The Big Red, with whom the Big Green has had a storied rivalry, was the last team to lose to the Big Green. That loss came in a 59-31 shootout last November in which the Big Green scored more points in a single game than it has in the past 72 years.
Since that game, Dartmouth (0-7, 0-4 Ivy) has lost nine straight games, landing the team in last place in the Ivy League. Cornell (3-4, 1-3 Ivy) is currently tied for sixth place with Columbia in the conference standings. The Big Green hopes to end its streak this weekend and salvage part of a tough season that has left both players and fans disappointed.
This weekend's game will mark the 92nd time that the two teams have met in a rivalry that has included the legendary "fifth down" game, as well as a number of other historic contests, including last year's game.
The Big Green holds a 51-39-1 advantage overall in the series. Thirty-nine of those games have been decided by one touchdown or less.
Last year's match-up produced four 60-plus yard touchdown plays and seven turnovers by the Big Red in an up-and-down, high-scoring game, which included interceptions returned for touchdowns and 952 total yards of offense between the two teams.
This year, Dartmouth faces a Big Red squad that is first in the Ivy League in receiving offense, second with 2,734 yards of total offense and fifth with 19.3 points scored per game.
Last week against Princeton, the Big Red gained 555 yards on offense as the Tigers held off a late rally to beat Cornell, 31-26.
Quarterback Nathan Ford, who garnered a reference last week on NBC's "The Office," comes into Saturday's contest leading the league with 1,913 passing yards and is fourth in touchdown passes with 10. Ford passed for 431 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in last week's loss to Princeton.
Wideouts Jesse Baker and Bryan Walters are fifth and sixth in the conference in passing yards per game, respectively. Running back Ryan Barbour is the leading offensive producer for Cornell with 314 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Defensively, the Big Red is next to last (ahead of Dartmouth in both categories) in scoring defense and total defense, as Cornell has yielded 27.4 points per game and 370.3 yards. Against Princeton, Cornell gave up 390 total yards, including 230 yards on the ground.
Linebacker Alex Gross is first in the league with 72 tackles, while teammate Drew Quinn is second with 71 stops. Defensive end Lou Miller's five sacks is second overall in the Ivy League, while his 11 tackles for loss are the best among conference players.
Considering the offensive struggles of the Big Green this season, another game like last year's is unlikely. This season, Dartmouth has averaged just 12.7 points and gained 1,735 total yards of offense through seven games. With three games left to play, the Big Green is yet to cross the 100-point mark -- the team has scored just 89 points all season, while its opponents have scored 233 against Dartmouth.
The inconsistent play can be largely attributed to the lack of an effective running attack. Dartmouth has gained 380 total yards on the ground this season, with Milan Williams '09 leading the way with just 266 rushing yards and one touchdown. Against the Crimson last week, the team hit a low point. With its two top runners " Williams and Nick Schwieger '12 " out of comission, the team had a net gain of -2 yards all game.
The inability to establish a legitimate rushing threat has hurt the Big Green passing attack, despite a wealth of talent at both the quarterback and wide receiver positions.
Despite throwing for over 300 yards in Dartmouth's opening game against Colgate University, quarterback Alex Jenny '10 has struggled to establish consistency through the air. He has just five touchdowns and nine interceptions on the season, in addition to amassing 1,132 passing yards and completing 55.6 percent of his passes. Jenny has earned a respectable 99.3 quarterback efficiency rating.
Conner Kempe '12 also performed admirably last game against Harvard, orchestrating a late fourth-quarter drive that culminated in his first career touchdown pass, helping Dartmouth avoid the shutout with just 44 seconds left to play.
At the receiver position, Tim McManus '11 has led the charge, reeling in 35 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Philip Galligan '09 and Eric Paul '09 have also been consistent targets, gaining 234 and 167 yards on the year, respectively.
Jimmy Mullen '09, a varsity lacrosse player and a senior walk-on to the football team, has added to an already potent lineup, gaining a team-leading 37 yards on three catches last week in his first game back from injury.
Despite the talent, the passing attack has made little impact on the team, failing to convert opportunities and lead the team to its first victory.
The play of the defense has also been highlighted by strong individual performances but has been unable to stop its opponents, allowing 33.3 points per game, a nearly insurmountable statistic when considering the team's offensive woes.
Safety Ian Wilson '08 has led the team, making 70 tackles and two interceptions on the year. Co-captain and linebacker Andrew Dete '09 has 47 tackles, while defensive back Pete Pidermann '10 has recorded 46 stops and hauled in an interception.
Defensive back Shawn Abuhoff '12 has also burst onto the scene, with 25 tackles and two interceptions this year. He earned Ivy League Football Rookie of the Week honors for his performance during the Harvard game. Along with five tackles, Abuhoff shut down Harvard's leading receiver Matt Luft -- one of the best wideouts in the Ivy League -- holding him to just two catches for 27 yards.
Despite the team's struggles, three players were honored this week for their strong athletic and academic performances this year. Dete, McManus and punter Brian Scullin '09 were selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I Team for their outstanding achievement both on the field and in the classroom.
Cornell, who started the season with three straight wins, including a win over Yale, has lost its last four games.
Yale captain Bobby Abare congratulated the Big Red. "They have great senior leadership," Abare said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "They're a very strong team."
The Big Green will have to play its best football if it intends to beat Cornell, but with the Big Red's recent struggles, the game presents the perfect opportunity for Dartmouth to break out of its slump and notch its first win.
Dartmouth kicks off against Cornell at 1 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 8 at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, N.Y.
