On a slow day, a few observations about Dartmouth's 2024 non-conference opponents, starting with Fordham, who the Big Green will face in its Sept. 21 opener.
Fordham went 6-5 last year overall and 2-4 in the Patriot League. . . . The big win was by a 40-37 score over FBS Buffalo. . . . The Rams lost at Colgate in their finale, 21-14. . . . They list 11 graduate students on their 2024 spring roster and transfers from Utah, Temple, New Mexico and Akron. . . . Returning standouts include quarterback CJ Montes, the New Mexico transfer who had 26 touchdown passes to just one interception last year, completing 241-of-376 passes (64.1 percent) for an even 3,000 yards while being named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the outstanding offensive player in the FCS. . . . Also returning is tailback Julius Loughridge, who averaged 104.2 yards per game a year while running for 1,146 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Central Connecticut, Dartmouth's Oct. 19 opponent, went 3-8 a year ago with a 1-6 mark in conference play including a 38-10 loss at FBS Kent State and a 42-20 loss at Brown. . . . The Blue Devils' spring roster incudes 13 transfers including two from Virginia Tech, one each from UConn and UMass and two from Villanova. . . . They return starting quarterback Matt Jenner, a transfer from City College of San Francisco, who completed 92-of-168 passes (54.8 percent) for 1,009 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions last fall. . . . Also back is QB CJ Duell, who hit on 35-of-53 throws (66.0 percent) for 534 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in two games before being lost for the season. . . . Leading running back Elijah Howard, a transfer from Virginia Tech, averaged 90.0 yards per game on the ground last year, with 257 yards against Delaware State, 146 against Brown and two other games over 100 yards.
Merrimack, Dartmouth's Sept. 18 opponent, went 5-6 a. year ago with a 4-3 mark in conference. . . . The Warriors defeated Central Connecticut in their penultimate game, 35-24 and lost to 2023 Dartmouth opponent Lehigh, 14-12 in Week 2. . . . They have not updated their roster for the spring but last year's roster featured transfers from Rutgers, Buffalo, Maine (2), Colgate and Stetson. . . . As a junior last fall, quarterback Malakai Anthony completed 49-of-101 passes (48.5 percent) for 795 yards with eight TDs and two interceptions. . . . Gavin McCusker, listed as a sophomore a year ago, was 38-for 88 passing (43.2 percent) for 474 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown. . . . Tyvon Edmonds Jr., listed as a junior a year ago, ran for 1,247 yards and 10 touchdowns with five games in triple figures, including 213 yards against DII Virginia-Lynchburg.
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Three players Dartmouth faced are among the top 15 potential FCS NFL hopefuls per the updated Draft Scout service (LINK):
Ranked as the top potential draft pick is former Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie. He's projected as a second- or third-round selection.
New Hampshire running back Dylan Laube is the sixth-ranked prospect and a potential sixth-round selection while Yale wide receiver Mason Tipton is 15th with a seventh-round or "high priority free agent."
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Remember that thought about Ivy Leaguers sticking around the Ancient Eight until they can grad transfer, emphasis on grad?
It's not as true, apparently, in basketball. Following in the footsteps of guard Malik Mack, who is departing Harvard for Georgetown after just one season in Cambridge, now it is Yale 7-footer Danny Wolf trading New Haven after two years for Ann Arbor as a highly regarded transfer to Michigan. (LINK)
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EXTRA POINT
Given that we are hopping on our cross country train tomorrow, Mrs. BGA and I jumped the gun and did our GreenUp Day walk yesterday, filling three bags with assorted detritus.
Here's something that occurred to me while we were scouring the sides of our rural dirt road. While it annoys me to no end, I suppose given open container laws I know why people toss beer cans and the like out the window of their vehicles. There's no excuse, but I understand why they are doing it.
What I don't understand is tossing water bottles, ice tea cans and soda cans and bottles.
