Big Green Teams
Artistically, Jake Crouthamel has yet to achieve the level of Leonard Bernstein or Mike Nichols. But artistry is only a part of the game of football and Dartmouth's new head coach is more concerned at this stage of his career with winning games.
After three weeks of the 1971 season, he is completely consistent in his objective.
During the evening following Dartmouth's 19-3 victory over Pennsylvania, Crouthamel, looking perplexed over his team's not-quite-so-consistent performance, spoke with Seaver Peters, the director of athletics.
"Remember about three months ago, I asked you what you'd like the record to be after the third game," said Peters. "What was your answer?"
"Three and zero," confirmed Crouthamel.
"What's the record?" was Peters' comeback.
"You've made your point," said Crouthamel.
The point is that this Dartmouth team, like so many others, is a winner. The difference between 1971 and 1970 is that this team isn't quite the overwhelming group that marked Blackman's swan song.
"I don't care if we win 2-0 or 85-84," said Crouthamel, "just so long as we win."
Coming on the heels of an undefeated Ivy League championship and Lambert Trophy campaign, a lot of people prefaced this season with the observation, "What do they do for an encore?"
To which Crouthamel replied, "We aren't trying to compete with the 1970 team's record. How can we? You can't improve on 9-0 and there's no way we're going to try.
"This is a new team, with new coaches and a lot of new players. I don't think anyone can realistically expect this team to be the equal of last year's team. That was a great team that could almost name the score it would win by each week.
"We'd be foolish to try. All I can expect is that we will do the best job with what we have available. I do feel we have a good team but I don't think any team in the Ivy League this fall is significantly stronger than any other."
This is a team that has been the Ivy League's dominant force for two seasons. Coming out of the Penn game on October 9, Dartmouth had won 20 of 21 games since the start of the 1969 season, including 14 of 15 in the League.
There are juniors on this team who have never lost a game in a Dartmouth uniform. There's a distinct element of pride involved at this point. It's an awesome record that's equalled by less than a handful of teams in the United States.
It's a record that lulls people into a feeling that Dartmouth can't lose. That's an absurd feeling. Winning streaks are made to be broken, and to compile a record like this involves almost as much luck as it does skill.
In defeating Massachusetts (31-7), Holy Cross (28-9) and Penn, the Indians used a Dartmouth trademark— the big play, both offensively and defensively.
"We have good players, no question about it," said Crouthamel. "But we've also been lucky. We've made some breaks but you can't always count on the breaks falling your way. That's football."
"Breaks" have played a big part thus far, offsetting some problems of inconsistency that have curtailed a number of good-looking scoring opportunities. Against Massachusetts, Dartmouth exploded for a 28-0 lead at the half, then coasted home.
A week later against Holy Cross, however, the Indians did some sputtering before coming to life in the final 20 minutes of the game to win going away.
Then, against Penn, an unexpected rash of penalties for illegal motion and offside infractions squelched five drives and caused the Indians to make the most of two touchdowns by the quarterbacks, Bill Pollock and Steve Stetson.
Let's take a look at some of the big plays and then the players who made them.
Against Massachusetts, it was over before it began, much to the surprise of everyone at Alumni Stadium in Amherst.
UMass, preaching that "this is THE game for us," found out quickly that the psychological advantage belonged to Dartmouth.
With Pollock, the senior from Nacogdoches, Texas, leading the way, the Indians scored on the second, third, fourth and sixth times they had the ball.
Pollock threw a 34-yard pass to fullback Stu Simms for one score, fed halfback Brendan O'Neill for a one-yard touchdown, and then made the most of a newcomer, sophomore halfback Rick Klupchak.
Klupchak stunned everyone with an 82-yard burst early in the second period, then took a 24-yard scoring pass from Pollock. UMass never knew what hit them. A 31-yard field goal by sophomore Ted Perry finished Dartmouth's scoring.
Holy Cross came to Hanover on the crest of a 21-16 upset win over Harvard, the Crusaders' first football victory in more than 1000 days. For a while, it seemed they'd make it two in a row.
The Indians spotted Holy Cross a touchdown (but no conversion), then took the lead on halfback Chuck Thomas' five-yard run.
Holy Cross regained the lead on a field goal in the third period before Pollock turned it all around.
He wedged a yard for Dartmouth's go-ahead touchdown. The heir to All-Ivy Jim Chasey teamed with split end Sam Watkins to set up the score with a spectacular 63-yard pass-run effort.
Within three minutes, the Indians had another as Pollock took over after a Crusader fumble and fired a 26-yard broken play pass to Thomas for some insurance.
A 96-yard drive, launched with a 46-yard burst by Simms' backup, Steve Webster, ended with Klupchak's five-yard scoring run.
Then came Penn and the Ivy opener before better than 17,000 people at Memorial Field. Both teams were unbeaten (Penn had won a 17-16 squeaker from Brown the week before).
Dartmouth scored on its first series, getting a 33-yard field goal from Perry. Seconds before halftime, Penn used an All-America soccer player, Stan Startzell (taking a cue from Dartmouth which used soccer standout Wayne Pirmann to such good advantage a year ago) tied the game with a 22-yard field goal.
"We wanted a score the first time we had the ball," said Crouthamel, "and we wanted the same thing when the second half started."
He got his wish. The Indians charged from the kickoff and Pollock got the score on a scrambling option play.
Stetson, the junior from Laconic N. H., has been playing behind Pollock but Crouthamel chose to insert him into the lineup late in the third period. The move quickly paid dividends. Calling the same play that Pollock had used for a touchdown, Stetson broke a 57-yard touchdown run against the Penn defense that was left in futile pursuit. A katzenjammer play in the Penn backfield in the fourth period resulted in a safety and Dartmouth's final points.
That's how Dartmouth's built its early success story. Here's who did it.
Pollock and Stetson, particularly the former, have come through. It's difficult for anyone to expect either of them to perform to the level of Chasey, a guy who ranks with the finest Ivy quarterbacks ever.
"Their styles of play are totally different," said Crouthamel. "Bill is more confident at this stage, because he has more experience. He's also more predictable. He establishes a pattern of play and after a while, the defense can begin to solve his thinking.
"Stetson's more daring, and I'd have to say he's a better all-round athlete. He's less predictable and calls different plays than Bill would call in the same situation."
The ability to interchange Pollock and Stetson was a big factor in the win over Penn. Pollock had provided the go-ahead touchdown but it was Stetson who jammed the clincher on the board.
"It was perfect execution of a play that was right for the situation," said Crouthamel.
At this juncture, Pollock has yet to throw an interception in three varsity seasons, a very good statistic in any Quarterback's book. He brought the Indians to life immediately at Massa chusetts and quelled any reservations people might have had about his ability to move the team.
"We were worried about a sustained offense," said Crouthamel. "We hadn't shown much scoring ability during preseason games and practice. But, the day before the UMass game, when our jayvees won at Army, 19-15, we knew we could score."
The guy who was the surprise at UMass was Klupchak, the sophomore from Olympia Fields, Ill., whose brother, Mike, has been starting at left guard.
Two days before the UMass game, Thomas suffered a hamstring pull. Then his backup, Steve Whitehead, sprained an ankle. Klupchak had been running behind O'Neill at right halfback but suddenly found himself starting at the left side.
He responded. Did he ever. He carried 12 times for 134 yards including the 82-yard explosion that shocked the entire stadium. He then caught a Pollock pass and tightroped the sidelines for the final five yards of a 24-yard play and another score.
"What a great job he did," said Crouthamel.
For three weeks the attack averaged over 400 yards of total offense. Much of that's been due to-outstanding work in the line, particularly by Joe Leslie, the right tackle, and Gregg Brown, the tight end.
Leslie is 6-5 and 240 pounds. He's from Tucson, Ariz., and was figured to be Dartmouth's best offensive lineman. He's living up to the advance billing.
"We're thin at offensive tackle this fall," said Crouthamel. "There's no one to push Joe, to challenge him for his position."
One might think this would lead Leslie to coast a little. No chance.
"He's pushing harder than anyone," said Drew Tallman, the offensive line coach. "He's good and he wants to be better."
Against Penn, it was some of Leslie's pride during the halftime break that rubbed off on his mates and brought them to life in the second half.
When Leslie and Brown are shoulder to shoulder, Dartmouth has one of the toughest pairs in Eastern football, perhaps beyond. "They represent about 450 pounds of double-team block and that's something for a defensive lineman to consider," said Crouthamel.
One of the sophomore surprises has been Bob Funk, the center.
He moved into the lineup before the UMass game when senior Scott Snyder was injured and Snyder hasn't regained his job yet. Funk, from Oxford, Kans., established his credentials against UMass and has the makings of a standout three-year regular.
Defensively, the "big play" also has been conspicuous.
There was no player more disappointed during the 1970 season than Tom Tarazevits, the 250-pound tackle from Southampton, N. Y. He had just made the starting team as a soph when he suffered a knee injury. He never fully recovered and didn't play a minute of football last year.
He quickly established himself this fall, though, and has teamed with senior Bud Lynch (who also missed all of last year with a foot injury) to give Dartmouth two imposing interior line- men.
At UMass, Tarazevits throttled quarterback Piel Pennington on a key third-down play that set the stage for a Dartmouth scoring drive. He's been a source of constant pressure, as has Lynch, on pass defense.
These two have been virtually matched by Fred Radke and Ted Moody, the defensive ends. "There aren't many teams that will run well against us," said Crouthamel. How right he is but this quartet was halved by Penn when Radke injured a knee and Moody sprained an ankle. It brought Dartmouth's problems of depth to the surface and laid the challenge at the feet of juniors Kevin O'Shea and Arunas Bielinis, the backup ends.
Eight pass interceptions and five recovered fumbles in three games are another attribute of Dartmouth's opportunistic defense. Six players have had a piece of the interception action, a healthy situation.
Linebackers Wayne Young and Doug Jaeger have been outstanding. Jaeger was all over the place against Holy Cross while Young was credited with ten tackles, an interception and a blocked pass against Penn. Not bad credentials for the Dartmouth co-captain from Tarrytown, N. Y.
So here it is, one-third of the way through the season. The pressure of a winning streak is on and building. That pressure is inevitable but unfortunate because Dartmouth's success during these past three seasons has made many people forget that it's still possible to lose a game and still be a good team.
JV, FROSH FOOTBALL
Dartmouth's junior varsity football team has a new name this fall—the Triple-As.
It's a move that was made by Coach Jake Crouthamel to instill continued interest in Dartmouth's varsity reserve football program which has an early record of 1-1, topping Army (19-15) and bowing to Connecticut (13-10).
"The jayvee program is vital to the success of Dartmouth football," said Crouthamel. "There aren't more than three or four varsity starters this year who haven't come up through the jayvee program.
"The problem these days, though, is that everyone feels he should be first team. There's obviously not enough room for everyone. It's difficult for many young men to be patient and wait their opportunity."
At Army, a 31-yard pass from soph quarterback Mike Draznik to end Bill Carpenter (a third-generation Dartmouth man) clinched the Indians' win.
Against UConn, Dartmouth had a 10-0 lead but couldn't hang on.
Jerry Berndt, Dartmouth's new head frosh coach, has a comparatively small squad but it looks to be a quality array.
The Little Indians opened their season with a 33-26 win over the Holy Cross frosh as quarterback Tom Snickenberger (another Dartmouth son) fired three touchdown passes among his 11 completions.
Snickenberger gained 183 yards by passing while his replacement, Joe Cummiskey, completed two (one for a touchdown). Halfback James Cobb is the early standout running back while Mark McAleenan and Alex Kandabarow provide two imposing receivers.
Defensively, end Jan Brink (brother of the 1970 All-East defensive tackle, Barry Brink) and linebacker Steve Campbell were standouts in the first game, but Coach Berndt's juggling act to unveil best performers in the defensive secondary didn't work to satisfaction against Holy Cross which completed 16 of 30 passes.
OTHER FALL SPORTS
Dartmouth soccer is coming back under Coach George Beim. With the season nearly half completed, the Indians stood 2-2-1 and showed themselves to be a competitive team in the Ivy League race.
That became evident after a 3-1 loss to Penn, the nation's 4th-ranked team.
Beim turned to a tighter defensive style after a 7-2 loss to Springfield. It resulted in a 3-1 win over Amherst and a 2-2 tie with Williams before the loss to powerful Penn.
"We have begun to be a consistent team," said Beim. "We have very good players in fullback Rich Gifford (a solid All-America candidate), forward Jim Neville (who's already outscored the 1970 Dartmouth season scoring leader), and halfback Bob Jordan."
Dartmouth's main problem is in the goal but the increased use of fullbacks and halfbacks has given additional protection to sophomore Rex Holsapple.
"We sustained play throughout the game against Penn," said Beim. "That's a healthy sign."
In cross country, Coach Ken Weinbel has an early 3-1 record, beating Colgate, Yale, and Columbia and losing to Boston State College in a race that saw Weinbel keep his top five runners from competition and use a lineup of freshmen and sophomores.
As expected, Tom Shiland, the lanky junior from Cambridge, N. Y., is the Dartmouth pacesetter. He led the pack by 12 seconds in the triangular meet with Yale and Columbia.
Not far behind were Steve Shirey and Larry Krol. The Indians' captain, Eric Potter, is coming along after a preseason ankle injury.
GREEN JOTTINGS
The Class of 1937 has donated a scoreboard for use on Chase Field by Dartmouth freshman football teams. The scoreboard and memorial plaque honors Gordon Bennett '37, captain of the 1936 Dartmouth football team who died of injuries suffered during the Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston in 1942. Formal dedication of the scoreboard and bronze plaque was scheduled for October 30.
After reaching the finals for two years, Dartmouth's golf team fell short of qualifying for the annual ECAC fall tournament.... In the ECAC fall tennis tournament, Brian Williams and Lloyd Ucko, the 1970 doubles champions, had to settle for the consolation title this fall.
Dennis Bell, No. 2 oar on the Dartmouth crew for the past three years, has been named Dartmouth's freshman crew coach.... Pete Harter, captain of the Indians' 1970 lacrosse team who gained All-Ivy League recog- nition as a goalie, is the new Dartmouth frosh lacrosse coach.
Dartmouth's two major league pitchers, Pete Broberg and Chuck Seelbach, had ample opportunity to demonstrate their skills this season. Broberg had a 5-9 record and a 3.38 earned run average for the Washington Senators. Seelbach, who came up with the Detroit Tigers in late season, had no record with the Tigers after compiling an 11-2 record at Toledo, Detroit's top farm team in the International League. Seelbach set a Toledo record with ten straight wins.
For the first time this fall, a complete Ivy League Record Book is available for public sale. The 122-page book provides complete record information on football and 16 other Ivy League sports and is available for $2 by writing to Sports Information, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H. 03755.
Dartmouth's basketball team will compete in the Far West Classic at Portland, Oregon, on December 27-30 and then at Stanford University on January 3. The Indians' hockey team plays in the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament at Detroit on December 27-28 and then at St. Louis University on December 31.
The second annual Alumni vs. Freshmen Hockey Game will be played in the Davis Hockey Rink, Hanover, on Saturday, November 13, at 4:45 following the Cornell football game.
NOVEMBER SCHEDULE
FOOTBALL—Nov. 6, Columbia at New York; 13, Cornell; 20, Princeton at Princeton.
J.V. FOOTBALL—Nov. 12, Boston College; 20, Princeton at Princeton.
SOCCER—Nov. 6, Columbia at New York; 13, Cornell; 20, Princeton at Princeton.
CROSS COUNTRY—Nov. 5, Heptagonals at New York; 8, New Englands at Boston; 15, Intercollegiates at New York.
Sophomore halfback Rick Klupchak (28) cuts past Massachusetts defenders on hisspectacular 82-yard touchdown run (Photo by Rusty Mat tin 68)
Quarterback Steve Stetson (11) galloping 57 yards for a touchdown in the 19-3win over Penn that opened the Indians' Ivy League season.
Defensive tackle Tom Tarazevits (91) who has been outstanding in Dartmouth'sforward wall, shown at work in the Massachusetts game.
Quarterback Bill Pollock watching theGreen defensive unit get its chance.(Photo by Bob Eden '73)
Dartmouth soccer coach George Beimand Captain Rich Gifford '72 at practice on Chase Field.
Freshman coach Jerry Berndt looks onas quarterback Tom Snickenberger (16)son of Walt Snickenberger '46, directsthe offense of the Little Green.
