Dartmouth looking forward to matchup with UNH
Ed Flaherty
nhfootballreport.com
There may appear to be few - if any - reasons for the Dartmouth College football team to look forward to Saturday's matchup at in-state rival UNH.
The Big Green has suffered 13 straight losses dating back to 2007 and is 0-16-2 against the Wildcats in the last 18 meetings between the schools.
Dartmouth also suffered a 42-6 loss against UNH in Hanover a year ago and the Wildcats enter Saturday's game on a high following their fifth straight win against an FBS opponent (23-16 over Ball State on Sept. 12).
But Dartmouth is eager for Saturday's game, since it will be the last meeting between the schools for a few years, as the Granite Bowl is put on hold until 2014.
"We're excited for the opportunity to play the No. 6 team in the country," Dartmouth associate head coach Chris Wilkerson said during Tuesday's Ivy League weekly media teleconference. "We're looking forward to the opportunity."
Wilkerson added that the Big Green is hoping to show improvement following last weekend's 34-15 season-opening home loss against Colgate.
"The biggest improvement usually takes place from Week 1 to Week 2," he said.
The fact that this is the final chance for the current Dartmouth players to get a shot at UNH wasn't lost on Wilkerson.
"They know this will be the last opportunity for some of the guys on our team as far as playing the Wildcats," Wilkerson said. "I know they're very excited about the opportunity to compete this weekend in Durham."
Wilkerson said he was impressed by UNH's defense while looking at film of the Wildcats' win at Ball State.
"They've got a veteran group back on defense," he said. "They really, really play with a lot of confidence on defense. They're big and physical up front and they've got a lot of athletes. We're going to have our hands full."
Dartmouth enters Saturday's game with an 0-1 record following the loss to Colgate.
The Big Green led 15-13 early in the second half but gave way to the Big Red's running attack.
Colgate held the ball for 44 minutes and 30 seconds against Dartmouth, churning out 292 yards on the ground on 63 carries.
"We're going to have to control the clock a little bit (against UNH)," Wilkerson said.
That might be easier said than done since the Big Green had just 26 net rushing yards against Colgate and only one drive longer than six plays.
Dartmouth did have some highlights against Colgate, including sophomore cornerback Shawn Abuhoff, who had 105 return yards, an interception and a defensive two-point attempt after returning a blocked PAT.
"He's an excellent young player," Wilkerson said of Abuhoff, adding that he did a nice job against Colgate receiver Pat Simonds, a preseason All-America selection.
Senior free safety Tony Pastoors led Dartmouth with 16 tackles (four solo) and five different Big Green defenders recorded 10 or more tackles in the game.
Sophomore wide receiver Michael Reilly had his first career touchdown reception, a 57-yarder from quarterback Alex Jenny.
