By the middle of the Dartmouth football team's 2005 campaign, the most unlikely of quarterbacks emerged. Josh Cohen, a true freshman, completed 25 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start against Holy Cross and earned the starting job for the rest of the season.
With the 6-foot-5 gunslinger at the helm, it seemed as though the Big Green had its quarterback of the future.
But just as Dartmouth was getting comfortable with Cohen under center, he was suspended for the 2006 season for underachieving in the classroom, forcing head coach Buddy Teevens to find a replacement quickly. In a hotly contested race for the new starting spot, junior Tom Bennewitz emerged as the best candidate and took the first snaps of the year.
Those first snaps would be among his last. Bennewitz tore ligaments connecting the collarbone to the sternum while being dragged down by a Colgate defender late in the season opener. By the time he was ready to make his return, senior Mike Fritz had taken over for good, and Bennewitz was forced to sit on the bench.
"He worked very hard to rehab himself to get back, which is a credit to him," Teevens said. "He could have been called upon, but Mike Fritz did a nice job."
Now, Fritz has graduated, Cohen has regained his eligibility and Bennewitz has taken back his starting job.
Bennewitz, an athletic quarterback with a strong arm, has made the most of his opportunity so far, throwing for two touchdowns last week against New Hampshire and three touchdowns in the Big Green's opener against Colgate.
"He's rebounded well, is physically capable and fit, and has performed fairly well for us," Teevens said.
Still, Teevens is more than content to switch up quarterbacks at a moment's notice.
Against New Hampshire, Teevens played four different quarterbacks throughout the course of the game, including Cohen, sophomore Alex Jenny and freshman Tim McManus.
"I have a different perspective on quarterbacks," Teevens said. "Some people believe you have to lock in on a guy and stay with him through thick or thin. My thought is that they're no different from most positions.
As a result, Teevens has routinely subbed quarterbacks in and out of games and is prepared to stick with whomever is performing the best on a particular day.
Penn coach Al Bagnoli noted that the senior leadership and experience that Bennewitz brings to the table has provided stability for Dartmouth's offense, which has averaged close to 30 points this year.
"They've got a veteran nucleus back, and they've got a lot of kids with experience," he said.
Indeed, Teevens praised Bennewitz's leadership and work ethic and pointed out that he has become more comfortable in the pocket this season, helping to boost Dartmouth's passing game.
But with the fluidity of the quarterback position at Dartmouth, there's no telling exactly how long Bennewitz will remain in the starting role. He declined to be interviewed for this article.
