The college football season is kicking off Saturday with "Week 0" games, so it's as good a time as any to take a look at where Dartmouth's FBS grad transfers are playing and when they will begin their seasons. Here are their pictures from their new school websites:
Here's when they will be on the field, in the order of their opening kickoff:
• Jake Guidone and Connecticut open up Saturday at 4 p.m. at Utah State.
• JJ Jones and New Mexico State open Saturday at home against Nevada at 10 p.m.
• Derek Kyler and Pitt open up at home against West Virginia on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.
• Micah Croom and USC will open at home against Rice on Sept. 3 at noon.
• John Pupel ant Boston College open at home against Rutgers on Sept. 3 at noon.
• Robbie Mangas and Buffalo open Sept. 3 at Maryland at noon.
• John Paul Flores and Virginia open up at home against Richmond on Sept. 3 at 12:30.
• Jalen Mackie, RJ Brandon and Massachusetts open Sept. 3 at Tulane at 7 p.m.
• Isaiah Johnson and Syracuse open up Sept. 3 hosting Louisville at 8 p.m.
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And unless I missed one, here are the matchups when former teammates will be renewing acquaintances on the field:
• Johnson and Guidone will see each other when Syracuse visits UConn on Sept. 10.
• Johnson and Flores will see each when UVa visits Syracuse on Sept. 23.
• Mackie and Brandon will see Mangas when UMass hosts Buffalo on Oct. 15.
• Mackie and Brandon will see Jones when UMass hosts New Mexico State on Oct. 29.
• Pupel and Guidone will see each other when Boston College visits UConn on Oct. 29.
• Mackie and Brandon will see Guidone when UMass visits UConn on Nov. 4.
• Johnson and Kyler will see each when Syracuse visits Pitt on Nov. 5.
• Kyler and Flores will see each other when Pitt visits UVa on Nov. 12.
• Johnson and Pupel will see each other when Syracuse visits Boston College on Nov. 26.
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The final Dartmouth grad transfer is defensive lineman Nate Boone, playing this year at Case Western Reserve.
Boone and Case Western open play Sept. 23 at noon when Johns Hopkins comes for a visit.
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The local daily has a fine story about the retooling of the Dartmouth offensive line
HERE. Keep an eye out for a BGA Premium story about the line in the days before the opener when the picture becomes a little clearer.
The Big Green has the first NCAA-mandated day off from practice today but
BGA Premium will have a story as usual. Check in tonight for a piece on, who else, quarterback Nick Howard.
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As a Penn Stater I pay some attention to the Nittany Lion recruiting, although not nearly as much as I do to Dartmouth's.
After PSU had a quarterback commit in the rising high school class decommit in favor of Florida the Lions "flipped" a former Tulane commit from Iowa named Jaxon Smolik. Apparently Smolik had a relatively low profile on the recruiting circuit until exploding on the national radar with an exceptional performance as a late addition to the Elite 11 Finals (
STORY).
Why mention that here? This is from a
story I read about him in the Des Moines newspaper:
About a week after the end of his high school season, Smolik headed to a gameday visit at Dartmouth College.
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EXTRA POINT
I wrote in the space a couple of days ago about riding the jitney bus down I91 to Hanover and Dartmouth football practice during the preseason. The fun thing for me is when the timing works, Mrs. BGA gets on the bus at the medical center and saves a seat for me to board at the college.
Here's the thing. I would pretty much bet we are the only two people on the bus who wear seat belts.
I can tell you the first couple of times I rode the bus several years ago I did not buckle up. Then one day it occurred to me how dumb that is. I mean, I wouldn't leave my own driveway without using a seat belt. Why on earth would I then not belt myself in when someone else is driving?
Riding the Dartmouth Coach or some other public transportation on the road? Buckle up, people.
