HANOVER – In part because it led to the poaching of their players in the transfer portal, a significant number of FBS football coaches stopped holding spring games and replaced them with one final practice.
The NCAA closed the second portal window this year but the number of spring games at the FBS level still continued to fall.
As they used to say in these parts, “It’s different at Dartmouth.”
While they won’t be drafting teams the way the Big Green did years ago, coach Sammy McCorkle has no intention of turning Saturday’s Green-White Game into a glorified practice.
“We’re going to try to keep it a game situation as much as possible,” he said after Thursday’s practice on sun-splashed Memorial Field. “We’re going to have intermittent stuff. Our depth at defensive line is a little bit of a concern with those guys playing a lot of snaps. So we’ll mix some things in there, like a little punt stuff at halfway points of quarters to give those guys a bit of a breather.
“But overall, we want to keep it as much of a game situation as we can. That’s our goal. I’d like to average about 50 snaps per group, so about 100 for the full scrimmage.”
As has been the case for a few years, the new captains will be introduced Saturday and the most improved players in various areas of the field will be recognized by their position coaches.
The team will be on the field by 10 Saturday morning with the Green-White Game itself starting a bit later.
#
BGA readers sent along a fair number of questions for Sammy McCorkle. Here are the questions, edited for clarity and brevity, with the coach’s responses.
Q: Has the Ivy League finally going to the FCS playoffs and Yale winning a postseason game had a positive impact on recruiting?
McCorkle: Absolutely. We used to have to explain the situation, but now they all know we can go. It has helped draw a lot of interest from high-level players, for sure.
Q: You haven’t had any transfers in a few years. Is there a reason for that, and can we expect that to change in the future?
McCorkle: I just think with the transfer portal now there are more openings at other places, and that makes it easier for guys to go elsewhere. We’re still about developing our own players, but we always look and are ready to listen, so you never know. There could be somebody every once in a while.
Q: Is there a particular position – I’m thinking quarterback – where you’d be most likely to take a transfer?
McCorkle: If you take a guy, he’s got to be a game changer. He has to be someone that’s going to come in here and play. Quarterback, of course. In my opinion you want to look at pass rushers, guys who can come off the edge and create havoc in the backfield. You would always be interest in lockdown corners. It depends on what your needs are and the specific skill sets you need at the time.
Q: When the FBS introduces roster limits in several years, there will be walk-ons from big-time schools who will lose their spots and be looking for a new home, right? Could one end up at Dartmouth?
McCorkle: Yeah, but they’ve got to be the right fit, and they have to be what you are looking for. I think sometimes people get caught up, for instance, in walk-ons from the Power Four. Well, did they play? I mean, just because they went to a Power Four doesn’t mean they’re the right fit. You have to be smart about who you take.
Q: What is the biggest selling point Dartmouth has in recruiting?
McCorkle: That’s easy. It’s our culture, plain and simple. The family feel in our program.
Q: What’s the most challenging part of recruiting to Dartmouth?
McCorkle: “Being the farthest northern school. People don’t drive through Hanover to get somewhere. It’s a destination. The hardest thing used to be just getting them here for a visit. But we’ve done a really good job of that, and we feel if we can get them here, this place will sell itself. It definitely opens eyes. Guys who visit, they leave here saying they’re glad they made the trip. We tell them they won’t regret it.
Q: You’ve had a number of players from overseas and last year had two starters from Germany. Is there a pipeline, and do you expect that to continue?
McCorkle: It’s great to have the internationals, but they are guys who first come over and go to prep schools. They are good players who just happen to be from other countries. We do recruit those guys.We have had players (and potential recruits) from Nigeria, Sudan, Australia, Hungary, Germany, Canada and more. So yeah, it's definitely something that we've been pretty pretty successful with, and would like to continue.
Q: Will we be seeing anything about your recruiting class pretty soon?
McCorkle: I hope so, but it might still be a while because they haven’t replaced (football SID Justin LaFleur) yet.
Q: You have two non-conference opponents that are in one of the preseason top-25s this year, but that’s not always the case. With playoff seeding at stake, have you considered scheduling someone other than the usual Patriot League or Northeast Conference opponents?
McCorkle: The Patriot League has added some perennial powerhouses that have been in the playoffs. So I don’t know if you want to stop playing Patriot League teams. They are some quality opponents. And we have the rivalry with New Hampshire, a team that’s always going to be contending to be in the playoffs. We can live with the Patriot League and UNH, especially if we’re limited to 10 games.
Q: You’ve played a couple of games in Indiana and several in Florida not long ago. Are you interested in playing out-of-region again in the future?
McCorkle: It has to be a benefit for us. If it’s in a recruiting hotbed for us and a quality opponent, yes. But it’s not cheap and you have to pay attention to where a game like that falls in your schedule, because with us not having a bye and playing 10 straight weeks, it can wear you down.
Q: You played Brown at Fenway Park and Princeton in Yankee Stadium. Would you like to play another neutral-site game in a big-time facility like that?
McCorkle: That’s something we’d love to do, but someone else has to want to do it, too. Those games were a great experience, and I know our guys would love it. It’s a phenomenal thing but you have to get invited and it has to fit schedule-wise. But it’s something we’d like for sure.
Q: With the Patriot League adding three teams there’s a chance they won’t have an opening to play an Ivy in their Week Four or Week Five. One possible solution is to move the season up a week – or two. Can you see that happening?
McCorkle: That’s not our decision to make. It’s the Ivy League presidents who will make that decision. But yeah, there are always conversations going on. As coaches, we are always thinking about the, “What ifs?” You are trying to think of every scenario that is going to happen or can happen and how we can be prepared for it. (moving the schedule up) is one of those things where we just have to see how they roll. If not, there are a lot of teams out there. We’ll find someone to play.
Q: Your locker room and weight room are being “refreshed.”Are there other facility improvements happening, and what’s your dream facility improvement?
McCorkle: Team rooms are being done. As for the other part, it would be more room (in Floren Varsity House) for football. We’re running out of space. It would be great to have more room on the third floor.
Q: There was talk after he passed away about getting Buddy Teevens enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame even though he doesn’t meet the won-loss criteria for coaches. Has there been any headway on that front?
McCorkle: There was conversation about it but I don’t know what the status is at this point. I’m pretty sure there are people higher up who make those decisions who would be willing to listen. There’s no doubt in my mind that the impact he’s had on college football, on all football, is more important than the record. To me, it’s a no-brainer.