The Call Of The Woods

A 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver prospect named Omarian Sanders posted short videos from his "official visit" recruiting trip to Dartmouth from his home in Lehi, Utah, midway between Salt Lake and Provo. This will give you an idea of the social media aspect of recruiting in 2026.

Here the high school junior is setting up for his photo shoot:

My @DartmouthFTBL 🏈 OFFICIAL VISIT PHOTO SHOOT 📸 was 🔥🔥 @Coach_McCorkle @_CoachWilks @CoachBelfiori @QuentinJones_ @luke_seale @CoachRocket73
… #SlideToTheWoods #GBG 🌲 #TheWoods #IvyLeague @skyridgefb @coachjhemm @Tannarrehrer #AthleticIntelligence pic.twitter.com/yd5Yq7n9JS

— Omarian Sanders (@OmarianSanders) April 16, 2026

Here's part of the shoot itself:

PT1 Official Visit @DartmouthFTBL 🏈📸Photo Shoot Hype Video🔥‼️ MUST SEE TV I promise you and Coach as the “HYPE MAN” you gotta see it for yourself 👀👏🏾.… #SlideToTheWoods #GBG 🌲 #TheWoods Athletic_Intelligence #BooksNBall @skyridgefb pic.twitter.com/nbot7A5cIW

— Omarian Sanders (@OmarianSanders) April 28, 2026

And here are a couple of posts from that shoot:

#

I asked Sammy McCorkle for last night's BGA Overtime for thoughts regarding graduating offensive lineman Delby Lemieux not being chosen in the NFL Draft and instead signing with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent. From the post:

If (Sammy) McCorkle was surprised that former offensive tackle Delby Lemieux was not picked in the NFL Draft, he is one of many who think there was a bright side for the graduating senior not having his name called.

"To tell you the truth, it's almost better if you don't get picked late, because then you can kind of pick where you want to go," he said. "You can look at rosters and see what the depth chart looks like. It's my opinion, but I just have always felt that way. You're better off going free agent than late.

Regarding another issue in the news, McCorkle gave a big thumbs up to the NCAA's five-for-five eligibility proposal.

Find last night's BGA Overtime practice recap HERE.

#

FCS Football Central on SI has a piece headlined Which FCS Playoff Contenders Have the Most Returning Experience in 2026? that is a first step toward quantifying talent on 2026 teams. An explanation from that posting: 

We selected programs that are expected to compete for a spot in the FCS Playoffs, or even a possible Celebration Bowl appearance. Teams that were in the FCS Playoffs last season were also included. We excluded a few programs (South Carolina State, Yale, etc.) due to these teams not having updated rosters.

More details:

Each team was assigned a percentage of returning contributors on offense and defense. ... A "returning contributor" is defined as a player who played a significant amount of snaps for their team in 2025 (Roughly 200 or more snaps). We also included players who missed last season with injury, but were projected to be starters before being sidelined. This was adjusted for positions that can make a bigger statistical impact on lower snap counts.

Click HERE to see how 2026 Dartmouth opponents Harvard, Lehigh and Monmouth stack up among the 42 teams listed. (Dartmouth could not be included because its 2026 roster has not yet been posted.)

#

Dartmouth has announced its commencement speaker and it's a familiar name:

#

EXTRA POINT
Yesterday was Griff the Wonder Dog's 12th birthday and we celebrated with two of his favorite things. First, a hike up the mountain:

And then his favorite canned dinner (and no, he didn't blow out the candle ;-).

Dartmouth Football Coaching Tree

 

From the top down: Head coach Sammy McCorkle, the coordinators, three returning assistants, and four of the new position coaches.

#

Speaking of coaching, former offensive lineman Sanders Davis '14 is in his second year on staff as an offensive line assistant with the Cleveland Browns. The product of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge came to the NFL team after six seasons at Rice University. Find his bio with the Browns HERE and his Dartmouth football bio HERE.

#

A headline that is yet another illustration of how football is different in Texas: Rural Texas HS with enrollment just over 100 students set to build $21 million facility. Find the story HERE.

#

EXTRA POINT
This is no April Fool's. It was on this day in 1826 that the first patent for what is now called the internal-combustion engine was received in what is now called the Upper Valley. The patent was issued to Samuel Morey for the "gas or vapor engine" he used to motor up and down the Connecticut River. The patent for his engine was "rediscovered" in the Dartmouth archives in 2004. (LINK)

Morey has been honored locally with the eponymous Samuel Morey Bridge connecting the towns of Orford and Fairlee (he lived in both) and by the naming of Fairlee's Lake Morey, where it was long believed Morey sank his steamboat, the Aunt Sally. (LINK)

Telling It Like It Is

At the Senior Bowl, graduating Dartmouth offensive lineman Delby Lemieux shares thoughts about being shifted from tackle to center, the benefit of his quick feet, the importance of recognizing defenses, the move up from Ivy League competition, and meeting with NFL teams:

Got to speak with former Dartmouth Tackle now IOL Delby Lemieux about his transition inside and jump in level on competition among many other things!

Happy to report he has met with Carolina #KeepPounding #TheDraftStartsInMobile https://t.co/MhFfTkdqLr pic.twitter.com/YJ9SCIska8

— The Real Ball Watcher (@thaRBW) January 28, 2026

#

There are a zillion stories about former Dartmouth offensive lineman Vasean Washington grad transferring to Ohio State, including one from SI.com with the  headline, How Ohio State's Offensive Line Managed To Get Smarter that includes this smarmy bit (LINK):

While the Buckeyes are accustomed to adding starters and depth from the SEC, — generally with lots and lots of Alabama players — the ACC, and elsewhere amongst college football’s power conferences, it’s not often they go sniffing around the Ivy League.

If you can’t out-physical your opponent, why not try and out-smart them?

#

On the subject of the portal and grad transfers, isn't it interesting that former Harvard receiver Cooper Barkate didn't make it official that he is leaving Duke to play a final season at Miami until now-former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah worked out a deal that will see him play next fall in Miami as well? (LINK)

#

And if there's any doubt about Power 4 football being professional, consider this from Sportico under the headline Deion's Colorado Player Fines Push College Employee Issue To The Fore (LINK): 

Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders appears to have taken a page from his days as an NFL player—and an NFLPA union member—by telling his student players they face monetary fines for failing to attend practice ($2,500), missing film sessions ($2,000), being late to practice ($500) and other fumbling of their work responsibilities.

#

Finally, the journalist in me has to share a story from The Dartmouth under the headline, College approached and paid student to write op-ed in The Dartmouth. The story begins this way (LINK):

The College approached a student to promote Evergreen.AI — the College’s wellness artificial intelligence project — in an op-ed in The Dartmouth and edited the article before submission to the paper.

#

EXTRA POINT
The remote sensor for our indoor-outdoor thermometer was buried in the snow and did not offer up an accurate overnight reading. That being the case, here's a photo That Certain Nittany Lion '16 shared this morning from his place, about 40 minutes south of here. Even with our thermometer taking the day off I knew it was a little chilly. ;-)

 

The temperature around these parts the past week or so ought to make That Certain Nittany Lion '16 feel right at home joining 65,000 or so others Saturday afternoon for the first Penn State men's hockey game ever to be played outdoors at Beaver Stadium. The No. 5 Nittany Lions will play No. 2 Michigan State with the game-time temperature expected to be in the high teens . . . above. ;-)

Draft Eligible

With the first night of the NFL Draft behind us, things start getting interesting now for draft-eligible players who knew their name would not be called in the first round. Among those hoping to get a call either as a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent is former Dartmouth defensive lineman Shane Cokes ‘23. 

Deion Sanders explains why the Dartmouth grad who spent two year at Colorado deserves an opportunity in the second half of this short video:

College Sports Network has a look at Colorado draft hopefuls including the former Big Green standout HERE.

#

Speaking of Dartmouth players and the NFL, former Big Green defensive lineman Niko Lalos '20, who made a big splash in a short stint with the Giant a few years back, and has spent several seasons on the Saints’ practice squad, posted this recently on Linkedin (LINK):

Different arenas. Same mindset.

I had the privilege to attend NFL Bizweek, where I had the opportunity to learn from founders, investors, and industry leaders shaping what’s next in finance, tech, real estate, and beyond.

One of the highlights? Stepping into a pitch competition at Ramp Headquarters and walking away with the W.

Same competitive mindset — just a different arena.

Grateful to the National Football League (NFL), NFL Players Association, Syracuse University and everyone there for pouring into us while we’re still in the game.

Life after football isn’t something I’ll start thinking about later — I’m laying the foundation for it now.

#

With the NFL Draft and the Transfer Portal hogging the sports page headlines, a CBS Sports story headlined House v. NCAA case: Judge threatens to reject settlement over roster limits, sets hard deadline might mean the end-of-roster players who otherwise could be thinking about a transfer from Stanford or Rice or Tulane or Wake Forest to the Ivy League might end up staying put. From the story (LINK):

Judge Claudia Wilken of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued a key deadline for the House v. NCAA case on Wednesday. Wilken gave the defendants 14 days to reach an agreement on the gradual implementation of roster sizes or risk outright rejection of the landmark settlement. 

Wilken wants to see current athletes "grandfathered in" and allowed to remain on rosters until their eligibility expires. This would enable schools to temporarily exceed new roster limits.

#

EXTRA POINT

Maybe half of our daffodils have opened up, there are buds just now appearing on our apple trees and the grass is greening up (and unfortunately will need to be mowed within a week or so). But for me, the true sign of spring is on my feet.

You can keep your Air Jordans, Hokas and Chucks. Ditto your Bruno Maglis, your Birkenstocks, your Dr. Martens and the rest. I’ll take a pair of humble flip-flops seven days a week, which just happens to be how often I wear them when the weather permits.

Lifting Up Others

Wish this had come across a little sooner for the chance to drum more interest. Former Dartmouth linebacker Macklin Ayers ’24, who played at UMass last fall as a grad transfer, is using his Pro Day to raise money for a worthy cause:

Blessed to be able to do this. Very thankful for this opportunity to give back! Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. Donate here: https://t.co/nbFzlrYYeg pic.twitter.com/YCdEjjtVLo

— Mack ✞ (@Macklinayers) March 25, 2025

From Ayers' pledge campaign statement:

I am dedicating every rep of 225 I bench press at my Pro Day on March 26 to raise money for The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation to help children across the country beat cancer.

Your pledge will convert to a donation on April 15 based on the number of reps completed by Macklin at his Pro Day. For example, if you pledge $5 - and Macklin bench presses 225 15 times, then your pledge turns into a $75 donation on April 15th. 

#

Speaking of grad transfers, there’s this from a story headlined FCS Football: Top 10 Pre-Spring Transfer Portal Classes (LINK):

Transfers helped lead Rhode Island back to the FCS Playoffs last season. It was another successful transfer haul for the Rams this offseason. Running backs Q Jones (Dartmouth) and Antwain Littleton (Temple) are important additions after the Rams lost All-American Malik Grant to graduation. 

The story also has a mention of former Dartmouth defensive lineman Derrell Porter ’24 heading to UC Davis.

#

And more from the grad transfer front on the USA Today College Sports Wire under the heading All 16 players attending Colorado's pro day including Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders (LINK):

DL Shane Cokes

Cokes came to Boulder as a transfer from Dartmouth and was an integral piece on CU's defensive line. He recorded 48 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. He could be a valuable depth piece on an NFL defensive line.

#

Those who aren’t thrilled with Dartmouth and Ivy League football teams scheduling opponents from the NEC can cross off a future game against Saint Francis. The school in Loretto, Pa., won’t be fielding an FCS team much longer. From a New York Times story (LINK):

Saint Francis (Pa.) plans to reclassify from Division I to Division III, the school announced Tuesday, just one week after its men’s basketball team was bounced from the NCAA Tournament in a thrillingly narrow First Four loss.

Saint Francis lost to Alabama State 70-68 in a No. 16-seeded game on March 18 after winning the Northeast Conference to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. The school will continue competing in the NEC through the summer of 2026. Then, it will transition into the Division III Presidents’ Athletic Conference for the 2026-27 school year.

And, to the point:

The Red Flash football program has fielded a team since 1892 and competes in the Football Championship Subdivision. It has twice qualified for the FCS playoffs, most recently in 2022. It’s scheduled to face Buffalo and Louisiana-Monroe next season.

It also has future games scheduled against FBS members Bowling Green, Ohio and West Virginia.

Saint Francis follows in the footsteps of the University of Hartford, which voted in 2021 to drop from DI to DIII. (LINK)

The home of former NBA all-star and Olympic gold medalist Vin Baker, Hartford went 5-20 overall and 3-15 in conference this winter playing the likes of Wentworth Institute of Technology, Gordon College and Nazareth University as a member of the Conference of New England.

#

EXTRA POINT

Did you know the average lifespan of a robin is two years, although they have been known to live up to 14 years in the wild? Or that while more and more are forgoing migration given climate change, some from these parts winter as far away as Mexico and Central America? And that they can average 100-200 miles per day while migrating, flying mostly at night? Or that they can fly upward of 35 mph?

Ah, the things you learn when you look out the window, get a little inspiration and then do some Googling. ;-)

Battle Of The Ivy League Unbeatens

You did check out the Dartmouth-Columbia preview on BGA Overtime, right? If that late World Series game kept you away from the computer you can read about the Game Within the Game  HERE.

#

The forecast for gametime in the Big Apple is 65 degrees and clear skies with the wind out of the northwest at 16 mph. Given the location of Wien Stadium at Spuyten Duyvil swirling gusts of up to 24 mph could prove to be tricky.

#

Dartmouth's game notes have been posted HERE.

#

While being right up front that there is no such thing, Jake Novak down at Roar Lions 2024 says there is a Midseason Championship feel to this afternoon's game. Check out his take on the who and the what that matter HERE.

#

I have no idea whether the fellow who pulls Week 9 FCS Football Preview & Predictions together has a clue, but even though SI is no longer really SI, it's in the masthead and so I suppose it's worth mentioning that he's picking Columbia 22, Dartmouth  21. (LINK) 

#

The FanDuel official odds are in and have Columbia favored by 3½ points.

# 

With Colorado playing his home-state Cincinnati, Dartmouth grad Shane Cokes is featured in a story in the Denver Gazette. Buffs' coach Deion Sanders says this of the defensive lineman now in his second year in Boulder (LINK):

“Shane is a staple. Shane is consistent. Shane is going to watch, probably, the most film of any defensive lineman. Shane is gonna be where he’s supposed to be, do what he’s supposed to do. He kinda corrals all the guys up front and makes sure they’re doing the necessary things they need to do for us to be successful.”

#

Friday night . . . 

Yale 31, Penn 10
Yale quarterback Grant Jordan hit 24-of-30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns and David Pantellis caught eight balls for 123 yards and one score as the Bulldogs won easily in front of an announced 7,917 at Franklin Field. The Bulldogs added 208 rushing yards to finish with 497 yards of total offense to Penn's 199.

Penn, which lost starting quarterback Aidan Sayin to an early injury, turned to Liam O'Brien, who was 8-of-13 for 91 yards with an interception, but led the Quakers with 61 yards rushing on 13 carries. Malachi Hosley carried 13 times for 48 yards for the home team.

Yale (4-2, 1-2 Ivy League) earned a share of the Ivy title last fall after also getting off to a 1-2 conference start and has to hope it can win out and get some help. Penn is 2-4 and 0-3 in a conference where a three-loss team has never won a share of the title.

#

EXTRA POINT
The unusually warm weather we've been having in Northern New England has broken. But while today's high is slated to be just 50 degrees in our little Vermont town, the forecast calls for it to warm back up to a balmy 72 degrees on Halloween. That being the case, after a quick late-October swim last week, I have my eyes on adding my first-ever November dip just because . . .

Unfortunately after the balmy weather for trick-or-treaters the weather is projected to fall to 49 degrees by noon the next day. I may have to settle for the silliness of jumping in our nearby lake on Halloween.

Brave New World

Why did so many Ivy League football players opt to graduate and play their COVID bonus season elsewhere? As this space noted yesterday, forcing a fumbe in front of more than 100,000 fans or lining up in the FCS playoffs are opportunities Ancient Eight athletes cannot enjoy.

Former Big Green lineman Shane Cokes '23 probably could have posted a Xweet like this before graduating from Dartmouth, but you decide if it would bear the kind of fruit it will in his second year playing for Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes:

This season is going to be a great one so why not make it great together! @5430alliance #skobuffs pic.twitter.com/h2upML5C8A

— Shane Cokes (@ShaneCokes) July 27, 2024

And speaking of Cokes, this video went up several days ago: 

#

EXTRA POINT
If you've been following along, you are probably as tired of reading about our issues getting the electric lawn tractor back from the shop as I have gotten writing about it. Barring something untoward, that chapter is over.

The tractor was returned to us yesterday and I've already cut down about half of our field with the deck raised as high as possible. I hope to finish the second half today. In another couple of days I'll lower the deck and cut the entire field down to lawn length. Given how deep the stuff has gotten, there's no way to clean it up in just one pass.

Between the two sessions on the field, I'll have attack the actual lawn. If I'm going to be honest, it's looking a little, uh, shaggy.

To give you an idea about how the field grew up in the 37 days the little tractor was on the disabled list, here it is in part of the field I haven't gotten to yet. Within a few days that will look a lot more like a lawn.

Hometown, Uh Home State Hero

Former Dartmouth offensive lineman/tight end Jake Guidone '21, who helped UConn to the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl as the grad transfer starting center, is on a different kind of field these days. A smaller field.

From a story in The Sun (LINK):

Fresh off a bye week, the Walpole native is ready to get back to business, toeing the offensive line for the undefeated Massachusetts Pirates (3-0) of the Indoor Football League.

The team, which moved to Lowell in the offseason, plays host to the Iowa Barnstormers on Friday (7:05 p.m.) in what promises to be another action-packed arena football affair.

And . . . 

A 6-foot-3, 315-pound lineman, Guidone certainly knows his way around the gridiron. He worked out with the Green Bay Packers in September after attending rookie minicamp with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent this past season.

#

Speaking of offensive linemen, Dartmouth will be honoring one at commencement this year. From The Dartmouth (LINK):

Former professional football player and assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology John Urschel will receive a Doctor of Letters. Urschel, who previously played as a lineman for the Baltimore Ravens before transitioning to a career in academia, is the author of “Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football.”

Green Alert Take: Those who think you can't combine top-notch academics and major college football might be interested to know Urschel starred on the gridiron and in the classroom at Penn State after seriously considering Princeton. He earned his doctorate at MIT after earning the Campbell Trophy, known as the "academic Heisman," while playing for the Nittany Lions.

#

Still on the topic of offensive linemen, Dartmouth's Ethan Sipe has added Old Dominion to his growing list of grad transfer offers.

#

Back on the subject of academics and major college football, a friend of BGA shared a link to a story that shows a different side of the equation. The USA Today headline pretty much says it all: QB Shedeur Sanders attends first in-person lecture at Colorado after more than a year;  Colorado quarterback has been doing coursework online instead. University life ain't what it used to be. (LINK)

From the story:

“It’s so different now man because most of the school is online,” Deion Sanders said. “Like, they go to classes and I’m like, 'You guys are missing the best part of college − to be on campus, to walk around and build the atmosphere and build relationships on campus with other students outside of football.' That’s the best part of it, but now you have so many kids, they’re just online. I don’t even know if Shedeur has partaken a class on campus in his college career.”

Green Alert Take: That's pretty hollow. Maybe, just maybe, if Coach Sanders went so far as to tell the players he wanted them to actually experience school in person they might have the experience he says they are missing.

#

Have you been wondering – as I have – which Dartmouth basketball players did not vote to unionize? In a letter to the editor of The Dartmouth, 6-foot-6 forward Connor Christensen of Eden Prairie, Minn., explains why he thinks the union is a bad idea. From the letter (LINK):

I believe that the movement opposes the core values and traditions of Dartmouth athletics — the balance between a rich academic history and competitive athletics — and may lead to unintended consequences for athletes across the College. 

And . . . 

Ultimately, unions exist to protect people from being taken advantage of. I, however, do not feel exploited by Dartmouth. It is an honor to represent the College and attend an institution with world-class academics and prestige. 

Christensen writes that he intends to continue as a member of the team.

#

EXTRA POINT
I got this note in my email yesterday from web host Weebly. It's bittersweet:

bgafootball.com has expired

We wanted to let you know that bgafootball.com expired today and has been taken offline. Any connected site or email is no longer functional.

But if you want to get back online, you still have 29 more days to do so!

For what it's worth, the site was still up when I checked it just now. ;-) 

Chasing The Dream

Former Dartmouth corner Isaiah Johnson '22 visits with The Draft Network to talk about his career and NFL aspirations after graduating from Dartmouth, playing two years at Syracuse and attending the NFL Combine:

From the story (LINK):

Now that you've had time to reflect, how do you look back on the decision to transfer from Dartmouth to Syracuse?

Isaiah Johnson: I really feel like that was the best decision for me. I had some different goals in mind and I felt like I could achieve them at Syracuse. Syracuse ended up being the place where I met all of those goals.

I graduated with my Masters Degree in political science. I furthered my academic interests at Syracuse. I also developed as a football player against better competition than I was used to seeing at Dartmouth. I proved I belonged at the Power Five level. 

And . . .

Isaiah Johnson: It was one of those things where going from the FCS to a Power Five school where everybody was going to question whether I could really compete at that level.

I had to maintain that same level of production I had at Dartmouth. I’m very proud of the numbers I put up at Syracuse. It showed that I could compete at any level. That was very important for me. That was one of my goals when I transferred to Syracuse.

The All Lions Fan Nation site has a story headlined  Detroit Lions Meet with Cornerback at Syracuse Pro Day; Is Isaiah Johnson the right fit for the Detroit Lions secondary? that reprises much of the same information. Read it HERE.

#

Offensive lineman Ethan Sipe has fielded still another offer as he considers how to use his final season(s) of eligibility. He has added a preferred walk-on offer from Kansas State on his social media. (LINK)

#

Deion Sanders and the Colorado football program keep pushing the boundaries.

FootballScoop follows up on a USA Today report with a story headlined, Warren Sapp to be highest-paid graduate assistant in college football history. Sapp will earn $150,000 per year as a grad assistant and receive $15,000 in moving expenses. 

The story notes that Sapp  made an estimated $59 million during a 13-year NFL career after playing at the University of Miami from 1992 to 1994. He apparently did not graduate and needed a college degree to be a grad assistant so in December he earned a bachelor's in Christian Sports Management from Texas Seminary Christian University. From the Scoop story (LINK):

Colorado said in a statement earlier this week that Sapp passed a background check and that the 51-year-old Pro Football Hall of Famer is enrolled in coursework. Sapp also had a meeting with AD Rick George in which George “clearly articulate the department’s standards and expectations, to which (Sapp) acknowledged and agreed."

As for the rules about grad assistants, the story includes this:

The NCAA published rules in 2021 spelling out eligibility requirements for graduate assistants. Those rules severely restricted how much GAs could be paid, which has since been lifted amid legal pressure. The 2021 release also stated GAs must serve within a 7-year window that begins either after the candidate earns his or her undergraduate degree, or their football eligibility is exhausted, whichever comes later.  

Green Alert Take: Maybe I should have held off and done my graduate work at Colorado. ;-)

Green Alert Take II: College sports are getting crazier and crazier.

#

The Northeast Conference, whose membership includes 2024 Dartmouth opponent Central Connecticut and several other schools that have started to appear on Ivy League schedules, is welcoming the DI football newbie Mercyhurst Lakers to its ranks in another year. Although the Erie, Pa., school's stadium isn't particularly impressive with a capacity of just 2,300, you have to love the slogan the NEC used on the announcement: Welcome to the Lake Show. (LINK)

#

Dartmouth has been at the forefront of smart practicing ever since Buddy Teevens took tackling teammates out of practice. A high school football coach in Washington State  took it in the opposite direction and is out of a job because of it. Find the story accompanying the following video HERE:

#

EXTRA POINT
Just a few flurries this morning but we ended up with a little over 12 inches of heavy snow in this latest storm, which saw our power go out for three-plus hours yesterday. Rain this afternoon and then snow showers overnight will make a mess.

That's the bad weather news.

The good weather news?

That's the upcoming forecast for Newport, Vt., an hour north of here on I-91. While we are solidly in the path of the eclipse here on our Vermont hillside, Newport is in the totality bull's eye and I plan to head up there Monday. The eclipse will peak at 3:29:23 p.m. in Newport and totality will last 3 minutes, 35 seconds.

Although the nattering "nabobs of negativism" have been reminding those of us in the north country that this is our cloudiest time of year and the best eclipse viewing will be in Texas, it appears Mother Nature has different plans. But keep your fingers crossed because as they say in these parts, "If you don't like the weather in Vermont, just wait five minutes."

A Dip Into The Record Book

Scrolling through the record book on a slow day I wondered where Nick Howard ranked among all-time Ivy League players in terms of rushing touchdowns. Slipping him into the list, here's what I found:

	No.	Name, School	Years
1	60	Clifton Dawson, Harvard	2003-06
2	54	Mike McLeod, Yale	2005-08
3	52	Nick Hartigan, Brown	2002-05
4	50	Ed Marinaro, Cornell	1969-71
5	49	Keith Elias, Princeton	1991-93
6	44	Chad Levitt, Cornell	1993-96
7	42	John Lovett, Princeton	2015-18
8	39	Michael Malan, Brown	1999-01
9	38	Quinn Epperly, Princeton	2011-14
10	34	NICK HOWARD, DARTMOUTH	2019-23
10	34	John Pagliaro, Yale	1975-77
10	34	Bryan Keys, Penn	1987-89
13	33	Kris Ryan, Penn	1998-01
14	32	Judd Garrett, Princeton	1987-89
14	32	Johnathan Reese, Columbia	1998-01
16	31	Tyler Varga, Yale	2012-14
17	30	Cosmo Iacavazzi, Princeton	1962-64
17	30	Adolph Bellizeare, Penn	1972-74
17	30	Robert Carr, Yale	2001-04
17	30	Dominick Pierre, Dartmouth	2010-13

Howard ran for 15 touchdowns in 2021, nine in 2022 and 10 in 2023.

Dominick Pierre '14 ran for four touchdowns as a freshman, four as a sophomore, nine as a junior and 13 as a senior to reach 30.

All-time Dartmouth rushing leader Nick Schwieger '12 did not have a rushing touchdown as a freshman, ran for two scores as a sophomore and then had 14 and 10 over his final two seasons to finish his career with 26 TDs on the ground.

#

HERO Sports has updated its ranking of potential NFL Draft picks with two players Dartmouth faced landing in the top-10, including at No. 1 (LINK):

Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie 

Ranked: 1st overall among FCS prospects

Ranked: 10th overall at tackle

Ranked: 82nd overall

Projected Round: 2nd-3rd

New Hampshire running back Dylan Laube
Ranked: 9th overall among FCS prospects
Ranked: 16th overall at running back
Ranked: 229th overall
Projected Round: 6th-7th

Holy Cross product Jalen Coker was ranked fifth overall and 31st among wide receivers, and teammate CJ Hanson was ranked seventh overall and 13th among offensive guards.

#

Per the New York Times: Sports Illustrated’s Employees Are Told Print Edition Will Close in May. (LINK)

Green Alert Take: It's a sign of how far the magazine has fallen. There was a time when it could be argued it offered the best magazine writing in the world, sports or otherwise.

#

FootballScoop has a piece highlighting the different approach Deion Sanders takes to recruiting than more traditional coaches. Here's all you need to know (LINK):

Off-campus recruiting visits by Jim Harbaugh as Michigan coach: 145
Off-campus recruiting visits by Texas coach Steve Sarkisian: 128

Off-campus recruiting visits by Deion Sanders: 0

#

Headline from AP story: NLRB certifies union to represent Dartmouth basketball players. (LINK)

Green Alert Take: Wake me when it's over.

#

EXTRA POINT
Gearing up (literally) for our month-long rail excursion around the country Mrs. BGA and I are thinking about ways to pass the time. I've downloaded a handful of old movies and have a few books queued up to borrow from the library on my Kindle.

During our late-winter escapes camping on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean we'd usually play a lot of Scrabble but the tiles on the board we brought to use in the tent would slide around on the train. And the deluxe version with insets to hold the tiles that we bring with us in our VW bus would be a bit much to cart from train to train. After a little digging around in the basement, I found a travel Scrabble game a little smaller than a folded road map and no thicker. The little tiles are like Colorforms and stick nicely to the trifold board. Perfect!

Now, if we could just use the names of all the prescriptions advertised during the evening news! Of course if we could we would need more Q's and Z's and X's and J's. ;-)

Thinking It Through

Defensive lineman Shane Cokes '23 earned a well-deserved reputation as a grad transfer at Colorado for the work he put in developing his body in the weight room. The Dartmouth graduate may no longer be in the Ivy League, but he's still working hard at exercising his mind in Boulder, as his blog Throwing Rocks at Tanks illustrates.

Cokes, who will play a second year for Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes in the fall, describes his blog – and its title – this way:

This platform is my canvas for exploring the captivating intersection of art, media, and philosophy. Here, we embark on a journey that delves deep into the nuances where these diverse realms collide and intertwine.

This blog is born out of my relentless curiosity about the dynamics between art, media, and philosophy. I believe that within this intersection lies a rich tapestry of ideas, criticisms, and inspirations waiting to be unraveled. Through this blog, I aim to dissect, discuss, and challenge conventional thinking, akin to throwing rocks at the imposing tanks of established norms and larger topics and ideas in life.

Cokes' latest entry is a 7,500-word essay titled The Tale of Theseus which he describes as,"A discussion about the nature of change and identity, echoing philosophical debates from ancient times to modern society." (LINK)

Earlier efforts included A Fiction Close to Reality (LINK) and What Sits Behind the Glass. (LINK)

Find Cokes' Colorado bio HERE and his Dartmouth bio HERE.

#

With the sad news of the passing of Mike Bobo, we look back at the 1991 Ivy League championship team he captained along with Sal Sciretto and Harry Wright. The quality of the video isn't the best but it's fun to revisit the team and see just how terrific a receiver Mike Bobo was:

#

EXTRA POINT
In this spot a few days ago I opined about the benefits of using local merchants. (LINK) Yesterday brought another reminder.

During the week I had run into a neighbor who has lived in these parts a long time and knows a lot of handy old-timers. I asked for a recommendation of someone who might be able to help get my electric lawn tractor off the "players unable to perform" list. Rather than an individual, I was directed to a business across the river and a few miles north of here.

Yesterday Mrs. BGA and I decided to combine breakfast out with a stop at the "power equipment" business only to discover, unfortunately, a sign on the door saying it was closed for renovation. Phooey.

As we were about to turn and leave a lone fellow inside came out of the shadows walking toward us gesturing for us to wait. Although they weren't open he unlocked the door, brought us inside and listened to my tale of woe about the tractor. Not only did he say they would be happy to look the machine over but he told me they'd worked on a bunch of the same machines. He took down our address and said they would be by to pick it up this week. Fingers crossed my law tractor nightmare is over.