SACRED HEART PIONEERS VS. DARTMOUTH BIG GREEN

WHERE: Memorial Field; Hanover, N.H. WHEN: Saturday, 6 p.m. RECORDS: Sacred Heart (3-2, 1-0 NEC); Dartmouth (4-0, 2-0 Ivy) LAST MEETING: 29-26 Dartmouth; Oct. 14, 2017 (Dartmouth leads 3-2 all-time) LAST WEEK: Sacred Heart — Lost to Penn, 31-27; Dartmouth — Beat Yale, 41-18

ABOUT SACRED HEART: The Pioneers got off to an encouraging start amid low expectations. Double-digit wins over Lafayette, Bucknell and Wagner seemed to renew enthusiasm throughout the program off last year’s unsatisfying 4-7 finish. Their offense was humming, averaging a healthy 35.3 points per game. Their defense, albeit young, was making plays. All seemed well for the Pioneers until their foray into the Ivy League. After being turned aside by Cornell (43-24) and Penn (31-27), the Pioneers get to tussle with one of the conference’s toughest teams in Dartmouth. It’s a tall order for the Pioneers, who sure could use a win to keep their season from spiraling further.

ABOUT DARTMOUTH: The Big Green continue to defy expectations. Picked sixth in the Ivy League preseason media poll, Dartmouth is off to an eye-opening 4-0 start. Buddy Teevens and Co. are coming off perhaps their most impressive victory of the season — a 41-18 rout of league favorite Yale in New Haven — and have yet to show any signs of letting up. Their defense has been most impressive, limiting opponents to just 248.5 yards per game (fourth-best in FCS).

TOP PLAYERS: Sacred Heart — Sr. QB Kevin Duke (1,076 passing yds., 10 TD, 5 INT); Sr. RB Jordan Meachum (95 carries, 501 yds., 4 TD); Jr. DE Chris Agyemang (27 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 1 FF); Sr. DE Aaron Donalson (25 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 FF, 1 TD); Fr. P Noah Gettman (40.6 avg); Dartmouth — Soph. QB Derek Kyler (752 passing yds., 8 TD, 1 INT); Sr. WR Drew Hunnicutt (16 receptions, 331 yds., 2 TD); Sr. OT Matt Kaskey (6-7, 325); Sr. LB Jack Traynor (28 tackles); Jr. CB Isiah Swann (17 tackles, 5 INT)

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Dartmouth QB Derek Kyler vs. Sacred Heart secondary — Kyler has filled in capably at quarterback for Jack Heneghan (signed as an undrafted free agent with the 49ers). He’s completed almost 75 percent of his passes with only one interception.

DID YOU KNOW?: Hired before the start of the season, Dartmouth offensive quality control coach Callie Brownson is college football’s first full-time female Division I coach. Brownson had interned in the New York Jets scouting department during the summer of 2017.

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