Football
Here are the facts. In the four games to date, Dartmouth has lost 28-6 to Holy Cross, 55-7 to Navy, 27-0 to Army, and 24-14 to Colgate. Dartmouth's first four opponents have piled up 135 points to 27 for the Big Green. Composite statistics show Dartmouth gaining only 319 yards by rushing in four games and 456 yards passing. The opposition, on the other hand, has a cumulative total of 1104 yards by rushing and 435 yards by passes.
It doesn't take a mathematical genius to see that the Indians are being literally rushed off their feet and are barely holding their own on pass defense. The individual statistics look no better. Left halfback Lou Turner is top ground-gainer for Dartmouth with 136 yards in 24 carries. Dartmouth fullback Dick Jennison is close behind with 29 attempts good for 108 yards. But here the figures drop. Next highest is halfback Jim Donohue with ten carries for 28 yards. Sophomore halfback Frank Krol, who played only in the Colgate game, has carried five times for 28 yards.
In the passing department, the Indians have done somewhat better. Sophomore quarterback Leo McKenna leads the pa- rade with 14 completions in 28 attempts for a net gain of 802 yards. Jack Reilly, a senior, ranks next, hitting eight out of 20 for 169 yards and one touchdown; while sophomore Bill Beagle has completed only four out of 20 tosses for 71 yards.
On the receiving end of Dartmouth passes, end Dave McLaughlin has four catches for 143 yards and one score; Dave Thielscher, the other starting end, six catches for 53 yards; and fullback Dick Jennison two for 64 yards.
Those are the statistics. The chief reason behind the Dartmouth losses so far and probable losses to come in most of the games ahead are, in my opinion and ranked in order, schedule, injuries and personnel. Let's consider them individually for a moment.
Dartmouth's 1953 schedule is a ninegame schedule against all major opponents. The first three teams on the schedule-Holy Cross, Navy and Armywould be tough for even the best of Dartmouth football teams. When the toughness is increased by the fact that each of these teams had spring practice, while Dartmouth did not, you have a combination difficult to beat. While it may sound easy to write off those first three games, you can't write off the effect that such game losses (and injuries to key personnel in those games) have on the Dartmouth squad. For the first three weeks Dartmouth takes both a physical and moral beating, the type of beating that is awfully hard to overcome. The team will fight back but the memory of having every offensive effort thwarted and of being run over roughshod on three consecutive Saturdays is one which will not fade easily and which will make victories in those games ahead much harder to attain. So chalk up some of these opposition touchdowns to lack of spring practice and to a schedule which pits Dartmouth against the No. 1 and No. 2 teams (Holy Cross and Navy, current rankings) in the entire East.
Injuries must also be reckoned with as a factor in judging any team and this fall Dartmouth has had more than its share. Before the opening game with Holy Cross, three key men were stricken from the roster: Captain Bayard Johnson, an outstanding center and linebacker, out with a head concussion from an auto accident suffered last spring; Ross Ellis, who played a good deal at quarterback last year for the Big Green and was an outstanding punter as well, out for the season because of a leg injury suffered in a practice scrimmage; and Mike Papantones, another top center and linebacker, lost for the season with a knee injury which he got last year and which never completely healed. Pre-season injuries also removed fullback Bob Primo, a husky back who was expected to help the Dartmouth backfield situation considerably. Primo recovered to play against Army, but was rein-jured and is now definitely through. Sophomore halfback Frank Krol, one of the brightest backfield prospects seen in these parts, had a number of injuries which kept him out of the first three games. He played against Colgate but was slightly hurt again.
There were others as the season got under way. Veteran quarterback Jim Miller, injured in pre-season scrimmage, got back into shape and started the Navy game. He played exactly four minutes and was carried from the field with a head concussion. Miller is through for the season. Veteran guard Joe Mesics, another starter, suffered a leg injury in the first game with Holy Cross and also will play no more this year. Second-string fullback Stan Clark, injured against Navy, is lost for an indefinite time. Tim Anderson, an end, and halfback Walt Anderson, both top varsity material, were injured at Army and lost for at least two games, Anderson probably for the season.
Count them up. Five men lost for the season, five others lost for at least some if not all of the games. Almost an entire team and I am not including on this list any player who ranks below the second team or who was injured only enough to be sidelined for one contest. No team can afford to lose men at that rate, and for Dartmouth, especially this year, injuries were certainly a major factor in defeat.
As for personnel, that is more difficult to evaluate honestly. There are some fine players on the Dartmouth team, but just not enough really good ones to provide any depth. Sophomores make mistakes no matter how good they are and one mistake can cost a touchdown. It is my own observation that Dartmouth is not getting her share of football players to stay with the opponents we face in the 1953 schedule. And in this department, Dartmouth alumni must take some share of the blame. For it is obvious that it is strong alumni activity (and other intangibles) in other institutions that is at least partially responsible for football success. This is a highly complex subject at best, but one which I feel must be mentioned in connection with the generally poor showing of Dartmouth on the gridiron this fall.
The reasons above are the chief ones, I believe, for the Dartmouth defeats this fall and, to a large extent, for the poor record (two wins, seven losses) last year. Obviously there could be other reasons, and each of us, I am certain, must have his own personal convictions (and possibly solutions) for the matter. What the future holds, no one is qualified to estimate. We can only offer our loyalty to Dartmouth and reaffirm our support of Coach Tuss McLaughry and the team as did The Dartmouth editorially the day before the Colgate game.
SURROUNDED: Doug Melville, on a play around the Middies' left end, runs into a Navy blockade after making a short gain. Dartmouth's No. 76 is George Krosnowski, sophomore tackle.
NAVY'S JOE GATTUSO is stopped by Jim Miller (21) after a 5-yard gain deep in Green territory in the first period. The next play saw Navy plunge over for its second touchdown.
OPENING PLAY OF THE GAME AT WEST POINT: Sophomore quarterback Bill Beagle (25) returning Army's kickoff, with tackle Emery Pierson making the block in the left foreground. Other Dartmouth players are Lou Turner (46), Dave McLaughlin (85) and Paul Mackey (52).
DARTMOUTH'S STRONG DEFENSIVE PLAY in the first half of the Army game is represented here by Dick Jennison's tackle of Kirk Cockrell (30), Cadet halfback. Clint Gaylord (57) and Jerry Samuelson (63) are also shown.
