The Daily Pennsylvanian
Last week answered a lot of questions about the Ivy League.
Penn showed that it is still the team to beat after a 35-0 pasting of Dartmouth. Yale quarterback Alvin Cowan reminded everyone that he is a Walter Payton Award candidate. And Brown proved that it can in fact play defense, as the Bears won the Governor's Cup over Rhode Island.
This week is the last for non-league play, but the schedule features two Ancient Eight battles in addition to some intriguing out-of-league matchups. With that in mind, here's a look at how this week's Ivy games shape up.
Yale (2-1, 0-1 Ivy) at Dartmouth (0-3, 0-1)
Two teams going in opposite directions.
The Elis may have saved their season in a 31-28 comeback win over Colgate. Cowan threw four touchdown passes and engineered an efficient two-minute drill to set up Andrew Sullivan's game-winning 37-yard field goal with seven seconds left.
Dartmouth looked like a team in disarray against Penn last Saturday. Big Green coach John Lyons summed it up best by saying, "Throughout the game we just struggled offensively, ... and defensively we just did not play well at all."
Cornell (1-2,1-0) at Harvard (3-0, 1-0)
Cornell has improved markedly on defense under first-year coach Jim Knowles. We'll find out just how much when the Big Red travel to Boston to face the Crimson.
Harvard looks like an offensive juggernaut right now. The Crimson is averaging 36 points per game, and sophomore running back Clifton Dawson is leading the nation with 18 points per game. Dawson is running so well that teams might start to forget about Harvard quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, one of the best in Division I-AA.
In order to have a chance, Cornell has to find a way to exploit the Crimson's rushing defense, which has given up 171 yards per game thus far this season. But Cornell's offense is more equipped to throw the ball than run it, and if the game turns into a shootout, Harvard would have a decided advantage.
Brown (2-1, 0-1)
at Fordham (4-1)
Brown is facing its second consecutive tough road game. Last week, the Bears surprised some people by beating Rhode Island and holding the Rams to just 13 points.
But it won't be getting any easier for the Bears this week. Fordham has good young talent at the skill positions in sophomore quarterback Derric Daniels and classmate running back Jamaal Hunte. Daniels has thrown 11 touchdowns in four games, and Hunte has rushed for 445 yards and five touchdowns.
Fordham has put up two straight 40-point games, so it is imperative for Brown to keep the game close. It if gets out of hand, running back Nick Hartigan, the Bears' best offensive weapon, will be effectively taken out of the game.
Princeton (3-0, 1-0)
at Colgate (2-2)
This could be a trap game for the Tigers.
Princeton barely escaped Columbia with a 27-26 win in overtime, and its 3-0 record has come against opponents softer than Jell-O pudding.
The Red Raiders are smarting after blowing a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter at Yale. Last season's Division I-AA runner-up has simply been inconsistent this season, mostly on defense.
But Colgate still has senior quarterback Chris Brown and a variety of weapons. It remains to be seen whether Princeton's Matt Verbit and the Tigers' offense will be able to keep up.
Lafayette (3-2)
at Columbia (0-3, 0-1)
This is a last gasp for the Lions. The good feelings about last year's encouraging 4-6 season have vanished in an 0-3 start. Columbia is not playing well on either side of the ball right now.
The defense's woes are not surprising. But the offensive struggles have to be a concern for coach John Shoop, who seemed to have the offense on the right track in 2003.
Lions quarterback Jeff Otis has thrown for just 374 yards in three games. And tight end Wade Fletcher, who had a breakout season in 2003, has just one catch for five yards so far this season.
Maybe this is the week that the Lions get it right, playing against a Lafayette team that has given up 73 points in two games against Ivy League competition this year.
