Big Green’s Abuhoff to give CU issues on returns and defense

Many teams see their punt return game as a battle for better field position. Dartmouth senior cornerback and kick/punt returner Shawn Abuhoff allows the Big Green to see it as a chance to score.

“He’s a big performer in our return game,” Dartmouth head coach Buddy Teevens said.

Abuhoff has played in all of Dartmouth’s 35 games over his four seasons and has made several trips to the end zone, with five career touchdowns through returns and interceptions.

“You’ve got to be able to cover kicks if you’re going to kick him the football,” Columbia head coach Norries Wilson said. “If we kick the ball, we’re going to try to do a good job game planning where we kick the ball.”

“He’s always returning kicks. People are reluctant to kick the ball to him, which is frustrating for him, but it provides field position for us that we might not have otherwise had,” Teevens said.

With three career punt returns for touchdowns, Abuhoff currently leads that category among teams in the Football Championship Subdivision.
“He’s a dangerous player,” said Wilson.

Abuhoff not only distinguishes himself as a special teams returner, but also as a distinguished member of Dartmouth’s secondary, having earned First Team All-Ivy Honors in 2010 as both a kick/punt returner and as a cornerback.

“We try to match him up with the best players we are facing,” Teevens said.

Already in the 2011 season, Abuhoff has 26 tackles, an interception, and 35 tackles for a loss in the 2011 season, on pace to exceed his 2010 statistics.

“We’re going to have our hands full with him just like we had our hands full with Billy [Penn quarterback Billy Ragone],” Norries said.

Abuhoff and senior tailback Nick Schwieger are Dartmouth’s two biggest weapons. Schwieger alone has amassed 551 running yards, averaging over 110 yards per game this season and leading the Ivy League in 2011. Together, Schwieger and Abuhoff have combined for 983 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns this season.

“Our running game has been solid with Nick [Schwieger],” Teevens said.

At (1-4, 0-2 Ivy), Dartmouth has struggled to string together wins. With close losses to Sacred Heart, Holy Cross, and Penn, the Big Green are looking to earn their second win of 2011 at their homecoming against Columbia.

“Our offense can be a little one dimensional. We need to be more productive with the pass defensively, and more productive in getting opponents off the field. Those are the biggest things for us because we haven’t been able to get the wins we’ve been seeking,” Teevens said.

Both teams have struggled against Ivy League opponents this season. Columbia ranks seventh out of eight in the Ivy League for total offensive yards, and Dartmouth ranks eighth of eight. Considering this statistic, Dartmouth will be looking both for Abuhoff to create opportunities to score and stop Columbia’s offense from scoring.

“Shawn needs to play his position soundly. Columbia has a very athletic quarterback in Brackett. Brackett has really impressed me since he has come to the scene. Shawn needs to lead run cover support, pass cover support, execute both responsibilities effectively for us to have a productive defense,” Teevens said.

While both teams have kept the scores close against their opponents this season, neither team has earned their first Ivy League victory for 2011.

“Columbia has done a tremendous job, they are very competitive, and they’re like us, struggling in the win-loss column. However they are a very competitive football team, and they work at it. It will present a tremendous challenge,” Teevens said.