Ed Flaherty
nhfootballreport.com

From the outside, there would appear to be little reason for optimism concerning the 2009 Dartmouth College football team.

After all, the Big Green is coming off an 0-10 campaign, its first winless season since 1883, when the team lost its only game. Dartmouth turned in its first-ever winless Ivy League season in 2008 and has been below .500 in the Ivy League in 10 of the last 11 years.

All of that history is, well, history as far as Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens is concerned, however.

"The past is the past and we're looking forward to opening up at home," Teevens said. "We've had a strong preseason," Teevens added during Tuesday's Ivy League media teleconference. "We look forward to starting on Saturday."

The Big Green will open its 128th season with a home game against Colgate at Memorial Field on Saturday (1:30 p.m.). Colgate enters the game with two wins under its belt.

That doesn't faze Teevens, who saw his team do some good things in an exhibition game against Ivy League rival Harvard last week. "It was productive for us in many regards," Teevens said.

The Big Green will put a young team on the field Saturday, but Teevens said he has seen improvements compared to last season.

"The attitude of our players is noticeably different," Teevens said. "The attitude has been tremendous. Guys want to go out and compete."

Dartmouth's early-season schedule should prove to be difficult, as the Big Green will travel to face nationally-ranked UNH following Saturday's home opener.

"It's a demanding schedule," Teevens said. "Our guys go out and line up. It inspires our guys to work in the offseason."

Teevens said senior quarterback Alex Jenny has secured the starting job.

"He's very intelligent, a good decision-maker," Teevens said. "(He's learned) to play within himself and not make all the plays himself."

Teevens is also pleased with Dartmouth's corps of running backs, including Nick Schwieger (the team's top returning rusher), Matt Dornak, Rob Mitchelson and TJ Cameron.

"We feel like we have some bigger backs," Teevens said. "We feel better about the depth and quality we have right now."