WORCESTER – Holy Cross two-time All-American linebacker Jacob Dobbs has unfinished team business to attend to.
The Crusaders tore through last season with a campaign unmatched in program history. Holy Cross went undefeated in the regular season, captured its fourth straight Patriot League title and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs with a school record 12 wins.
Dobbs is back for a fifth season at a school that does not have a graduate program because he was more spectator than a participant in last year’s historic run. Holy Cross opened the 2023 season at home against Merrimack on Sept. 2 and has two FBS opponents on its non-league schedule, Boston College and Army.
Dobb was the reigning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and a safe bet to reclaim that honor headed into week four of the 2022 season.
But his run ended at Colgate where he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, a situation exacerbated by tears in the triceps and forearm. He would miss the next nine games while the Crusaders program reached new heights. Dobbs underwent surgery and an extensive rehab that was all-encompassing and time-consuming, but he showed up at training camp revitalized and ready to go.
“It’s been blessing just to be out here,” said Dobbs. “It is so exciting to be out there at full go, full throttle with no restrictions. I am doing all the things I was having to stand behind in the spring and observe from a distance.”
Under dual-threat quarterback Matt Sluka, the Crusaders compiled 5,842 yards of total offense, 449.4 per game and 37.4 points per game, eighth-best in FCS. Those numbers expect to go higher with most of the skill positions players and offensive line back this season.
Dobbs feels the HC defense will contribute to exceeding those offensive stats. Every time the defense forces a three-and-out or return specialist Delvin Haskins flips the field, Holy Cross is capable of scoring.
“When you have that kind of offense backing you up, every time we take the field, we know that if we do our jobs, they are going to do their jobs,” said Dobbs. “We know they are going to pop and it’s not if, it’s when.”
CAMBRIDGE – The Crimson begin their 150th season with a firm commitment to protect the house.
Harvard beat the odds by going 5-0 on the road last season, a record that would normally be indicative of a championship run. But the Crimson were 1-4 at Harvard Stadium, which left them in fourth place in the Ivy league behind Yale, Penn, and Princeton. Three of the home defeats were by single digits and could have gone the other way.
“There is no question that hurt and there was one of them where we missed three field goals,” said Harvard coach Tim Murphy. “It was very frustrating at every level because when you win on the road your team shows a lot of character.
“But we just didn’t finish against teams we needed to finish against.”
With no redshirts, fifth-year players or graduate students allowed on the team, Harvard faces a rebuilding situation every season. The Crimson return four starters on offense and four on defense.
Last year’s starting quarterback Charlie Dean and the two guys behind him on the depth chart all graduated along with tailback Aidan Blodget, who rushed for 1,216 yards and 10 touchdowns. The defense has three returning starters on the front four led by FCS preseason All-American tackle Thor Griffith.
“You can make a case that every year is a rebuild for no other reason than in our program, we graduate 25 kids every year,” said Murphy. “We feel we can be in the thick of things if we keep making progress and the quarterback position overall, I’m very optimistic about that.”
AMHERST – UMass coach Don Brown leaned heavy on the transfer postal and went light on the high school recruits in a concerted effort to build an older team for the 2023 season.
The UMass exit on the NCAA transfer portal was one of the busiest off-ramps in FBS at the end of the 2022 season and before and after spring practice. UMass announced 13 transfers on Feb. 1 alone, nine from Power-5 programs and five from Arizona, Brown’s last stop before taking the UMass job.
“We have gotten older and I think we have some leadership coming from the upper classes and some of those guys that were in the transfer portal but it is all good,” said Brown.
“I think we are a lot better than we were a year ago without question. Now the question is can we transfer it from the practice field to the game field and that’s the challenge.”
Brown received instant gratification for his team-building when the Minutemen opened the season with a 41-30 victory over New Mexico State on Aug. 26 at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, N.M.
Clemson transfer Taisun Phommachanh won the starting QB job in training camp over incumbent Brady Olson. Phommachanh completed 10-of-17 passes for 192 yards while rushing for 96 on 17 carries.
UMass played a second straight road match against SEC power Auburn the following Saturday. UMass plays its first home game against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 9
The UConn Huskies, one of the four FBS independent programs, win six games last season and claimed top-dog status in New England with victories over UMass and Boston College. The Huskies are led up front by guard Christian Haynes, a Sporting News first team preseason All-American.
The New Hampshire Wildcats (7-1) were co-champions of the CAA last season under first-year head coach Ricky Santos. Returning tailback Dylan Laube led FCS with 194.3 all-purpose yards per game. The defense is led by edge rusher Josiah Silver.
The Rhode Island Rams are ranked in the Top 25 in three major FCS polls going into the season. Right guard Nick Correia has started 37 straight games and was a 2022 All-CAA first team selection.
Maine looks to improve on last year’s 2-6 record in the CAA. Offensive lineman Kevin Jones and defensive back Buggs Brown are All-CAA preseason picks.