The Yale Bulldogs host the Dartmouth Big Green on Saturday at The Bowl. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPNU.
The Big Green enter the contest with a 1-2 record following a tough win over Penn last week. In Week 1, the Big Green nearly knocked off #7 Lehigh and likely would have emerged victorious if not for sloppy officiating. Week 2 saw a surprise loss for the Big Green at home vs. Monmouth, but Dartmouth responded by beating a much-improved Penn team that was playing well heading into the contest.
Senior QB Grayson Saunier (6’2”, 215 lbs.) is the top returning QB in the Ivy League and can beat teams with his arm or his feet. Saunier has shredded Yale since his sophomore season and leads a Big Green offense that is far more effective than that of any opponent faced to date. Saunier’s accuracy has not been spectacular at a 56.9% completion rate, but he rarely makes huge mistakes, with just one interception on the season, and he can use his powerful legs to run through arm tackles with ease. Sophomore RB Myles Craddock (5’8”, 200 lbs.) has speed and power and is ranked third in the Ivy League in rushing with 56 carries for 258 yards (4.6 ypc) and 3 touchdowns. The offensive line is not the most experienced unit, but it is solid all around, and Coach Clark has made it his life mission to prove us wrong on our past slights about his coaching ability during his tenure in New Haven. The offensive line averages 299.4 lbs. across the board and has paved the way for 4.1 yards per carry on the ground with just 4 sacks surrendered in pass protection. Junior WR Ky’Dric Fisher (6’0”, 176 lbs.) is one of the most explosive athletes in FCS and is averaging 18.8 yards per reception. Senior WR Nick Lemon (5’11”, 194 lbs.) has stepped into a more prominent role this season and has been solid with 9 catches for 176 yards. Junior TE Kyle Meier (6’3”, 259 lbs.) is a huge target who is impactful in both the running and passing games. The Big Green will likely seek to lean on the ground game with both Craddock and Saunier before hitting the Bulldogs with deep shots to Fisher or exotic trick plays. Manhandling the Big Green up front is a prerequisite for keeping this game close.
The Big Green always feature a stout defense, and this year is no exception. Senior S Harrison Keith (6’0”, 205 lbs.) of Fairfield leads Dartmouth in tackles with 27, including 3 tackles for a loss. Sophomore DB Johnny Stephens (6’0”, 182 lbs.) earned Defensive Player of the Week accolades in the win over Penn with 13 tackles, including 5 stops on Penn’s final drive alone. Senior DB Cameron Best-Alston (6’3”, 220 lbs.) could be the largest defensive back in the Ivy League and is second on the team with 26 tackles. Senior LB Steve Simpkins Jr. (6’2”, 230 lbs.) is another physical specimen who has played well with 26 tackles and a forced fumble. Senior DE Joshua Johnson (6’2”, 281 lbs.) has seen action since his freshman season and is the leader of the defensive front with 14 tackles on the season. On the opposite side of Johnson is senior DE Bruce Williams (6’2”, 259 lbs.), who has been equally effective with 14 stops. The Big Green have allowed 4.3 yards per carry and 6.4 yards per passing attempt, so there will be opportunities for the Bulldogs, but it will all boil down to execution along the line of scrimmage. Hopefully HDK’s momentum from the Merrimack game will carry into this contest and keep Dartmouth from focusing its efforts entirely on destroying the Reno to Santiago or Reno to Anderson connections. Smith and Jones should be top options for dump-off passes under pressure. Why not throw a few exotic trick plays into the mix to end the Curse of Buddy Teevens? We know McCorkle is as giddy as a schoolgirl reviewing his trick play options to deploy, so let’s hit back with a few of our own.
Dartmouth has arguably the top field goal kicker in the Ivy League in senior Owen Zalc (5’10”, 160 lbs.), who has nailed two field goals of 50 yards or longer this season. Junior P Luke Armistead (6’1”, 202 lbs.) averages an impressive 45.1 yards per punt and can flip the field with his leg strength. This game could very well come down to a last-second field goal attempt, so limiting mental errors on special teams is as vital as ever.
Go Bulldogs! Beat the Big Green!
2 replies on “Dartmouth Preview”
Officiating in this game is horrible. Apparently the definition of pass interference is “being on the field when a pass is thrown.”
Yeah there was a moment there where the refs were keeping Dartmouth in the game. I thought the call on the interception return was particularly lame.