There’s nothing quite like football played under the Friday night lights. After two straight Dartmouth wins and a historic Ivy League rivalry on tap, the energy is sure to be high in Buddy Teevens Stadium for a showdown between 1-4 Columbia University and the 4-1 Big Green.
The Lions come into the midseason game with a very different trajectory. They will look to bounce back after dropping their last three games, while the Big Green are coming off consecutive victories against Yale and Fordham University.
This matchup has over a century of history, with the first game dating back to 1899. Dartmouth currently has a 39-6 win-loss record when hosting the Lions, but past success has not altered the team’s discipline and consistency in preparing for this week’s game.
“We have to really understand what they’re doing defensively, so that comes down to watching extra film [and] making sure we have high attention to detail during practice,” wide receiver Grayson O’Bara ’26 said. “Columbia is that type of team where they’re gonna run what they run and try to be more disciplined in their spots than you are.”
The Big Green’s offensive game plan is to establish themselves on the ground. Columbia is allowing 173 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns per game, the highest figures in the Ivy League. Both O’Bara and head coach Sammy McCorkle emphasized keeping Dartmouth’s strong run game churning on Friday.
“We try to harp on down-the-field and perimeter blocking,” said O’Bara. “[That] is what makes the 5-yard gains runs go to 20, 25-yard gains.”
Starting running back D.J. Crowther ’26 is averaging 94 yards per game with seven rushing touchdowns, while the team as a whole averages over 175 yards per contest. These numbers, all second-highest in the conference in their respective categories, are made possible by a seasoned offensive line. The line is headlined with experienced starters, including four seniors, who have worked together for years.
“They really play well together,” McCorkle said. “They lean on each other.”
Columbia’s offense is coming off a strong outing against the University of Pennsylvania, when quarterback Caleb Sanchez threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-35 loss. To prepare for the Lions’ offense, linebacker Zyion Freer-Brown ’26 emphasized discipline as the key to stopping Columbia’s offense.
“Honestly, we’re focusing on ourselves,” Freer-Brown said, “just making sure that we’re sound and that our linemen and assignments are sound [and] that we play Dartmouth football at the end of the day.”
Freer-Brown went off against Fordham University last week, tallying eight total tackles, including two tackles for losses, and a sack. To replicate that success, he pointed out the importance of preparation both on and off the field.
“I feel like getting in the film room and watching tendencies plays a major role in football,” Freer-Brown said. “Just reading and reacting and seeing stuff … and then being able to go make the plays on the field.”
Despite their success, the Big Green still has room for improvement on both sides of the ball. McCorkle specifically referenced taking care of little errors that have held back the team thus far, especially defensively.
“We have the assignments down,” McCorkle said, “I think we’ve got to make sure we’re in the right spots and that all eleven guys are on the same page. We’ve got to be able to put pressure; we can’t allow them to establish a run against us.”
The message was the same when discussing offensive errors.
“We’ve got to take care of the ball, and we’ve got to keep the chains moving,” said McCorkle. “That’s going to be the biggest thing, too, moving that ball down the field. We’ve got to mix it up. We can’t be predictable.”
O’Bara had similar thoughts as to how the offense has been preparing to succeed.
“We’ve been repping the same plays since spring ball since Coach [Shane] Montgomery got here with a new offense,” O’Bara said. “Me and Grayson [Saunier] have built some pretty good chemistry on our core plays … just maximizing those big plays during the game and really being able to actually execute [in] the game is icing on the cake.”
The connections on this team are key to its success, especially for Freer-Brown and the linebacker core. He, Nico Schwikal ’26 and Thaddeus Gianaris ’26 have been consistent contributors to the Big Green defense, and much of that is due to their close bond.
“It’s kind of like a three-headed monster, ” Free-Brown said. “Me and [Nico] Shwikal in the middle, and then you got Teddy [Gianaris] rushing the passer or setting the edge for our defense, so I feel like that’s a pretty scary matchup for some opponents… It’s been a great thing playing with those guys the past couple years, just gelling together and creating that bond.”
The linebacker core and the rest of the team will gain the support of the Dartmouth faithful in Hanover.
“Friday night lights, no better feeling,” Freer-Brown said. “Just come out, support, be rowdy and go Big Green!”
Players to watch
- Columbia: LB #15 Jack Smiechowski, WR #85 Titus Evans, DL #36 Justin Townsend
- Dartmouth: RB #10 Desmin Jackson ’26, DB #24 Harrison Keith ’27, TE #7 Chris Corbo ’26
