It wasn't pretty the University of Pennsylvania extended its Ivy League winning streak to 16 games Saturday night, and in so doing, spoiled the first night game in the 130-year history of Dartmouth football. Penn quarterback Billy Ragone was the hero on a cold and rainy night in Hanover, leading the Quakers on a 13-play, 89-yard touchdown drive. The progression was capped by a three-yard touchdown pass to wideout Ryan Calvert with 17 seconds remaining, giving Penn (1-2, 1-0 Ivy) a 22-20 victory.
The game drew approximately 8,000 rowdy fans to the stadium, but began slowly it looked as if the first quarter would end without any scoring. But with 2:54 to go and Dartmouth at its own 15-yard line, three-time co-captain Tim McManus '11 took the snap in the Wildcat formation and coughed up the ball, sending it flying 15 feet in the air. Penn defensive lineman Brandon Copeland was there to recover and scooted into the end zone, giving the Quakers a 7-0 lead.
Kicker Foley Schmidt '12 got the Big Green on the board three minutes later, connecting on a career-long 46-yard field goal to pull Dartmouth within four.
Midway through the second quarter, Dartmouth elected to use the Wildcat again, but the result was disastrous, as McManus went down after taking a hard blow to the head. To add insult to injury, Nick Schweiger '12 was called for a chop block, resulting in a 15-yard penalty on the play. Both teams continued to struggle offensively for the remainder of the half, particularly the Big Green, who put together just three first downs through the first two quarters.
The Quakers had no trouble marching into Dartmouth territory, but couldn't capitalize in the final third of the field. Penn made it past the Dartmouth 26-yard line three times in the second quarter, but came away with just six points to show for it thanks to a few critical defensive stops by the Big Green, none bigger than a fumble recovery by Bronson Green '14 at the Big Green 17-yard line with 10:41 to go.
Penn closed the half with a 35-yard field goal by freshman kicker Connor Loftus, snapping the ball just before the clock reached 0:00 to give the Quakers a 13-3 lead.
The Big Green seized momentum early in the third quarter, as it blocked its third kick in as many games, this one a 36-yard field goal attempt that Teddy Reed '13 got a paw on. Taking over at their own 20, the Big Green finally put together a quality drive, mixing run and pass effectively throughout.
Quarterback Conner Kempe '12 went 4-4 on the possession, including a drive-capping, eight-yard touchdown strike off of his back foot to tight end John Gallagher '12 in the left corner of the end zone. Dominick Pierre '14 also put together runs of 16 and 17 yards on the drive, showcasing his impressive speed and strength.
The teams traded field goals to bring the score to 16-13, Quakers, before Dartmouth took over at its own 46 with 10:10 to play in the game. After a 15-yard facemask penalty took the Big Green into Quaker territory, Penn gave Dartmouth more free yardage as junior cornerback Justyn Williams was called for pass interference, putting the ball at the Penn 31-yard line.
Schwieger took advantage of the penalties two plays later, taking a delayed handoff up the middle for a 27-yard touchdown run. Several Quakers had a shot at taking Schwieger down inside the five yard line, but the 5'-10", 210-lb Schwieger would not be denied, bouncing off defenders and busting through arm tackles to reach the end zone and give Dartmouth its first lead of the night, 20-16.
When Penn took over with 3:57 remaining in the game, Ragone showed the moxie of a championship quarterback, raising his game when it mattered the most. Just seven of 17 until that point, Ragone completed all eight of his passes on the final drive for 65 yards and added two rushes for 13 more yards to lead the Quakers to a famous win.
