BGA readers came through with questions for Coach Sammy McCorkle and he kindly answered a representative selection of those questions after Wednesday’s practice. What follows is a gently edited transcript of his answers to your questions. Where similar questions were asked they were combined.
And keeping with the theme, we begin the Q&A with a couple of questions I asked Wednesday coming out of last week’s loss to Monmouth.
Q: What are your thoughts looking back at that game?
A: Offensively I thought we did a good job establishing the run. We came out and were determined to run downhill and I thought we did a good job of that. We were in attack mode offensively when it came to running the ball, and I think also in the pass game.
Monmouth did a good job schematically with their gameplan. They had us scrambling a little bit. I think we settled down, but we’ve got to do a better job of being in the right spots and defeating blocks. Everybody thinks it's the tackling, but it's the getting off blocks. And they did a good job on the perimeter, covering us up and allowing their athletic guys to get out in open space.
Q: How have the players responded so far this week?
A: Good. I think these last two days have been really good practices. We talk about it all the time. You’ve got to wipe it and move on and learn from it. Our guys have done a good job of that. And our coaches have done a good job making sure we continue to work on the mistakes we made and limit them.
Now for your questions . . .
Q: That might have been the toughest opening two games of the season since you've been on staff. Does it hurt or help to play games like that instead of against teams from the weaker Pioneer or the Northeast Conference?
A: I'm a believer it helps. I told our players Tuesday, not many teams start the season with two opponents like that. They were 21-2 combined last year, their regular season record. But, we want to win. We're not going to be happy just playing well. I told them if you want to play in the playoffs, you want to make a run in the playoffs, you better be ready to play teams like that. Prepare yourself, because there's a good chance those two teams will be in the playoffs. You have to know what it's like to play those guys.
I thought our guys came out ready to play. If we just make a play here or there, it’s a different story. I told them, 0-2 or 2-0, you can’t let that affect how you prepare this week. It doesn't matter.
Q: Harvard has games scheduled at Montana State and UC Davis in the future. Princeton has played teams like that and Yale had Army a few years ago. Would you be interested in scheduling more prominent teams like that?
A: Yes. You want to play those teams with the at-large situation for the playoffs, especially with our 10-game schedule. You've got to have a good out-of-conference schedule. You've got to be able to show that you can compete.
Q: Do you think you can get a team like Montana to schedule a home-and-home series?
A: I don't know, but I think it would be pretty cool for them. If I was a kid at another school somewhere and had a chance to go to play at an Ivy campus, I’d be excited. Not many people get to say they have done that.
Q: You have 12 non-conference games between 2027 and 2030. Three a year. Internet sleuths have found five of them. Two against New Hampshire, two against Central Connecticut, one with Towson. Are there other games that have been arranged and not announced yet?
A: There's a couple changes there potentially. It's not for sure yet, but it's in the works.
Q: You open a week earlier next year against an Ivy opponent, Columbia. What are the pluses and minuses of that schedule?
A: The big plus is just the off week in the middle of the season. I think that's something that would be very beneficial for all the teams, just to be able to recover injury-wise, but especially teams that are going to have the opportunity to go to the playoffs. Obviously with the change we’ll have to prepare a week earlier, so that’s a little different. You're playing an Ivy opponent the first week, but there are Ivy games the second week already, so it's just a week earlier.
Q: Through two games, who have been some of the most pleasant personnel surprises?
A: I think defensively Steve Simpkins. He has played his butt off. He's got a ton of tackles and has done a great job. I've been really proud of him. He's been a great leader out there running around and playing fast, and with effort. Harrison Keith is continuously improving. He’s doing a great job showing he's more than a guy who can intercept passes. He comes down on the run and is a good solid tackler. He's playing with a lot of confidence now.
Offensively, Nick Lemon has done a good job making plays. Ky’Dric Fisher has done a really good job at that position also. All our tight ends, across the board. Whoever's in the game, there is no drop-off. Those guys are playing hard. Coach (Kevin) Daft has them playing tough and knowing their assignments. And then Grayson Saunier. I’m sure he would probably wish his numbers last game were a little better, but against two really good opponents he didn't flinch. He’s done a heck of a job against good two good defenses. And Myles (Craddock). You saw the old Myles we were waiting on in the last game. He's got his legs back under him now. He had a little bit of off time in the preseason and it took him a little bit in the first game to knock off the cobwebs. And I think the offensive line across the board. Will Prince, Julian Sutton, Ben Reagan in the middle, Max Livingston and Paul Binder. Those guys have done a great job. They're getting better with each game.
Sorry for being so long-winded.
Q: I read that eight freshmen traveled to Lehigh. Is that the most since you've been at Dartmouth and what does it say about your recruiting class?
A: It’s probably double the most we traveled before and we had more potentially play the last game. It shows you the level of football talent that we're recruiting and we're going after and competing against other schools for.
Q: The NCAA limits FBS teams to 105 players. Some of those schools used to carry 125 or more. Do you expect more of the players who would have been preferred walk-ons at those schools to be looking at Dartmouth and the Ivies now?
A: Oh yeah. The problem with the preferred walk-ons is they do get NIL money sometimes, so some of them will chase the money. But there are limitations. There is only so much those schools can do. The roster spots at those schools are not there like they used to be. So yeah, you're definitely going to have an opportunity to get more of those guys for sure.
Q: What has the prospect of being allowed to play in the postseason meant for recruiting both regionally and nationally?
A: It’s been huge. Kids want to play in those situations. Regionally it has been a huge thing and if you make a good run, you're going to be known nationally and out west.
Q: There seems to be a consensus that the Ivy League talent level has improved dramatically over the last 10 years or so. Assuming you agree, why do you think that is?
A: I just think it's the type of players that we're going after and competing for. With the landscape of the transfer portal the G5 kind of guys are the ones we’re having a better chance for than in the past. A lot of those guys realize that with the transfer portal there are no guarantees that they’ll have a spot again because every year those schools are bringing in new guys. So you’re always having to prove yourself, or transfer somewhere else. Here you're going to know the roster. You know exactly who's on the roster, how many guys are coming in, and how many guys are going to be here for the four years you're going to be here.
Q: Without naming names, have you or any of your coaches been asked in all seriousness by a prospect or their family about NIL here?
A: No. They haven't even asked. I think it's known that we don't do it in the Ivy League. But I think it’s also the type of individuals that we're recruiting. They understand the importance of an Ivy League degree and I think they realize that's the difference.
Q: After years of unusual stability there's been significant turnover in your coaching staff over the last several years. What's your hiring philosophy when it comes to bringing in new coaches? That is, what is the most important thing you look for?
A: I think the biggest thing is the names and faces change, but our standard never changes. I look for coaches who can connect with their players, who can challenge their players, but at the same time have the ability to build those relationships with the players. We're all about developing guys and that's a big thing I look for when hiring coaches. How can he help develop a player at his position?
Q: The current senior class is the last one to be recruited under Buddy Teevens. Even as you put your own stamp on the Dartmouth Way, how do you keep alive the most meaningful messages and lessons that were at the heart of BT as a coach?
A: We do that every day, in everything we do. We talk about what we do. We talk about the reasons behind it. We have them watch the Buddy Way. The message is going to continue to get passed on. We talk about mentoring each other. I always talk about, "This is how Coach T would do it. This is why we do it." We talk about the reasoning behind what we do, and the history behind it.