Rittgers at controls of Big Green pass attack

In the third game of the 2003 season, then Dartmouth sophomore Charlie Rittgers finally got the call.

The Lebanon, Ohio, native earned the starting quarterback spot and would be making his debut against a formidable Penn pass rush and pass defense.

Rittgers responded to the challenge with an impressive, poised start, completing 28-of-48 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns in a hard-fought 34-20 Penn victory.

"He played very, very courageously," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said.

The auspicious debut earned Rittgers the starting role for the remainder of the season.

The 6-foot-1, 195 pound sophomore finished the season with 177 completions on 312 attempts, 15 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 2,138 yards.

And according to Bagnoli, Rittgers has only matured since his first start against Penn.

In two losing efforts this season against ranked opponents, Rittgers' improvement has been readily apparent.

In a 45-24 loss to then No. 10 New Hampshire last weekend, Rittgers completed 28-of-48 passes, this time for 349 yards and three touchdowns.

Against current No. 10 Colgate two weekends ago, Rittgers passed 56 times, completing 26 of his attempts for 279 yards.

But in both games this season, Rittgers has shown a tendency to throw interceptions. The junior was picked off twice in both games.

Still, Bagnoli emphasized the experience Rittgers has developed since the teams met in Hanover, N.H., last season.

"Since [his first start], you see a definite maturity," he said.

The Penn defensive contingent will be focusing on stopping Rittgers' aerial attack tomorrow at Franklin Field. In both games this season, the passing game has dominated Dartmouth's offensive schemes.

Against Colgate, the Big Green ran the ball only 21 times, opting to pass on 56 occasions. And in the loss to New Hampshire, Dartmouth also showed a preference for the passing game, running the ball only 26 times.

And when the Big Green has chosen to relieve Rittgers of some pressure by running, its strategy has been ineffective, as Dartmouth has rushed for an average of only 52.5 yards per contest.

Rittgers, however, has shown a knack for getting out of the pocket while opposing defenses focus on thwarting his passing attack. The junior ran the ball three times for 28 yards against Colgate and twice for 21 yards against New Hampshire.

The Dartmouth quarterback will be challenged by a stingy Penn defense.

Although the Quakers allowed 331 passing yards in a drubbing over San Diego two weekends ago, Penn's secondary held Villanova quarterback Marvin Burroughs to just 166 passing yards on 26 attempts.

What's more, Penn's pass rush has been fairly successful, recording nine sacks on the season, including six on Burroughs in last weekend's 16-13 loss to the Wildcats.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.