"Three ... Forty-two ... Hut"

Gridiron Prospects for the '84 Big Green Eleven

Shortly after the 1983 season was over, Dartmouth'football coach Joe Yukica asked his team to take a careful look every time they walked through Alumni Gym.

Something was missing. That something was the trophy that goes along with winning the Ivy League football championship. "We're so used to having it there," Yukica said, "that when we don't have it, there's a void."

The Big Green will be looking to fill that void starting Sept. 22 when defending co-champion Pennsylvania the team that denied Dartmouth a third straight title in the final game last year visits Hanover. Dartmouth is seeking a record 14th Ivy League football championship this year.

"I feel good about our team," said Yukica, prior to the start of preseason practice. "We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but I like the prospects.

"You must start from scratch every year to develop the personality and leadership of a team. I think we can do that with the guys we have returning."

Last year was an unusual season. First of all, there was no Ivy League title the first time in three years Dartmouth hasn't won at least a share of the crown. And then came a rash of injuries which led to Dartmouth's collapse in the final three weeks (0-2-1) of the season. Seven starters and several key reserves were out of the lineup when Dartmouth lost a 38-14 decision at Penn in the final game. A win would have brought the Ivy League trophy back to Hanover once again. Instead, Dartmouth hobbled home with a 4-2-1 Ivy record and a 4-5-1 overall mark.

That was the bad news. The good news was that the Green captured victories over Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. It marked the first time in 10 years Dartmouth had swept the "Big Three" in a single season.

All of that is history now. It's time to look toward the future. Here's how the 1984 Dartmouth football team shapes up:

Offense

Most of the current players weren't starters in 1982 when Dartmouth shared the title with Harvard and Penn. Two who were, however, are quarterback Mike Caraviello (Medford, Mass.) and tailback Rich Weissman (Sudbury, Mass.)/ both of whom will play prominent roles in this year's offense. Caraviello was the guy who stepped in and quarterbacked the championship season after Frank Polsinello and Rick Stafford went down with injuries. For his efforts in that campaign, Caraviello was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

Last season a lot of things happened to Caraviello and few of them were good. First, Polsinello returned to resume the starting duties and Caraviello ended up throwing just 19 passes. Second, he missed the final three weeks when he injured his thumb against Yale.

This year, Yukica has left no doubt about who his starting quarterback will be. "Mike is a real positive factor for us," Yukica said. "It's great to have a guy with his ability in there. He's not only a good passer, but he's also a leader on the field and you need that from your quarterback."

When Caraviello isn't dropping back to pass, it's a good bet he'll be handing off to Weissman, the 6-foot, 195-pound tailback who ran for 605 yards as a sophomore and 584 last season. Weissman has also become a pass-receiving threat. He was the team's second leading receiver with 29 catches for 295 yards (10.2-yard average per catch) in 1983. He was also the leading scorer with 11 touchdowns, 10 of them coming on the ground.

Weissman is backed up by senior Lorenzo Chambers (Brooklyn, N.Y.), junior Bill Daly (Kinnelon, N.J.), and junior Tim Duax (Watseka, 111.).

As far as the fullback job goes, Yukica was still accepting applications at the start of preseason practice. The graduation of Rich Lena leaves the Green in need of a power back. The depth chart shows juniors Rob Brown (Longwood, Fla.) and Tucker Stephens (Hinsdale, Ill.) at the top. Brown carried the ball only twice all last season and Stephens is up from the junior varsity. "I'm still open-minded at fullback," Yukica said. "I'm looking for someone to take charge."

With players like Dave Shula and Jack Daly, Dartmouth's receiving corps has always seemed to be in good hands. Shula 'BO went on to play for the Baltimore Colts and is now an assistant coach for his dad, Don, with the Miami Dolphins. Daly, who broke all of Shula's records last season to become Dartmouth's all-time leading receiver, was given a $5,000 bonus when he signed a free agent contract in May with the Seattle Seahawks. He was later cut. Daly was also drafted by the USFL's Memphis Showboats in January, but chose to remain in school and finish his last term rather than play spring football.

This year's wide receivers are Mike Viccora (Bethel, Conn.) and Scott Truitt (Sarasota, Fla.). Viccora, a senior, started last season and gained the reputation as a "big play" man. He caught the winning touchdown against Yale in the final seconds and scored two more against Penn. Truitt, a junior, was the team's leading punt returner in 1983 and should fit right into the Green's offensive scheme.

Junior tight end Matt Burke (Aldington, Mass.) is one of four returning offensive starters. Sophomore Frank Doyle is considered an outstanding prospect at tight end.

"We have a fine group of receivers," Yukica said. "They've all got soft hands and good speed."

If there is any area of the offense that will cause Yukica to lose sleep at night, it will be the offensive line. It is viewed as the team's weak point heading into the season.

The tackle slots are filled nicely by junior Mike Martin (Miami, Fla.) and senior Slade Schuster (Faribault, Minn). Schuster, 6'4", 250 pounds, was injured much of last season and his return should be a big help.

Other than the two tackles, the Green will be starting from scratch. Junior Bob Saylor was the backup to Mark Pare at center and is expected to start this fall. The best bets at guard are Bob Rech (Huntington Valley, Penn.) and Ray Holtorf (Fort Dodge, Iowa).

"The offensive line is an area we must work on," Yukica said. "Schuster and Martin give us the experience at tackle we need, but everyone else is new."

With injuries raising havoc among linemen and linebackers last season, Dartmouth has taken a step that Yukica hopes will help prevent the same thing from happening again this year. All interior linemen and linebackers will be outfitted with preventive knee braces. The braces are designed to soften blows to the knees while not inhibiting mobility

"We're convinced they're going to help," Yukica said. "We talked with people from all over the country and some schools are putting them on every kid.

I know some of the other Ivy League schools are looking at the braces, but I don't think they are committed to them to the extent we are."

Defense Defense has been a Dartmouth trademark for years and once again it rates a preseason stamp of approval. Eight starters, including the entire defensive secondary, are back. Co-captain Don Pomeroy (Bozeman, Mont.) is established at one cornerback slot and across from him is senior Scott Kehoe (Halifax, Mass.). Senior safety Dan Carson (West Lafayette, Ind.) returns, and patrolling back there with him is senior Greg Cole (Bedford, N.Y.). Steve Briggs (Portland, Ore.), Joe Frankhouse (New Cumberland, Penn.), and Joe Petite (Baskins Ridge, N.J.) lend depth to the secondary, considered by many to be the Ivy League's finest.

There is also a new secondary coach this year. Don Brown, Norwich '77, returns to Dartmouth. He was a graduate assistant here in 1982. Other additions to the coaching staff are offensive backfield coach Dennis Kayser, Ithaca '74, and Craig Cason, Howard '83.

"Looking at our defense makes me feel good," Yukica said. "We have a good group to work with, even though we're not overly-deep."

The linebacking corps features two returning starters: senior Ed Simpson (Devon, Penn.), and junior Len Fontes II (Strongsville, Ohio). Defense seems to run in the blood of the Fontes family. Len's dad is secondary coach for the New York Giants and his uncle, Wayne, is defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Up front, a big hole must be filled at nose guard because of the graduation of two-year starter Mike Lena. Senior John Wolfe (Harrisville, R.I.) is his likely replacement. If Wolfe does start, he'll have good company on both sides. Tackles Mike Oniskey (Huntington Valley, Penn.) and Andy Osman (Glen Head, N.Y.) were starters last year. Neither senior is difficult to pick out of a crowd. Oniskey is 6' 3", 225 pounds, while Osman goes 6' 4", 205 pounds.

Kicking Game Not since Nick Lowery '78 has Dartmouth had such a gifted place kicker as junior Craig Saltzgaber (Ridgefield, Conn.). Saltzgaber accounted for 47 points last season and was a perfect 23-for-23 on extra points. He kicked four field goals against Army, and his field goal in the final minute secured a 17-17 tie with Columbia.

At last look, Yukica was still searching for a punter to replace Rick Bayless and John Corbett, who had split the punting chores for the past three years. Bayless signed a free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks and made it through several rounds of cuts before being released this summer.

Sophomore Dan Fleishman (Old Greenwich, Conn.) is the leading candidate to take over the punting duties.

Yukica also cautioned not to forget the return of junior Kevin Quinn, who snaps on punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. "You can't put enough value on the role of the guy who does the long snaps for you," Yukica said. "He needs to put the ball right on the money every time. We're fortunate to have Kevin back."

The Schedule If Dartmouth is going to add another piece of hardware to its trophy case, Yukica figures the Green must contend with Penn and Harvard. He also lists Princeton and Cornell as teams that could surprise people.

Penn, coached by former Dartmouth assistant Jerry Berndt, is considered by many to be the class of the Ivy League.

The Quakers have earned a share of the title the past two seasons and return 12 starters from last year's team that went 6-3-1 overall and 5-1-1 in the Ivy. Penn's defense looks particularly strong with seven starters back.

After Penn comes Harvard. The Crimson enter the season in about the same position they did a year ago. They don't look strong on paper (it's anybody's guess who their quarterback will be), but on the field they are always a rugged opponent.

Last year was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Johns and they ended up sharing the title. The same thing could happen again in '84.

Princeton could grab the Ivy League by the tail this season. Though the Tigers were only 2-5 in the Ivy and 4-6 overall, they have 14 starters back. Record-breaking junior quarterback Doug Butler is among seven starters returning on offense.

Cornell won't have halfback Derrick Harmon, the Ivy Player of the Year, but it does have six other starters returning on offense. Second-year coach Maxie Baughan a name familiar to fans from Ithaca to the Golden Gate Bridge also greets five defensive starters.

The Big Red finished strong in 1983, winning its final three games to go 3-3-1 in the Ivy.

Yale, Brown, and Columbia don't appear to be major threats, but in the Ivy League, anything is possible. And it's always dangerous to count Yale out before the season even begins. The Elis are coming off the worst season (1-6 in the Ivy and 1-9 overall) in their 111-year histroy. "Yale isn't going to be 1-9 every year," Yukica said. "I think they have the talent to be a solid football team."

For non-league games, Dartmouth renews an old rivalry with the University of New Hampshire along with arch-foe Holy Cross, one of the top Division 1-AA teams in the country. Dartmouth and New Hampshire last met in 1980, with the Wildcats winning 24-7.

Dartmouth's title hopes may well ride on the return of strong-armed senior QB Mike Caraviello, Ivy League Rookie of the Year his sophomore season.

Co-captain Don Pomeroy, a senior defensive back, made 71 tackles and three interceptions in the '83 campaign.

Senior Co-captain Rich Weissman (No. 33), who led the Green in both rushing and scoring last fall, will be appearing with Dartmouth on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) TV this fall in at least one of the Ivy League Games of the Week. (Scheduling to be determined as the Ivy race shapes up.)

Sept. 22 PENNSYLVANIA Sept. 29 NEW HAMPSHIRE Oct. 6 Holy Cross Oct. 13 Yale Oct. 20 HARVARD Oct. 27 Cornell Nov. 3 COLUMBIA Nov. 10 Brown Nov. 17 Princeton