WITH THE BIG GREEN TEAMS

THE SEPTEMBER 28 clash with Bucknell University will be no ordinary opening game. The Big Green of 1963 will be placing on the line an eleven-game winning streak and an Ivy League championship, making Dartmouth Target No. 1 for every opponent on the schedule.

One of the biggest squads in Dartmouth football history reported for practice on September 1. Of the 100 players, 24 were letter-winners, an all-time high, but numbers alone don't make a winning team. It will take a combination of spirit (which Dartmouth teams have always had), talent (which seems in plentiful supply), along with numbers, and the man who must find that right combination is Coach Bob Blackman.

Now starting his ninth year, Coach Blackman is ranked sixth among the nation's coaches with a winning percentage of .732. His key to success has been organization and imagination, and this fall he'll need just that as his Indians have been picked to repeat as Ivy League champions.

But the coaching staff has its problems. The two big ones, of course, are at quarterback and center, but there are also holes at left guard and left tackle complicating the picture and, in recent weeks, a number of injuries have hit key players. But the prediction still stands: this is going to be another great year.

A position-by-position analysis shows the Indians with good depth at most positions despite the loss of men like Bill King, Don McKinnon, Bill Blumenschien, and Ed Boies, and some potentially fine players are battling for those vacated starting berths.

At the present time Dana Kelly, a 190-pound senior from Winchester, Mass., is calling the signals. In early scrimmages, Kelly has been passing well and has shown good generalship. He probably won't be the running threat that King was, but if his quarterbacking is good in all other respects he won't need to run. He'll have the support of some of the finest halfback talent in the Ivy League.

Behind Kelly there's a big question mark. The next two quarterbacks would normally be Bill Madden of Elyria, Ohio, a senior, and junior Dick Horton of Reading, Mass., who saw action last fall as fullback. Both men, however, have been sidelined with injuries. If they are not ready by the first game, Coach Blackman may turn to Bruce Gottschall, a 6-1, 180-pound signal-caller from Chicago. A junior, Gottschall was ineligible last year, but in practice thus far he has shown good potential.

At left halfback, the Indians have a player who is considered the finest allaround half back in Blackman's nine years - Tom Spangenberg. His 208 yards rushing against Princeton in the 1962 finale stands as both a Dartmouth and Ivy League record. An injury received in fraternity basketball last winter, however, may seriously atfect Spangenberg's chances of stardom in 1963. Should Spangenberg have problems with his running, the Indians will turn to Gary Wilson.

Completely recovered from an injury received last fall, Wilson has shown steady improvement in early season drills. In addition to his ball carrying talents, he is considered the best place-kicker and kick-off specialist on the team, an able replacement for Bill Wellstead, one of the nation's best place-kickers in 1962. Also sure to see action at left half are Chris Vancura, Dave Perinchief, Roger Pezzuti and Al Stewart.

At the other halfback slot, little (5-11, 165 pounds) Jack McLean is way out in front of all contenders. He rose from a substitute's status as a freshman to a starting berth last fall. In 1962 he averaged four yards per carry and played over 250 minutes of football. McLean will be ably supported by Bob O'Brien of Northboro, Mass., and Dave Lawson, a senior letterman from Knoxville, Tenn. Another man to watch at right half is sophomore Mike Urbanic, a potentially fine ball carrier.

Rounding out the starting backfield, Tom Parkinson is number one at fullback. He is a good blocker in the V formation offense, a proven ball carrier, and a rugged corner linebacker on defense. The number two man at fullback will be Pete Benzian, a senior two-year letterman, who played very well last fall with the Tomahawk offensive unit.

The Dartmouth line, one of the best in the country last year, should once again hold the key to the Big Green fortunes. Coach Blackman's biggest problem will be to find a center and linebacker to replace McKinnon, now with the Boston Patriots. On the positive side of the picture, however, more 200-plus linemen are on the scene than in recent years, and there is excellent depth on the right side of the line and at the ends.

The leading candidate to fill McKinnon's shoes was and still may be Cantey Davis, a hard hitting junior from Albany, Ga. At this writing, however, Davis is nursing a leg injury and is out for an indefinite length of time. Meanwhile, Bob Komives is working with the first team and may be the starter against Bucknell. Also a junior, Komives hails from St. Paul, Minn. Jim Grace, a senior, is another player likely to see plenty of action at center, as should Milt Steinhauser, a junior who has just recently returned from three years in the Army. He played freshman football before entering the service.

Ed Keible has been looking good at the guard position but needs more experience on defense. He could develop, however, into a capable two-way player. Other possibilities at left guard are Dave DeCalesta and Ted Bracken, the former a letter winner.

At left tackle it would appear that Jan Dephouse has nailed down a starting berth. A two-year letterman, he was converted from end to tackle in 1962; he has added weight and now hits at a rugged 210 pounds. Also expected to bolster the left tackle position are junior Pete Frederick and sophomore Gerry LaMontagne. The latter was moved over from the right side of the line as a possible third man at this spot.

The right side of the line at both guard and tackle is three deep with good talent. Bill Curran, a senior from Portland, Me., is the biggest middle guard in Blackman's nine years, 223 pounds. He will be backed up by another letterman, Pete Sapione (235 pounds) and Jon Colby, a sophomore, who was an outstanding tackle on last year's freshman eleven.

Dale Runge (222 pounds) is the man to watch at right tackle. If his shoulder holds up, he should have another great season. Behind him are the same two men as in 1962, Dave Stenger (241 pounds), a senior, and Steve Hudak (231 pounds), who saw action last year mainly on defense.

Last but by no means least, the end positions should also be a plus factor for the Big Green. Captain Scott Creelman and Charlie Greer are two of the finest in Ivy League. Both men played over 300 minutes of football in 1962, and each caught nine passes. Creelman has the distinction of never having played in a losing college football game.

In reserve behind Creelman at right end will be sophomore Tom Clarke from Longmeadow, Mass., who has looked good in early season practices, and Jaan Lumi, who excelled on defense last year. Al Pierce is right behind Greer at left end and is another letterman who played mostly defense last fall. The third man at left end is Steve Bryan. Only a third stringer last year as a freshman, he has shown steady improvement and should see plenty of varsity action this fall.

Over-all the picture shapes up like this: the halfbacks should provide plenty of running talent, fullback looks better than ever, but the quarterback position as of this writing could present a problem. Should anything happen to Dana Kelly, the Indians would have to turn to a signal caller with little actual game experience. If Horton and Madden are healthy and Gottschall continues to improve, even this problem may be licked.

The line should again be tough, especially on the right side. If the coaching staff can come up with a couple of capable linebackers, the Indians will be tough to beat up the middle. The key to this problem is at center where the loss of Cantey Davis for any length of time could hurt.

Under the new rules laid down for substitution by the NCAA, Coach Blackman plans to use what he terms a 13-man first team. The two men who will alternate on defense and offense will not always be the same. As far as possible, however, the first team will be backed up with one or two reserve units which will go both ways.

Coach Blackmail feels that it is not possible to compare the undefeated Ivy League champions of 1962 with the Big Green of this year. The main reason is that the rest of the Ivy League should be much improved all up and down the line.

Penn has 26 returning lettermen, including tailback lohn Owens; Brown will be led by lim Dunda, an excellent quarterback; Harvard is a definite threat for the Ivy League crown with quarterback Mike Bassett, fullback Bill Crana, and several fine sophomores up from an undefeated frosh eleven. Columbia has Archie Roberts back, the league's leading passer, and his favorite receiver, Al Butts; Cornell will be led by Gary Woods, the nation's third ranked offensive leader in 1962; and Princeton will base its offense on the running of fullback Cosmo lacavazzi and wingback lim Rockenbach.

Even the two non-league games with Bucknell and Holy Cross cannot be taken lightly if the winning streak is to be protected.

By next month we'll have some answers as to just how good the Big Green of 1963 really is. It should be an interesting season.

Top tackles Jan Dephouse (left in both photos) and Dale Runge collide in one-on-one drill, but later team up on steaks as theywill on opposing linemen. Statistics: Dephouse, 6'3", 210 lbs.; Runge, 6'2",222; backed by Frederick, 6'3", 220; Stenger, 6'5", 241.

Top tackles Jan Dephouse (left in both photos) and Dale Runge collide in one-on-one drill, but later team up on steaks as theywill on opposing linemen. Statistics: Dephouse, 6'3", 210 lbs.; Runge, 6'2",222; backed by Frederick, 6'3", 220; Stenger, 6'5", 241.

The No. 1 backfield in early drills had (left photo, Ito r) Spangenberg, McLean, Parkinson, and Kelly, all experienced players;although V-formation veterans they were intent as newcomers in class; Kelly and Spangenberg (front), Parkinson, McLean (rear).

The No. 1 backfield in early drills had (left photo, Ito r) Spangenberg, McLean, Parkinson, and Kelly, all experienced players;although V-formation veterans they were intent as newcomers in class; Kelly and Spangenberg (front), Parkinson, McLean (rear).