Ship Bottom, N.J., to little old West Newbury, Vt., was another reminder to us, at least, that trips like that in an EV are absolutely doable. Interestingly, although we don't own a Tesla, we charged twice at Tesla Superchargers (retrofitted for the rest of us ;-) that worked like a charm.

After choosing to return north via I-87 to make sure we missed the anticipated traffic delay around Hartford, Conn., we topped off our battery with a charge behind the town hall in Bennington, Vt., walking to a sandwich shop and grabbing a quick dinner while the car was plugged in. Perfect. All-in-all, it was a great trip.

Beats The Alternative

Not the news the best news, but good news nonetheless for two – and maybe three – former Dartmouth standouts.

Corner Isaiah Johnson, who played for two years as a grad transfer at Syracuse after collecting his Dartmouth degree, had a strong preseason with the Miami Dolphins and has been signed to the team's practice squad after being cut Tuesday. (LINK)

Defensive end Niko Lalos, whose bid to make the New Orleans Saints' 53-man roster took a hit on Tuesday, is returning to the team's practice squad for the third year. (LINK)

And I have no idea if this is anything more than someone tossing out a name but a Fansided columnist would like to see the Pittsburgh Steelers sign offensive tackle Matt Kaskey after the former Big Green lineman was released by the Los Angeles Rams. (LINK)

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There's no official depth chart on the Rice site but Sportskeeda, which aggregates two-deeps, has grad transfer Charlie Looes starting at defensive end for the Owls. Perhaps not coincidentally, the D-line coach at Rice is former Dartmouth assistant Cedric Calhoun.

Sportskeeda has Dartmouth product Shane Cokes starting again up front for Colorado in tonight's nationally televised game against North Dakota State, and former Big Green lineman Ethan Sipe as the backup center for the Virginia opener. Lots more Dartmouth grads and former Ivy Leaguers starting all over the FBS.

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 🏈 @DartmouthFTBL Preseason Camp Update: Running Backs#TheWoods🌲 | #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/hoVu1H4cIN

— Dartmouth Athletics (@dartmouthsports) August 28, 2024

Green Alert Take: All good but I've said it before and I'll say it again. Please name names. It's great to hear that the guys work hard and love each other but I want to know who has stepped up, who has the quick twitch, who refuses to go down, who is the hardest worker, etc.

Green Alert Take II: Fortunately, Sammy McCorkle has inherited a little of the "name names" gene from Buddy Teevens. Check BGA Overtime in the next day or two to learn a little more about this year's personnel.

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SFGate did it again.

Dartmouth pops up in a story about the Merrimack schedule in this paragraph (LINK):

Merrimack's toughest matchups this season are coming against Fordham, Colgate, Dartmouth, and Stonehill. However, based on last year's win totals, the toughest opponent on the schedule will be Air Force (eight wins last season).

That sentence was produced by Data Skribe, which describes itself this way:

Data Skrive is a technology company that takes human-written and -edited content, and then uses AI to assemble it into original sports and entertainment articles

Green Alert Take: Re-read the sentence mentioning Dartmouth again. This is what happens when you have AI write for you. Would a human being rely on the number of wins to determine that Air Force is the toughest opponent on the Merrimack schedule? If Stonehill had won eight games and Air Force had won seven would the AI have defaulted to Stonehill as being the iron of the schedule? I wouldn't be surprised.

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Miami (Ohio) head coach Chuck Martin, quoted in a FootballScoop story (LINK):

"I don't want iPads. In the old days you actually had to coach. You had to watch the action, figure out what was going on and then go make adjustments."

And . . .

"You used to have to make in-game adjustments, but now the iPad will make them for you. Pretty soon there will be robots on the sidelines and you won't even have to hire anyone."

Green Alert Take: Say hello to the MVP. Robots are already on the sidelines and on the field – during Dartmouth practices.

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EXTRA POINT
Before leaving the Asbury Park boardwalk yesterday Mrs. BGA and I spotted an arcade and decided to do what we like to do when we are at the shore or a lake. We headed inside to pop a few quarters into side-by-side Skee-Ball machines and see who could rack up the highest score. (My secret sauce is rolling the ball at a consistent speed every time off the same place on the side wall. It works!) I think it was last year when we stumbled across am arcade where the games were just a dime apiece and we played until we had a couple of huge ribbons of tickets ,which we then gave to a little boy and girl to spend as they pleased. Seeing wide eyes and smiles when we handed them the tickets was worth the price of admission. But I digress.

We were going to play only a game apiece at Asbury Park because we still had a long way to drive home.

We walked into the arcade and were surprised to see clerk alongside a turnstile to get into the play area. To our astonishment, the arcade had gone to a fixed-price admission model. They were charging $17.50 for an hour of play, $20 for up to six hours and $25 for an all-day pass. Heck, you had to pay $5 just to get through the turnstile and watch. (As an aside, can you imagine spending six hours in one of those places???)

Mrs. BGA told the attendant we just wanted to play one game of Skee-Ball and he looked at her like she was from another planet and sent us on our way.

Do you remember the line from Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb? It goes like this:

“Mandrake, do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, ice cream? Ice cream, Mandrake, children’s ice cream?”

I felt like shouting out, "Mandrake, do you realize what they've done to arcades? Skee-Ball, Mandrake, children's Skee-Ball?" 

A Little Of This, A Little Of That

The local Valley News has brought in a newly minted Northwestern grad to cover Dartmouth football this fall. Check out Alex Cervantes' first story about the opening of Big Green camp HERE.

Speaking of which, Dartmouth's three nonconference opponents wrapped up their preseason last week and are opening their regular seasons this weekend with games against FBS opponents:

• Fordham visits Bowling Green tomorrow night

• Central Connecticut visits Central Michigan tomorrow night

• Merrimack visits Air Force Saturday

Green Alert Take: Expect Fordham to fare the best although Bowling Green was picked third in the MAC Coaches Poll.

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It's probably not a surprise but despite a solid preseason camp, former Big Green corner Isaiah Johnson has been waived by the Miami Dolphins.

Dartmouth grad Niko Lalos, who made a short splash as a defensive end with the New York Giants in 2021 and spent much of the last two years on the New Orleans practice squad, was waived by the Saints yesterday. From a story out of New Orleans (LINK):

A tougher cut, I was told. Lalos came to work and put his head down. He could end up back on the practice squad, but the effort was there consistently.

Big Green product Matt Kaskey, who signed with the Los Angeles Rams after winning his second championship with the Birmingham Stallions in the spring, was released by the team last week. 

Practice squads will be announced shortly. For a little background on the rules surrounding that process, click HERE.

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Regular visitors to this page know that Dartmouth's Sammy McCorkle isn't the only McCorkle family member in the coaching ranks. Read about his cousin Blaine McCorkle (officially Samuel Blaine McCorkle IV) taking over at Northwestern State HERE. Like his cousin in Hanover, he's heading up a program coming off a tragedy. For a little more about Blaine, check out his Wikipedia bio HERE.

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EXTRA POINT
Heading back to Vermont today after a couple of idyllic end-of-summer beach days on the Jersey shore. We will make a quick detour to Asbury Park on the way home to rekindle some old memories. Ask me sometime about my Linda Ronstadt story – and no, it doesn't have anything to do with the legendary Stone Pony. ;-)

Take A Look

Heading to the beach in a few but first, here's a quick video produced by Dartmouth . . .

Green Alert Take: I always enjoyed talking with Dartmouth offensive line coach Keith Clark. Beyond being a terrific coach, he's great at explaining line play and has always told it like it is. In this clip he makes a great point when he brings up the benefit of practicing against the defense drawn up by Don Dobes. If you want to know why Dartmouth has been so good for so long, those two coaches are a big part of the reason why.

Green Alert Take II: Delby Lemieux is the real deal. If he tacks on some more weight before he wraps up his Dartmouth career he could end up in an NFL camp.

Green Alert Take III: I'm guessing this is the first of a series of positional videos. I do hope there's a little more emphasis on naming names in those to come, but this is a good start.

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Speaking of NFL camps, teams have until 4 p.m. today to cut down to the 53-man roster. By the time you read this Dartmouth products Niko Lalos and Isaiah Johnson may have learned their fate, the former as a linebacker with the Saints and the latter as a corner with the Dolphins. As of this writing, neither team has announced final cuts. Suffice it to say, it's really, really, really hard to make an NFL regular-season roster.

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EXTRA POINT
We left the beach here on New Jersey's Long Beach Island yesterday when the sky darkened and a light sprinkle started. Over the next several hours there was occasional lightning and there were periods of heavy rain. We turned on the TV news out of New York City later and the meteorologist talked about clear blue skies in the metropolitan area but two interesting disturbances north of the city and . . . you guessed it . . .  over LBI. The radar map was crazy, showing a serious storm hovering directly over us for a surprising amount of time while it was a beautiful day 10 miles in any direction. Fortunately, the forecast is better today!

Briefly

A quick note as Mrs. BGA and I head to the Jersey Shore for a couple of days . . .

The Los Angeles Rams' Turf Show Times SB Nation site offered the following about former Dartmouth offensive lineman Matt Kaskey's performance in hte NFL team's final preseason game. Kaskey recorded the second-highest Ram PFF grade on offense in the game (LINK):

Matt Kaskey, LT: 81.6

Kaskey first joined the Rams in 2019. he bounced around to the Carolina Panthers for a couple of years, and then to the Los Angeles Chargers. He also played a couple of seasons with the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL. The Rams signed Kaskey this year when injuries struck the offensive line early in camp.

This strong performance in ways confirms that Kaskey in a professional, whether at the NFL or UFL level. This likely isn’t the last we see from him.

Green Alert Take: While Kaskey was among those cut by the Rams on Sunday at least PFF thinks he has a future somewhere in the game.

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This is NFL cut-down time. Niko Lalos '20 in New Orleans and Isaiah Johnson '22 in Miami will learn their fate as teams have to reduce their rosters from 90 players to 53 by Tuesday afternoon.

Even making a practice squad is tough but at least some critics think Johnson should have that chance. (LINK)

Lalos spent most of last year on the Saints' practice squad. Saintswire isn't optimistic about his chances of making the regular roster this time around. (LINK)

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Dartmouth football social media posted this after the first day of preseason:

Best feeling in the world.#TheWoods #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/PV3X6cPD6b

— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) August 25, 2024

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EXTRA POINT
We came down to the Princeton area this weekend for a surprise birthday party. I didn't dare post exactly where we were going – or why – to make sure the surprise was exactly that. It was. ;-)

Now we're off to the shore where old friends have invited us to use their Ship Bottom beach house for a couple of days. Hope the surf's up!

Newsworthy

Grad transfer Jace Henry (pictured above) had just one catch for Nevada in Saturday's near upset of heavy favorite SMU, yesterday but it was a big one, a five-yard touchdown. Find a page of photos from the game HERE and the Nevada wrap-up that mentions Henry HERE.

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While Henry was making his debut in the FBS, former Dartmouth tackle Matt Kaskey '19 was making his case to stick with the Los Angeles Rams. Click the "still" below to watch him (wearing No. 65) blow a hole into the end zone on this touchdown run:

Find Kaskey's bio with the Rams HERE.

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Dartmouth grad transfer linebacker Macklin Ayers gets a nod in an analysis of the UMass defense that includes this (LINK):

Although 2023 leading tackler Nahji Logan (59 tackles) departs, UMass returns plenty of production and adds first-team all-Ivy League linebacker Macklin Ayers from Dartmouth into the fold.

Ayers, a team captain for the Big Green, collected 79 tackles, including three tackles-for-loss, a sack, an interception and four pass break-ups. He’ll be in contention for a starting role right away.

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And speaking of grad transfers, Dartmouth graduate Isaiah Johnson is opening some eyes with the Miami Dolphins after two years at corner for Syracuse. Here's an analysis of his play posted a few days ago:

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Dartmouth kicked off preseason camp yesterday morning and BGA Overtime has a story that includes some (I think) interesting odds and ends HERE.

A reminder: All BGA Overtime stories are available free of charge to everyone and will be all season. Find the full site HERE.

Justin Lafleur of Dartmouth's sports information office of strategic content and brand management has a story about the opening of practice HERE.

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EXTRA POINT
We left for New Jersey directly from practice yesterday and after debating taking our little EV had a seamless drive south. The charging infrastructure is really coming along. After a fabulous dinner with old friends from my undergrad days we'll spend time with family today and then enjoy a couple of days on the Jersey Shore. BGA may go quiet while we're out of town and if it does, you'll know why.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Preseason practice begins this morning and BGA I'll be there. Look for a story this evening on BIG GREEN OVERTIME.

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With the preseason beginning it's as good a time as any to take a look at last year's final depth chart to see who is back and who has moved on. Returnees are in green while those who moved on are in red. (Heights, weights and year in school are per last fall.)

OFFENSE

LT

75 Delby Lemieux (6-4, 280, So.)

72 Vasean Washington (6-5, 285, So.)

LG

60 Nicholas Schwitzgebel (6-1, 300, Sr.)

66 Maxwell Wentz (6-4, 290, So.)

C

73 Thomas Hartnett (6-3, 305, Sr.)

59 Nick Marinaro (6-1, 285, Jr.)

RG

63 Kyle Brown (6-4, 280, Sr.)

64 Tristan Holmbeck (6-3, 285, Jr.)

RT

79 Konstantin Spörk (6-5, 290, Jr.)

77 Ethan Sipe (6-5, 295, Sr.)

TE

11 Jace Henry (6-4, 270, Sr.)

8 Nic Sani (6-7, 275, Sr.)

QB

17 Nick Howard (6-2, 225, 5th)

12 Jackson Proctor (6-1, 205, Jr.)

TB

20 Q Jones (5-11, 195, Jr.)

25 Tevita Moimoi (6-0, 225, Sr.)

WR

7 Paxton Scott (6-1, 200, Sr.)

81 Jarmone Sutherland (5-11, 195, Sr.)

WR

3 Isaac Boston (5-10, 180, Sr.)

82 Jackson Gerard (6-2, 210, Jr.)

WR

83 Daniel Haughton (6-0, 195, So.)

84 Painter Richards-Baker (6-2, 180, Jr.)

DEFENSE

DE

94 Charles Looes (6-3, 275, 5th)

45 Joe Onuwabhagbe (6-2, 250, So.)

NG

0 Josiah Green (6-0, 265, Jr.)

97 Jaylin Rainey (6-2, 275, 5th)

DE

90 Hank Knez (6-4, 290, 5th)

99 Dakota Quiñonez (6-1, 260, So.)

SAM

 51 Thaddeus Gianaris (6-2, 240, So.)

44 Marques White (6-2, 245, 5th)

MIKE

33 Danny Cronin (6-33, 230, Sr.)

49 Micah Green (5-10, 225, Jr.)

WILL

40 Macklin Ayers (6-3, 235, Sr.)

58 John Ballowe (6-1, 225, Jr.)

NB

5 Tyson McCloud (6-1, 190, Sr.)

13 Tyson Grimm (6-1, 215, So.)

CB

24 Jordan Washington (6-0, 190, Jr.)

29 Zach Farris (5-11, 185, Jr.)

SS

9 Sean Williams (5-9, 190, So.)

10 Vachon Raye (5-11, 175, Sr.)

FS

2 Cam Maddox (6-2, 205, Sr.)

31 Sam Koscho (5-11, 190, 5th)

CB

4 Leonard St. Gourdin (6-3, 205, Sr.)

16 Patrick Campbell (5-11, 190, So.)

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK

35 Owen Zalc (5-10, 160, Fr.)

18 Matisse Weaver (5-10, 185, Fr.)

HOL

10 Dylan Cadwallader (6-2, 190, Sr.)

1 Davis Golick (6-1, 210, Jr.)

KOR

9 Sean Williams (5-9, 190, So.)

20 Q Jones (5-11, 195, Jr.)

PR

9 Sean Williams (5-9, 190, So.)

7 Paxton Scott (6-1, 200, Sr.)

P 

Davis Golick (6-1, 210, Jr.)

35 Owen Zalc (5-10, 160, Fr.)

LS

32 Josh Greene (5-11, 225, 5th)

55 Andy Belles (6-3, 210, Fr.)

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From a story headlined UMass football: Minutemen hope experienced FCS transfers can help secondary (LINK):

In the offseason, the Minutemen used the transfer portal to recruit a host of defensive backs with lots of football experience, mostly at the FCS level.

Through the portal, UMass added FCS grad-transfers Arsheen Jiles (Sacred Heart), Lake Ellis (Bryant), Jashon Watkins (Tennessee State), Leonard St. Gourdin (Dartmouth) and Kamren Watkins-Hunter (Georgetown). They also added sophomore Brennen Bailey (Division 2 West Liberty) and redshirt junior Ryan Barnes (Notre Dame).

And . . .

Jiles, St. Gourdin and Ellis have been especially singled out by players and coaches for their play during camp.

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With Week 0 games beginning today, HERO Sports completed its FCS Jersey Countdown: The Best Returning Player For Each Number and Dartmouth had one of the four Ivy Leaguers to be honored. Here's the list:

63 Dartmouth OL Kyle Brown
36 Columbia DE Justin Townsend
29 Harvard RB Shane McLaughlin
25 Penn DB Shiloh Means

Players Dartmouth will face this year on the list:

34 Fordham DE Matt Jaworski
13 Fordham DB Nahil Perkins 

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The Signs of the Apocalypse are getting closer together and more serious. A story headlined, Colorado sought NIL funding from Saudi Arabia's PIF in unpreceded move says of recently resigned Colorado special teams coordinator Trevor Reilly (LINK): 

Reilly said he spent time in the Middle East this past holiday season lobbying Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) funding on behalf of CU Football.

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EXTRA POINT
We are headed to New Jersey after practice today for a family deal. While I finished mowing last evening, Mrs. BGA Griff delivered Griff the Wonder Dog to friends who will watch him for the weekend. The house felt a little empty last night and it felt really strange to wake up this morning and not find him on the floor next to the bed waiting patiently for me to let him outside and rattle kittle into his bowl.

Here We Go

Before getting on with today's news, a reminder that there will be a story about Dartmouth's first practice of the preseason posted tomorrow evening on BGA Overtime and it's available to everyone.

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No one on the national scene is as knowledgeable about Ivy League football as old friend Craig Haley, senior editor at The Analyst and former Princeton beat writer. With that in mind, here's how someone I've sat next to in many a press box has projected the Ivy League race to finish this fall (LINK):

1. Harvard
2. Penn
3. Yale
4. Dartmouth
5. Princeton
6. Brown
7. Cornell
8. Columbia 

Of Dartmouth, Haley writes:

While the Big Green are replacing three-year QB Nick Howard, Jackson Proctor’s dual-threat skills should blossom in his senior season. Coach Sammy McCorkle returns plenty of veterans across the offensive line and with WR Paxton Scott (131 career receptions), RB Q Jones and all-purpose threat Sean Williams. Braden Mullen’s 5.5 sacks ranked fourth in the league even though he played in only the first five games due to injury. As a freshman, place-kicker Owen Zalc was 17 of 21 (81%) on field goals, leading the league with 76 points.

Haley lists these Five Players to Know in the Ivy League:

Shane McLaughlin, RB, Harvard
Isaiah Reed, DB, Brown
Jared Richardson, WR, Penn
Jameson Wang, QB, Cornell
Jake Willcox, QB, Brown

And here are his Five Must-See Matchups in the Ivies this fall:

1. Yale at Harvard (Nov. 23)
2. Harvard at Penn (Nov. 16)
3. Princeton at Harvard (Oct. 26)
4. Penn at Dartmouth (Oct. 5)
5. Yale at Penn (Oct. 26)

Finally, here's his Fast Fact Ivy League trivia that surprised me:

The Ivy League had five league games decided in overtime last season – the most among the 13 FCS conferences. Additionally, the teams went OT in three non-league games.

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Dartmouth's freshmen are in town in advance of tomorrow's start of the preseason. Click through this series of photos and click on the players themselves for IDs in this posting from Big Green social media:

New faces in The Woods🌲#TheWoods #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/CxcmZ11AKi

— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) August 22, 2024

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Because he spent the past two years as a grad transfer at Syracuse it's easy for the media to overlook that corner Isaiah Johnson '22 is a Dartmouth grad and former Big Green standout. Undrafted last spring, Johnson has had an impressive preseason with the Miami Dolphins. A few outtakes from a Miami Herald story (LINK):

The Dolphins kept former undrafted rookies Nik Needham and Kader Kohou on their 53-man roster, and they now face similar decisions with Storm Duck, Isaiah Johnson and Jason Maitre.

Though Maitre has had a good camp, Duck and Johnson present the most difficult decisions when Miami trims its roster to 53 by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.

And . . .

Johnson has outstanding size (6-3) and an NFL body, and Duck was the highest-regarded pro prospect of the three back in April.

Both have made a compelling case during training camp.

Per Pro Football Focus, Duck and Johnson have limited opposing quarterbacks to a 39.6 passer rating in their coverage area, tied for sixth best among every NFL cornerback who has been targeted at least five times through two weeks of preseason.

Falcons and Commanders quarterbacks were 0 for 5 targeting Johnson, and 1 for 9 (for 16 yards) throwing against Duck. 

And . . .

The Dolphins gave $32,500 guaranteed to Johnson . . . 

A reminder that defensive end Niko Lalos '20 is making another strong bid for a spot on the New Orleans Saints roster and offensive tackle Matt Kaskey '19, fresh off another UFL championship with the Birmingham Stallions, is in camp with the Los Angeles Rams.

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EXTRA POINT
Have you ever dreamt of owning a New England country store? How about one straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting with magnificent views out back and a sweet apartment upstairs? The Newbury Village Store here in our little Vermont town is for sale and you can own it for a cool $1.15 million.

They even have a comfy couch where old-timers can sit and read the newspaper while sipping their coffee during hot stove league talks about the Red Sox.

Check out the listing for "arguably the most historic and nicest general store in Vermont," HERE.

Good Luck

 Rick Bender, the highly regarded former head of varsity athletics communications at Dartmouth, is the new assistant AD for communications and marketing at Knox College in his home state of Illinois. Find the story HERE.

Green Alert Take: Two promises. First, Knox will immediately have the top sports information office in the Midwest Conference. And two, there will be a lot of folks in these parts rooting for the "Prairie Fire."

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Dartmouth football begins preseason practice Saturday morning. Look for a story Saturday night on BGA Overtime HERE.

The tentative preseason practice schedule features all morning sessions and looks like this:

Saturday, August 24 – Practice 1
Sunday, August 25 – Practice 2
Monday, August 26 – Practice 3
Tuesday, Aug. 27 – No Practice

Wednesday, August 28 – Practice 4
Thursday, August 29 – Practice 5
Friday, August 30 – Practice 6
Saturday, August 31 – Practice 7
Sunday, Sept. 1 – No Practice

Monday, September 2 – Practice 8
Tuesday, September 3 – Practice 9 (Scrimmage)
Wednesday, September 4 – Practice 10
Thursday, September 5 – Practice 11
Friday, Sept. 6 – No Practice

Saturday, September 7 – Practice 12
Sunday, September 8 – Practice 13
Monday, September 9 – Practice 14
Tuesday, September 10 – Practice 15 (Scrimmage)
Wednesday, Sept. 11 – No Practice

Thursday, September 12 – Practice 16
Friday, September 13 – Practice 17

Fordham Game Week Practice begins

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Writing for The Analyst, Craig Haley picks Butler to finish sixth in the 11-team Pioneer Football League. (LINK)

I have to admit I'm surprised that Craig wrote, "It’s asking a lot to replace three-year QB Bret Bushka and 2023 PFL rushing champion Jyran Mitchell" without mentioning Nick Howard, the Dartmouth grad transfer who could replace them both.

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The Buffalo News has a story about Pete Lembo, the University of Buffalo's first-year head coach and a former Dartmouth assistant. Headlined, 'Cool Hand Luke,' 'Hogan's Heroes,' The Police: How UB coach Pete Lembo fuses pop culture with football, the story includes this (LINK):

As a tight ends coach at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., from 1994-96, Lembo was on a staff of assistant coaches that loved classic rock and historical references. Dartmouth’s head coach, John Lyons, also had a habit of giving nicknames to players, which led to a contest among the staff: Come up with the most creative and memorable monikers for each individual.

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A story headlined How the era of 'men were men' birthed America's first drag superstars begins this way (LINK): 

You probably didn't know it, but in the 1910s and 1920s, "varsity" referred just as much to college drag musicals—"normal" dudes in splendid dresses and sparkly heels—as to football. The University of Michigan Mimes, the University of Wisconsin Haresfoot Club, the Princeton Triangle Club, and countless others were the pride of their respective campuses.

In 1923, newspaper headlines lauded Dartmouth quarterback Haley Mills for "basking in a double spotlight" as both "gridiron star" and "impersonator of female roles." 

Green Alert Take: OK, two things again. First, the quarterback in question's name was Halsey Mills, not Haley Mills. He lettered in 1922 and graduated in 1923. A 1963 issue of Dartmouth Alumni Magazine asks, "Who remembers Halsey's record punt return of 114 yards in the Harvard Stadium?" That return doesn't appear in the Dartmouth records and I'd ask master-researcher Rick Bender about it but . . .

And second, seeing Ivy League " 'normal' dudes in splendid dresses and sparkly heels" might have had something to do with putting on shows at Ivy League schools that at the time had no women to fill those roles, right?

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You may have already come across this, but here's Paris Olympics gold medalist  Quincy Wilson (who updated his Hudl page before heading to France) as a speedy high school football player:

16-year-old Track & Field Gold medalist @QuincyWilson5 has some unreal football highlights. 🔥

(via @Hudl) pic.twitter.com/jqNqOrIrwv

— NFL (@NFL) August 20, 2024

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EXTRA POINT
The sun is shining and if our lawn and field dry out in another hour or so I'll be hopping on the electric tractor.

OK, maybe hopping isn't the right word.

I tweaked my neck bad enough that I barely slept one night earlier this week so I'll be gently climbing on the tractor and be carefully driving over gopher holes and uneven spots out in the field. I've got no choice. Our lawn and field won't wait. I can never remember grass staying this green and continuing to grow the way it is growing this late in the summer in this part of the world. Wish me luck.

Oh Henry!

 Good stuff!

Dartmouth grad Jace Henry, who arrived in Hanover as a quarterback from Alaska and departed as an All-Ivy League tight end, has won a starting role for the Nevada Wolf Pack heading into Saturday's opener at SMU.

From a Nevada Sportsnet story on the Nevada two-deep (LINK):

Tight end — Jace Henry/Andrew Savaiinaea or Jayden O’Rourke: Henry is a transfer from Dartmouth who (head coach Jeff) Choate recruited out of high school when he was at Montana State. Henry was All-Ivy League honorable mention in 2022.

Find Jace Henry's Dartmouth bio HERE. He closed out his final Big Green season with 13 catches for 152 yards and one touchdown last year and finished with 23 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns through the air and another couple of scores on the ground.

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The sad thing is Sports Illustrated has become so irrelevant that I don't even know if it still publishes its signature Sign of the Apocalypse feature, but an AP story headlined Oklahoma State to wear QR codes on helmets to assist NIL fundraising describes something that is deserving. From the story (LINK):

“This is a revolutionary step forward to help keep Oklahoma State football ahead of the game,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “It gives a chance for everyday fans across the world to have a real impact when it comes to supporting the NIL efforts for Cowboy football. I’m thrilled about this opportunity for our players."

Green Alert Take: Big-time college football may end up doing one of two things – or maybe both. It's going to drive fans to the NFL or to follow the Ivy League, where so far NIL is the number of football players driving around in cars given to them by dealerships for their ability to throw a spiral or run a 4.4 40.

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EXTRA POINT
That Certain Nittany Lion '16 is visiting his sister at Bryce Canyon this week and yesterday he headed over to Zion National Park to hike Angel's Landing, which may just be the scariest hike in the United States. That Certain Dartmouth '14 hiked it as a CIT with her summer camp but had the common sense not to suggest it for her parents when we visited in May. Here's a sense of what the upper part of the trail looks like:

This And That

Dartmouth's sports information office strategic content and brand management office has posted a story headlined Meet Dartmouth Football’s Newest Staff Members: Grayson Kline and Erin Brennan. (LINK)

Kline, who earned the Penn State Developmental Squad Offensive Player of the Game honor early in his redshirt senior season as a reserve tight end with the Nittany Lions, is an offensive quality control assistant at Dartmouth.  

Brennan is Dartmouth football's new recruiting and operations coordinator. A former college soccer player who worked at the Manning Passing Academy, comes from Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, where she worked as assistant to the athletic director and girls soccer assistant coach.

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Craig Haley at The Analyst has a look at the Patriot League, which will be sending Fordham to Hanover for this season's Dartmouth opener. Here's how he sees the season playing out in what used to be referred to as the Ivy League's sister conference:

1. Lafayette
2. Fordham
3. Holy Cross
4. Colgate
5. Georgetown
6. Bucknell
7. Lehigh 

Green Alert Take: It has to absolutely sting in Bethlehem, Pa., to see Lafayette picked first and the Mountain Hawks at the bottom. But I digress . . .

Here's what Haley writes about Dartmouth's Week One opponent:

Fordham (6-5, 2-4) – All six of Fordham’s 2023 PL games were decided by eight or fewer points, so this season, the Rams need to reverse the close losses. Quarterback CJ Montes engineered an FBS win over Buffalo and threw with elite efficiency (3,000 passing yards, 64.1%, 26 touchdowns, one interception). Defenses have to remain honest against Montes given RB Julius Loughridge’s exploits (1,146 rushing yards) out of the backfield. The defense boasts an unmatched duo in the league with defensive end Matt Jaworski (13.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks), who was the PL preseason defensive player of the year, and linebacker James Conway (129 tackles, 386 in career). 

Haley has a section of the story headlined Five Players to Know and two were from Fordham. From the column:

CJ Montes, QB, Fordham (Walter Payton Award preseason nominee) – As a sophomore,Montes had the fourth-lowest interception percentage (0.3 – one pick in 376 attempts) in the last 25 FCS seasons among QBs to throw 150+ passes.

And . . .

James Conway, LB Fordham (Buck Buchanan Award preseason nominee) – Conway ranks 10th in PL history with 386 career tackles and is closing in on the all-time record (former Holy Cross linebacker Jacob Dobbs with 432).

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The Roar Lions Roar Columbia football blog has a posting about the challenge faced by Seitu Smith, the program's new offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. Smith is a familiar named around the Ivy League, including at Dartmouth. He's been part of no fewer than five of the eight Ivy League schools, playing at Harvard, serving as director of player personnel for the Big Green, then working as QB coach at Brown and most recently as assistant head coach at Yale.

Find the story about Seitu Smith HERE and his Columbia bio HERE.

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Reading in a HERO Sports story headlined FCS Teams Playing The Worst FBS Teams In 2024  that Lehigh is playing at Army on Aug. 30 has to stick in the craw of Dartmouth fans who aren't terribly excited about the Big Green playing on Sept. 28 at Merrimack. 

That's because the game at Merrimack, which only fielded its first football team in 1996 and played in Division II as late as 2018, was a late replacement for a contest Dartmouth was supposed to play against Army at historic Michie Stadium this fall.

The schedule change was the result of Army accepting an invitation to join the American Athletic Conference and having to make room this fall for AAC opponents. Instead of hosting Dartmouth on Sept. 28, the Cadets will play Temple at Lincoln Financial Field on the night of Thursday, Sept. 26.

And Dartmouth will play at Merrimack's 4,000-seat facility.

A little history lesson.

Dartmouth and Army agreed to a game in 2013 and in 2015 the news went public that the teams would play in 2017. (LINK)

That 2017 game was first pushed back to 2022, and then to 2024, only to have Army finally pull the plug.

Green Alert Take: For the record, the FCS Teams Playing The Worst FBS Teams In 2024 story has Army pegged at No. 103 in the country. That may be a difficult game for a game ranked at the bottom of the Patriot League but might just have been a competitive contest for one of the Ivy League elites.

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Given that high rent has forced some retailers out of Hanover, a story headlined Dartmouth Authentic Store to Open on Main Street is interesting. From the story (LINK):

The team store on Main Street, online, and game day offerings will provide a wide range of products, including exclusive Dartmouth Athletics clothing and merchandise — including Dartmouth's sideline apparel offered by Nike. The store, independently operated by Follett, will enhance the availability of Dartmouth Athletics merchandise, both in person and online. 

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US News & World Report has a piece headlined The 20 Best College Town Hotels and every Ivy League school has a hotel that made the cut. Here they are in the order they are presented in the story (LINK):

Hyatt Regency Princeton: Princeton, New Jersey
The Charles Hotel: Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Blake Hotel: New Haven, Connecticut
The Rittenhouse: Philadelphia
Renaissance Providence Downtown Hotel: Providence, Rhode Island
Aloft Harlem: New York City
The Statler Hotel at Cornell University: Ithaca, New York
Hanover Inn Dartmouth: Hanover, New Hampshire

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EXTRA POINT
A couple of our neighbors recently put up small signs promoting their chosen candidate for the presidential election. Sorry, but that's something I've never really understood.

Do people who put up those signs think the fact that they support a particular candidate is going to change my opinion?

Or do they think I don't know who is running?

Do they feel it is important that I know who they support?

Look, I get it when it's a local election and you may not even know who is running. But trust me, I'm well aware of who is at the top of the ballot in November.

As I said, I just don't get it.

Freshmen Get Their Numbers

With preseason slated to begin Saturday, Dartmouth's freshmen have received their numbers. They are listed below by the position listed on the roster with updated heights and weights. Expect the heights and weights to be adjusted again for some players after they report:

QUARTERBACK

18 Noah Trigueros, 6-2, 180, Notre Dame Prep/Scottsdale, Ariz.

17 Kyle Meier, 6-3, 225, Whitesboro HS/Whitesboro, N.Y.

RUNNING BACK

30 Dylan Elder, 5-10, 192, Grayson HS/Longville, Ga.

WIDE RECEIVER

81 Luke Rives, 5-11, 170, Stratford HS/Houston

84 Jordan Leslie, 5-11, 175, Mullen HS/Denver, Colo.

21 Ky'Dric Fisher, 6-0, 170, Jacksonville HS/ Jacksonville, Ala.

83 James Elliott, 6-2, 200, Williston-Northampton/Leeds, Mass.

TIGHT END

43 Gergely Hudák, 6-6, 232, Kenston Forest/Hungary

47 Kristian Strong, 6-4, 228, Avon Old Farms/Avon, Conn.

OFFENSIVE LINE

67 Anthony Ndika, 6-4, 298, Loomis Chaffee/Nigeria

70 Ben Reagan, 6-2, 275, New Canaan HS/New Candaan, Conn.

60 Julian Sutton, 6-4, 300, Loomis Chaffee/Hamden, Conn.

69 Ryan Turk, 6-4, 283, Loyola HS/Los Angeles

DEFENSIVE LINE

98 Jackson Ashford, 6-2, 265, IMG Academy/Bradenton, Fla.

90 Taylor Faalele, 6-2, 320, IMG Academy/Plymouth, Minn.

DEFENSIVE END

91 Ben Devall, 6-2, 260, Ouachita Christian/Monroe, La.

92 Khari Mayeux, 6-3, 245, Wisdom HS/Houston

65 Aidan White, 6-2, 225, Forsyth Central/Cumming, Ga.

LINEBACKER

48 Sean Chester, 6-3, 220, Prestonwood Academy/Frisco, Texas

49 Tyler Kessel, 6-1, 215 Summit HS/Summit, N.J.

56 Johnny Riley, 6-2, 210, Delbarton/Morristown, N.J.

NICKEL

37 Lou Lamar, 6-2, 195, Concordia Lutheran/Magnolia, Texas

CORNER

34 Niquis Ratcliff, 6-2, 190, Picayune HS/Picayune, Miss.

DEFENSIVE BACK

16 Thai Brown, 5-11, 170, McDonogh/New Orleans

38 Christian Harris, 6-0, 170, Antelope HS/Sacramento, Calif.

26 No'Koi Maddox, 6-1, 205, Granite Hills/El Cajon, Calif.

PUNTER

17 Luke Armistead, 6-1, 190, Brentwood HS/Brentwood, Tenn.

Green Alert Take: Among the more interesting changes in weight from what was reported online during the recruiting process are defensive lineman Jackson Ashford up from 250 to 265 pounds, defensive back Niquis Ratcliff from 180 to 190, nickel Lou Lamar going from 185 pounds to 195, running back Dylan Elder adding seven pounds to get to 192 and tight end Gergely Hudák up from 225 pounds to 232.

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CLICK HERE to listen to Dartmouth defensive end Niko Lalos '20 discuss his familiarity with the New Orleans Saints scheme in his bid to make the regular season roster after spending last year on the practice squad. (Thanks for the link!)

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Week Five Dartmouth opponent Central Connecticut was picked to finish next-to-last in the Northeast Conference in a story written by Craig Haley for The Analyst. He sees the NEC this way:

1. Duquesne

2. Robert Morris

3. Saint Francis

4. Stonehill

5. LIU

6. Central Connecticut 

7. Wagner

n/a Mercyhurst

Haley writes of Central Connecticut (LINK):

Central Connecticut State (3-8, 1-6) – There’s potential for a jump in the standings due to returning starters, especially RB Elijah Howard (1,155 yards and six TDs from scrimmage) and safety Kimal Clark, the NEC’s preseason defensive player of the year. Like that pair, 6-foot-7, 330-pound offensive lineman Isaiah DeLoatch, LB Jayden Anderson and place-kicker Jack Barnum were named to the All-NEC preseason team. Former (UMass) QB Brady Olson has transferred in as well.

Olson completed 181-of-372 passes for 1,936 yards with 10 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in two-plus years at UMass. (He appeared in just one game last fall.) He had three touchdown passes against Boston College in his collegiate debut as a freshman. Central Connecticut also features transfers from UNLV, Stony Brook, Maine and several junior colleges.

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EXTRA POINT
On the five-minute drive to my hiking trail I pass a scene that to my eye looks like it belongs on a jigsaw puzzle. The fellow who lives there for some reason occasionally parks his old pickup in front of the house and when I saw that yesterday I thought to snap this picture. Unfortunately, the mountains looming behind the house – part of which has been standing since 1796 – washed out in this pic.

For Openers

Dartmouth opens the 2024 season Sept. 21 against Fordham. Here are the Week One Big Green football scores since Sammy McCorkle arrived in Hanover in 2005 followed by the final season and Ivy League records in parentheses:

2005: at Dartmouth 26, Colgate 21 (2-8, 1-6)

2006: at Colgate 28, Dartmouth 7 (2-8, 2-5)

2007: Colgate 31, at Dartmouth 28 ot (3-7, 3-4)

2008: at Colgate 34, Dartmouth  20 (0-10, 0-7)

2009: Colgate 34, at Dartmouth  15 (2-8, 2-5)

2010: Dartmouth  43, at Bucknell  20 (6-4, 3-4)

2011: at Dartmouth  37, Colgate  20 (5-5, 4-3)

2012: at Dartmouth  35, Butler 7 (6-4, 4-3)

2013: Dartmouth 30, at Butler 23 (6--4, 5-2)

2014: at Dartmouth 35, Central Connecticut 25 (8-2, 6-1)

2015: Dartmouth  31, at Georgetown 10 (9-1, 6-1)

2016: at Dartmouth 22, New Hampshire 21 (4-6, 1-6)

2017: Dartmouth 38, at Stetson 7 (8-2, 5-2)

2018: at Dartmouth 41, Georgetown 0 (9-1, 6-1)

2019: Dartmouth 35, at Jacksonville 6 (9-1, 6-1)

2020: DNP

2021: Dartmouth 28, at Valparaiso 18 (9-1, 6-1)

2022: at Dartmouth 35, Valparaiso 13 (3-7, 2-5)

2023: at New Hampshire 24, Dartmouth 7 (6-4, 5-2)

Overall: 13-5
Home: 7-2
Road: 6-3

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EXTRA POINT
Griff the Wonder Dog's two favorite words: "Do you." When he hears them his ears perk up and he does the tilting head thing before we can even get a third word out. That's because the two words are always followed by one of his four favorite activities. Here they are in order:

Do you want to eat?
Do you want to go for a hike?
Do you want to go in the car?
Do you want to go out?

Griff in mid-hike

Saturday Stuff

This is a few years old but I just stumbled across it for the first time in a while. It's well done and worth a Saturday morning look. Among the voices you will hear and faces you will see are onetime Dartmouth lineman Jeff Immelt '78, former CEO of General Electric, Cortez Hankton, former NFL wide receiver and today co-offensive coordinator at LSU, former Big Green  head coach Buddy Teevens and current head coach Sammy McCorkle.  

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Former Dartmouth linebacker Marques White is part of a huge rebuilding push at McNeese State. Per the American Press, he is one of "Fifty-nine newcomers, including 21 from Football Bowl Subdivision programs, (who) are on board ready to help McNeese attempt to get back into Southland Conference contention." From the story (LINK):

“We have dudes all over the field who can make plays,” White said. “We have the people to be a really good defense and shut people down.”

Green Alert Take: Even with all of those transfers, writers keep coming back to White, likely in part because of his pedigree on the field, but perhaps also because of his Ivy League pedigree off it.

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Mike Brown '57, is a former Dartmouth quarterback who led the Big Green in scoring and passing in 1956.

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EXTRA POINT
Well, after some back-and-forth we eventually decided to go to the drive-in last night The bottom line, for me at least, is that Despicable Me 4 had a few laughs (although I admit to not paying that much attention to the "plot"). Twisters had a decent plot and solid special effects but if it's being hailed as one of the best films of the summer I have to believe this is not a banner summer for the movies.

The best parts of the night? The always curious playing of the National Anthem when the screen first came alive, the 1950's era concessions commercials and, best of all, the countdown between the two features:

Howard Headlines Dartmouth-Midwest

As it turns out, Butler football will have not one, not two, but three grad transfers from Dartmouth this fall.

Joining quarterback Nick Howard and defensive back Onye Onuoha is offensive lineman Nick Schwitzgebel, who chose to graduate and use his final year of eligibility with the Bulldogs. Find his Butler bio HERE (and Onuoha's bio HERE).

Speaking of Howard (BUTLER BIO), he's one of five quarterbacks listed this way on a BVM Sports blurb (and a sixth on the roster that the BVM page overlooked in this statistical analysis):

• Nick Howard: 1,925 rushing yards, 1,158 passing yards in four seasons at Dartmouth.

• Reagan Andrew: 2,556 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in his senior high school year.

• Sage Shindler: 2,190 passing yards and 15 touchdowns in 10 games at Illinois Wesleyan.

• Jarrin Alley: 2,738 passing yards and 38 touchdowns in his senior season at Bloomington South.

• Gabe Passini: 1,650 passing yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior season at Middleton.

Left off the list in error was a redshirt freshman:

• Landon Hochstein: 2,143 passing yards, 646 rushing yards as a senior at Norwalk HS in Iowa.

More from the BVM story:

Despite the depth of talent at quarterback, concerns remain about Andrew and Hochstein, who have yet to see game action at Butler, potentially impacting the team's performance. Howard’s transfer success does raise expectations, but adapting to a new system can be challenging. 

A little digging on the Butler website reveals that should Howard earn the nod, he'll be playing for new quarterback coach Eddie Schott, who is just six months to the day older than he is, and who was in uniform at Butler last fall.

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Former 1998 Dartmouth assistant Jennifer King continues to be the subject of stories since accepting a position with the Chicago Bears. From the latest story about her transition from basketball coach to football coach (LINK):

King had just led Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II title. But football was first in her heart. She played quarterback and safety on a women’s tackle football team and wanted an opportunity in coaching.

"I always liked football more,” King said. “But it was hard to leave basketball. We had won a championship. I was national coach of the year. Like, things were going really well for me. And to just leave was difficult, but I just felt it was something that I couldn’t pass up.”

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A story about the University of Michigan transitioning from Team 144 to Team 145 (LINK) brought a smile as I thought back to the Ivy League media day. It was a reminder that Yale coach Tony Reno is an equal-opportunity borrower.

Not only did he Reno say, "every season has a life and history of its own and you know I'm just excited to continue to write this one with Team 151," but he also borrowed from Michigan's number one rival, saying his team would be playing "up in Cambridge against that team from the north." Ohio State, of course, refers to Michigan as "that team up north." (LINK)

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Two of Dartmouth's opponents this fall are cashing serious checks for games against FBS opponents, as are a couple of old friends.

Per HERO Sports, Oct. 19 foe Central Connecticut will get $350,000 for a game at Central Michigan and another $250,000 for playing at UMass. That's a cool $600,000 for those who failed arithmetic in grade school. ;-)

Week One opponent Fordham is earning $350K for playing at Bowling Green.

While I'm at it, New Hampshire will collect the same $350,000 for its game at Central Florida and Colgate will get the same for playing at Bowling Green.

Green Alert Take: Dartmouth's opponents aren't the only ones cashing FBS checks. Exactly what the bottom line was isn't public knowledge but don't for a second think Army got off scot free for finally breaking the contract for the much-delayed visit from the Big Green that was replaced on this year's schedule with the Merrimack game.

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Until Northwestern's new football stadium opens in 2026, the Wildcats will be playing Big Ten football in a temporary stadium with a capacity not much larger than that of Dartmouth's Memorial Field. Take a look:

Can’t get enough of the view from Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium 😍#B1GFootball x @NUFBFamily pic.twitter.com/xwfyYBqBCf

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) August 12, 2024

Check out a story with an aerial rendering of the new practice/game field HERE.

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EXTRA POINT
Mrs. BGA and I have been tentatively planning to go to the Fairlee Drive-In tonight to see the movie Twisters. But there's a problem.

Twisters is the second movie of a double-feature that begins with Despicable Me 4. The animated feature – which I wouldn't see otherwise after avoiding 1, 2 and 3 – is set to start around 8:30. It runs 95 minutes, which means it won't finish until 10:05ish.

Assuming the theater gives everyone at least 15 minutes to head to the bathroom or buy some popcorn, Twisters won't start until 10:20. That film runs just over two hours, which means at the earliest it will be nearing 12:30 before it concludes.

The more I think about it, the more I'd rather go see the 7 p.m. showing indoors.

Of course, there's a piece of me that still hopes we can catch at least one show under the stars this summer at the iconic Fairlee Motel & Drive-In Theater, just 20 minutes or so north of the Dartmouth campus.