Holy Cross dominated possession throughout the game, holding the ball for over 38 minutes and gaining 522 yards of total offense. Dual-threat senior quarterback Ryan Taggart led the Crusader attack with 250 yards passing and 176 yards rushing. Dartmouth focused its game plan on eliminating Taggart from important plays, forcing the Big Green to concentrate on containment more than its own blitz attack.
Dartmouth's offense also continued to struggle, recording only 224 yards in the game.
The game had individual bright spots, as running back Nick Schwieger '12 gained 112 yards on the ground and notched the Big Green's first touchdown. Eddie Smith '12 played a strong defensive game, sacking Taggart twice and recording nine tackles.
Quarterback Dan Rooney '12 made his first career start but struggled, completing just one pass for 10 yards. Conner Kempe '12 played the fourth quarter and went 7 for 16 for 73 yards, including a touchdown pass to Bo Patterson '15.
Smith said the team attempted to rally behind Rooney.
"We support whoever," Smith said. "Just because someone is competing for a position doesn't mean they're competing for our support."
Teevens said that two quarterbacks were given time in the last two games to display their skills, but "Kempe played better than he has been."
The Big Green received the opening kickoff, but the Crusaders forced a three-and-out and quickly took over, driving down the field and scoring with a touchdown pass from Taggart.
The Big Green stalled on its next drive, and Holy Cross proceeded to march deep into Dartmouth territory again. Just when it seemed inevitable that Holy Cross would score another touchdown, however, the Dartmouth defense came up with a stop and forced the Crusaders to kick a field goal.
Trailing 10-0 at the start of the second quarter, the Big Green embarked on a drive that started with two first downs but ended with a Rooney interception in Holy Cross territory. With a sudden shift in momentum, the Crusaders drove to the Dartmouth 39 yard line.
But the Big Green held Holy Cross on fourth down and with one yard to go, taking the ball back. Its next drive featured a hard-fought 34-yard burst from Schwieger. Schwieger lost the ball deep in Holy Cross territory, but Patterson was able to pick up the fumble and run for another eight yards. Schwieger punched the ball in, clawing the Big Green back into the game.
The Crusaders drove down the field, but the weather was on Dartmouth's side. After a penalty and a sack by Smith, Holy Cross was faced with a dilemma. Rather than attempt a 40-yard field goal into the wind as the half expired, the Crusaders tried to go for the end zone and came up short when Shawn Abuhoff '12 batted the ball down.
A combeback seemed possible as the second half started, but Holy Cross took the opening kick back into Dartmouth territory, with Riley Lyons '15 saving a touchdown with his tackle at the 40. Unable to defend the short field, Dartmouth gave up a touchdown on a rush by Crusaders junior Sam Auffant.
Abuhoff returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards, giving Dartmouth excellent field position, but the Big Green was held to a field goal. In the third quarter, Holy Cross players scored on all three drives to take a 25-10 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Big Green played with energy in the final push of the game and had the ball deep in Holy Cross territory twice under Kempe, who was substituted back into the game at the onset of the fourth quarter. Dartmouth cut the lead to 25-17 with 2:19 left in the game, but by that point it was too late, and the Crusaders ran out the clock for the win.
"We need to find a passing game," Schwieger said, in a sentiment echoed by Teevens. "We were too one-dimensional."
Teevens said Kempe will start when Dartmouth plays Columbia University in its Homecoming game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Smith said the Big Green is disappointed with its current record, adding that the team is handling it "as well as we can."
"No one, including ourselves, expected us to be where we are now," Smith said.
