HANOVER – It was a glorious Saturday morning with cotton ball clouds dancing on a Columbia Carolina blue sky. The dew was burning off the perfectly manicured kelly-green grass, and the air was so crisp and clear you could almost taste it.
So why were two-dozen or so Dartmouth football players missing from practice, and what did that mean for the session?
The first is easy. It’s Sophomore Summer exam period. Testing that began on Friday ends on Tuesday so it was books over ball.
As for what the absence meant for the program, we’ll let head coach Sammy McCorkle handle that one.
“Our players have done a very good job of letting us know their schedules,” he said, “and our staff has done a very good job understanding who may be late, who may not be here, or who has to leave early. So we're prepared when we come out here, and there are no surprises.”
Practicing without at least a key contributors has its challenges, but it also has an up side per the head coach.
“When guys aren’t here, it’s an opportunity for backups who play their position to get more reps and step up,” he said. “We had guys out here today who did a good job of that.
“But with some guys missing as coaches we’ve got to be smart about how many reps we give a guy. We don’t want to overload them. We’re fortunate to have the Catapult (Wearable GPS activity tracking) system, that allows us to monitor that with over 50 guys at one time.”
His missing sophs aside, McCorkle liked much of what he saw in the seventh practice of the preseason.
“They did a good job out there today,” he said. “They continue to work hard to improve and are making progress.”
NAMING NAMES (Part 1)
McCorkle isn’t cut from quite the same cloth as predecessor Buddy Teevens when it comes to reeling off seemingly half the roster in response to questions about a "few" players who caught his eye. But asked to name several freshmen who have flashed, he managed to hit the ground running – almost literally.
“I think definitely Myles Craddock and Manny (Immanuel Johnson) in the backfield," he said. "They are two running backs who have stepped right in and learned the playbook really fast. You can see glimpses of what you recruited.
“You're talking about guys who have great jump cuts, and great vision. And they do a very good job catching the ball out of the backfield. I'm very impressed with those two, for sure.”
As he is with the trio of tight ends in the freshman class.
“Corbin (Hall) and (Jason) Bish and (John) Bancone, those three guys are going to be very good football players for us,” he said. “They've stepped right in and understand what they're doing.
“Bish, with his athleticism, is essentially a big wideout. Hall is a very mature guy who understands the playbook already. He's a double threat when it comes to blocking and running routes. And Bancone, he's a big guy, a tough guy from Jersey who is going to help us. All three of those guys have done a great job.”
Flipping over to the side of the field where he coached most of his Dartmouth career, the former defensive backs coach again likes what he is seeing among the new players.
“We've got a number of skilled DBs that we're really excited about,” he said. “At linebacker, Charlie Prior and Matt Boydell have done a great job in middle at the linebacker position.”
NAMING NAMES (Part 2)
After mentioning freshmen he’s noticed, McCorkle had no trouble coming up with a few under-the-radar upperclassmen who have flashed during the first seven practices, even if several were a little less under-the-radar than others.
“Jamal Cooper is a guy who has already played for us, but he had a little nagging injury in the spring and didn't get to do much,” McCorkle said. “He's really stepped up in the back end since we’ve been out here.
“Jorden Barnes at the corner is another one. You lose Jordan Washington to Stanford (as a grad transfer) and you're looking at who's the next guy after PC (Patrick Campbell)? And Jorden Barnes has done a great job there.”
Moving up another level, McCorkle named a true under-the-radar player. “At linebacker Nico Schwikal has stepped up," he said. "It's his turn, and he's doing a phenomenal job of taking charge, and being a leader on the field.”
Finally, McCorkle tossed a few bouquets to the big guys.
“We have to replace some really good players up front, but those guys are doing a good job across board. Dakota Quiñonez, Joe O (Onuwabhagbe) and Bruce Williams have each shown.”
Changing gears, McCorkle pointed to a couple of offensive players who, although they may have already made their mark on the field, keep catching his eye.
“Vasean Washington, who played last year, has done a great job as a leader,” he said. “And I think DJ Crowther at the running back position is another. He’s excited he finally has a chance to be the guy. He's the showing at every practice.”
WHILE WE WERE AWAY
McCorkle surely had a few laughs Saturday when the team enjoyed its annual frolic at Hanover’s Storrs Pond recreation area. That "beach and boating" day came on the heels of the team’s always entertaining karaoke night.
Having that kind of activities is important during the hot and tiring grind of the preseason according to McCorkle.
“Sometimes you have to take your mind off football. You really do,” he explained. “It’s like I tell the guys all the time. Two things can be true. You can work really hard, but you can have fun at the same time.
“A lot of the things we do like that are even more important for our freshmen. It's allowing them to feel a little more comfortable around the guys who have been here for a while, and having some fun with them. The nice thing is our older guys do a good job of making sure they're included, that they're involved and engaged.”
Involved, engaged and more often than not laughing (and cheering/jeering) when the karaoke begins, he could have added.
“That’s always fun,” McCorkle said. “I mean, you find out how many bad singers you have, and whether you have one or two good ones. It's entertaining and pretty funny. It really just allows the guys to kind of relax and enjoy some time together away from the field.”
ELSEWHERE
The Ivy League season is still three weeks away, but all three of Dartmouth’s nonconference opponents kicked off action yesterday. Week One opponent New Hampshire opened with a 27-10 win at North Carolina Central while the other two non-Ivies took it in the neck against FBS schools.
Week Two foe Central Connecticut dropped a 59-13 decision to in-state rival UConn, and Fordham, which Dartmouth will play on Oct. 18, was hammered by fellow Catholic school Boston College, 66-10.
Has McCorkle spent any time mulling over how those games went?
“Sorta, kinda,” he said. “You always keep a little eye on how they do, and who’s making plays for them, but that’s so far down the road that right now, we’re really focused on us.”
ON TAP
The Big Green will practice Monday and Tuesday mornings and then hold a modified scrimmage Wednesday as the preseason reaches the midway point of the camp. BGA Overtime will be there that night with a look at who did what and what it means.
