Two things you never want to see:
• The quarterback from the team you just faced being named the conference player of the week
• The return specialist from the team you just faced being named the conference special teams player of the week
Dartmouth suffered both fates as Penn quarterback Liam O'Brien was named the Ivy League offensive player of the week and Julien Stokes was named the special teamer of the week.
Because the Ivy League has unaccountably decided to simply list the award winners rather than share why they are being honored as it has in years past, we have to turn to the Penn website for these details (LINK):
O'Brien was excellent under center as Penn took down two-time defending champion Dartmouth Saturday at Franklin Field, accounting for all four of the Quakers' touchdowns with two through the air and two on the ground. He completed 76 percent (16-for-21) of his pass attempts for 147 yards and two TDs, while adding 99 rushing yards—falling one yard short of becoming Penn's first 100-yard rushing game by a QB since 2010—and another two scores. This is O'Brien's second career Ivy Offensive Player of the Week award.
And . . .
Stokes continues to dominant and showcase why he's in the conversation as the best return specialist in the nation, FCS or FBS. He ran back a 65-yard punt return midway through the fourth quarter that gave Penn a short field, allowing it to put the game out of reach. Stokes also had three kick returns for 76 yards, which included a 34-yarder that also led to points. He finished with 141 total return yards and has 100+ total return yards in three consecutive games.
Dartmouth linebacker Zyion Freer-Brown was named to the Ivy League honor roll.
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No video highlights from the Ivy League or Dartmouth to this point, so the best we can do is offer highlights out of Penn. (Warning to Dartmouth fans: You may want to skip these):
Stats Perform | W-L | Pts | Prev | |
1 | North Dakota State | 5-0 | 1,398 | 1 |
2 | South Dakota State | 5-0 | 1,340 | 2 |
3 | Tarleton State | 6-0 | 1,268 | 3 |
4 | Montana | 5-0 | 1,221 | 4 |
5 | Montana State | 4-2 | 1,207 | 5 |
6 | UC Davis | 4-1 | 1,036 | 7 |
7 | Lehigh | 6-0 | 1,000 | 9 |
8 | Southern Illinois | 4-1 | 968 | 10 |
9 | Illinois State | 3-2 | 899 | 6 |
10 | Tennesee Tech | 5-0 | 897 | 11 |
11 | Idaho | 2-3 | 779 | 12 |
12 | Monmouth | 4-1 | 768 | 14 |
13 | North Dakota | 3-2 | 764 | 15 |
14 | Northern Arizona | 4-2 | 529 | 13 |
15 | Jackson State | 4-1 | 491 | 17 |
16 | Austin Peay | 4-2 | 473 | 22 |
17 | Rhode Island | 4-2 | 465 | 8 |
18 | Villanova | 3-2 | 389 | 18 |
19 | Abilene Christian | 3-3 | 385 | 19 |
20 | Lamar | 4-1 | 333 | 20 |
21 | West Georgia | 5-1 | 299 | 16 |
22 | HARVARD | 3-0 | 280 | 25 |
23 | South Dakota | 3-3 | 233 | 21 |
24 | Presbyterian | 5-0 | 228 | 23 |
25 | Mercer | 4-1 | 184 | NR |
Dropped Out of Top 25: Youngstown State (24) | ||||
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Youngstown State (3-2, 0-1 MVFC), 147; Stephen F. Austin (4-2, 2-0 Southland), 97; Southeastern Louisiana (4-2, 2-0 Southland), 52; Sacramento State (2-3, 0-1 Big Sky), 21; Gardner-Webb (3-2, 1-0 OVC-Big South), 16; Alabama State (4-2, 2-0 SWAC), 11; BROWN (2-1, 1-0 Ivy), 9; Furman (4-1, 2-0 SoCon), 7; North Carolina Central (4-2), 2 |
FCS Coaches | W-L | Pts | Prev | |
1 | North Dakota State (26) | 5-0 | 650 | 1 |
2 | South Dakota State | 5-0 | 621 | 2 |
3 | Tarleton State | 6-0 | 574 | 3 |
4 | Montana | 5-0 | 567 | 4 |
5 | Montana State | 4-2 | 530 | 5 |
6 | UC Davis | 4-1 | 499 | 7 |
7 | Tennessee Tech | 5-0 | 455 | 9 |
8 | Lehigh | 6-0 | 452 | 8 |
9 | Southern Illinois | 4-1 | 406 | 11 |
10 | Illinois State | 3-2 | 399 | 6 |
11 | Monmouth | 4-1 | 383 | 12 |
12 | North Dakota | 3-2 | 359 | 14 |
13 | Idaho | 2-3 | 306 | 15 |
14 | Jackson State | 4-1 | 269 | 17 |
15 | Austin Peay | 4-2 | 224 | 21 |
16 | Northern Arizona | 4-2 | 221 | 13 |
17 | Villanova | 3-2 | 211 | 19 |
18 | Rhode Island | 4-2 | 203 | 10 |
19 | Mercer | 4-1 | 164 | 22 |
20 | Youngstown State | 3-2 | 162 | 18 |
T21 | Abilene Christian | 3-3 | 140 | 23 |
T21 | West Georgia | 5-1 | 140 | 16 |
23 | Presbyterian | 5-0 | 130 | 24 |
24 | Lamar | 4-1 | 111 | 25 |
25 | HARVARD | 3-0 | 64 | NR |
Dropped Out: UIW (20) | ||||
Others Receiving Votes: Southeastern Louisiana, 52; Furman, 38; Stephen F. Austin, 33; South Dakota, 21; UIW, 19; Gardner-Webb, 12; Alabama St., 9; BROWN, 6; Elon, 6; North Carolina Central, 5; UT-Rio Grande Valley, 4; Lafayette, 3; Cal Poly, 2. |
• Is Harvard that good? Or was Rhody just overrated?• Harvard is 3-0 with three dominating wins, beating Stetson 59-7, Brown 41-7, and Holy Cross 59-24. Rhody beat Holy Cross 9-7 and lost to Brown.• Rhody was picked to finish first in the preseason CAA poll. Brown was picked to finish last in the Ivy League preseason poll. This result may loom large for both conferences when it comes to playoff seeds and at-large bids.
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There will be no bonfire on the Dartmouth Green this Friday night but don't worry. It's not a Dartmouth policy change. From a college release under the headline Statewide Burn Ban Means Change of Plans for Homecoming (LINK):
The New Hampshire burn ban has prompted a change this year to Dartmouth Night on Friday, Oct. 10, when, traditionally, the first-year class parades around the Homecoming bonfire on the Green. This year, the celebration continues, but instead of open flames, the festivities will take the form of an interactive light and laser show set to a soundtrack performed by Dartmouth student DJs.
And . . .
Members of the Class of 2029 will receive light-up wristbands synchronized to the soundtrack, making them part of the show.
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EXTRA POINT
With the temperature hovering around an unseasonable 80 degrees yesterday, I popped the top on the '84 VW camper yesterday and wrote the BGA Overtime story at the little lake about five minutes from our home. When I finished I took a quick dip and found a true sign of fall in New England floating in the water.
