1998.jpg "Joe Ovelman/DP File Photo")
Dartmouth may have already ended its 17-game losing streak with an Oct. 24 defeat of Columbia, but its second ‘W’ comes with a big ray of hope for the future.
Freshman quarterback Greg Patton broke the Big Green’s single game rushing record in his first-ever varsity game. His 243 yards topped the mark set by sophomore running back Nick Schwieger two weeks ago against the Lions by a single yard, earning him Ivy League Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week honors.
Patton and sophomore Conner Kempe split the signal-calling duties in place of injured starter Alex Jenny, but the freshman was called on to lead the charge with the Big Green down 17-10 in the first overtime. He ran the ball on all of Dartmouth’s four plays in the period, scoring his second touchdown of the game on the record-breaking carry.
Kempe would lead the Big Green to a field goal in the second extra frame, and a Cornell missed kick would make that enough to give Dartmouth its first-ever double overtime victory.
Spiro-heading a win. After getting shut out by Penn last week, Brown made a radical change to put up points against Yale — they decided to run the ball.
Going into the game, Brown had gained 1,981 yards — over two-thirds of its total offense — through the air. Against the Bulldogs, however, the Bears kept the ball on the ground, running the ball 42 times compared to 31 rushes.
The balanced attack paid off, as they put up 35 points, their highest point total of the season. The performance was especially impressive, as Yale entered the contest with the nation’s seventh-ranked scoring defense.
The beneficiary of these carries was sophomore Spiro Theodhosi, who had to bear the load after starter Zack Tronti went down with what is likely a season-ending injury. Theodhosi — who entered the game with fewer rushing yards than both quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero and wide receiver Bobby Sewall — ran for 167 yards on 25 carries.
No M.A., no way. Columbia quarterback M.A. Olawale missed his second straight game with an injured shoulder. Playing Harvard didn’t make things any easier for his rookie backup.
Freshman signal caller Sean Brackett threw an interception and fumbled the ball away on two of the Lions’ first four possessions, helping Harvard race out to a 21-0 lead and the Crimson never looked back.
Brackett was replaced by sophomore Jerry Bell in the second quarter, who didn’t fare much better, throwing two interceptions on the day.
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SEIZE THE MOMENT
Anyone who follows Ivy League Football knows that this weekend's game between Penn and Harvard will decide the 2009 Ivy League Football Championship. The winner is assured at least a co-championship, as only one game will still remain for both teams.
This game will be between the two best teams in the League this year.
After dominating the League at the beginning of this decade, Penn's football fortunes declined after 2003. Harvard beat Penn four out of the next five games and either won the League championship outright or shared it three times during that period. During Coach Bagnoli's 18 year tenure Penn has won six championships and Harvard's Coach Murphy has won five championships during his 15 year tenure. A testament to two very succesful coaches and their football programs.
The contest this weekend in Cambridge is the Ivy League's version of the Super Bowl. Penn's senior players deserve to go out as champions and Penn's underclassmen players have a chance to become the defending Ivy Champions next year. A opportunity to win an Ivy League Football Championship does not occur often for the majority of players.
It will not be easy. It will be against the defending Ivy Co-Champion, a tough opponent, on their turf, with an excellent and storied football program, but it can be done.
A lifetime of memories awaits the Penn Football Team. SEIZE THE MOMENT!