In a game defined by grit, resilience and a pair of key defensive takeaways early in the first quarter, Dartmouth football defeated the Princeton Tigers 20-17 on Saturday afternoon. The win moved the Big Green to 6-2 on the season and 3-2 in Ivy League play, good for third in the conference.
The Dartmouth defense started off on the right foot, with defensive back Patrick Campbell ’26 picking off Princeton quarterback Kai Colón on the Tigers’ opening drive. The interception gave the offense great field position: Following a dime up the seam to tight end Taysire Williams ’27 that put Dartmouth within the 5-yard line, quarterback Grayson Saunier ’27 punched it in on a quarterback keeper to put Dartmouth up 7 early in the first quarter.
The Tigers’ offense couldn’t catch a break. Midway through a promising second drive, Colón fired a dart over the middle intended for wide receiver Paul Kuhner. The football bounced off Kuhner’s hand, and defensive back Harrison Keith ’27 grabbed the ball with one extended arm as he hit the ground, killing any Princeton momentum.
“Right place, right time,” Keith said about his interception. “The ball came my way, and I was able to make a play. And then we scored on that drive too, so we know how much it means to create turnovers and change the game.”
Saunier completed eight of his nine passes for over 100 yards in the first quarter, spreading the wealth to tight end Chris Corbo ’26 and receivers Grayson O’Bara ’26 and Nick Lemon ’27. On the last play of the quarter, Saunier evaded the Tigers’ blitz and hit Corbo with a 26-yard toe-tap catch on the sideline to convert on third-and-long. One play later, running back D.J. Crowther ’27 punched it in from 3-yards out to put the Big Green up 14-0 at the start of the second quarter.
Despite the deficit, the Tigers didn’t back down. A solid offensive response on their next drive set them up deep in Dartmouth territory, but consistent quarterback pressure forced a Princeton field goal attempt. Things went from bad to worse when kicker Esteban Nunez Perez “doinked” the 33-yard kick off the upright to leave Princeton scoreless.
The Big Green held their lead for the rest of the first half, with stellar defensive coverage and quarterback pressure forcing the Tigers to settle for two field goal attempts, one of which they scored. Keith and defensive back Niquis Ratcliff ’28 had key pass breakups late in the second quarter, while edge rusher Thaddeus Gianaris ’26 made a big sack. The “bend, don’t break” mentality was huge for Dartmouth, who didn’t allow the Tigers to find the end zone in the first half despite several consistent drives.
“I thought our defense did a good job,” said head coach Sammy McCorkle. “Backed up, bend but don’t break. They bowed up.”
Saunier recorded just one incompletion in the entire first half, consistently hitting his targets and evading pressure to keep the offense moving. His unique dual-threat skill set was on full display once again and has proven to be a key reason for Dartmouth’s success this season.
In the second half, the Big Green’s offense came out firing with Crowther kicking off their first drive by trucking Princeton defenders and shedding tackles for a 36-yard gain. After getting into Princeton territory, Saunier found Corbo up the seam for a 25-yard score to put the Big Green up 20-3.
“That was fun,” Corbo said. “Great play call by Coach [Shane] Montgomery, trusting us, and Grayson threw it on a seam … it was great.”
The Tigers began clawing their way back in the third quarter. Key plays from running back Ethan Clark and wide receiver Josh Robinson on Princeton’s first offensive drive of the second half brought Princeton knocking on Dartmouth’s door inside the 5-yard line. Once again, though, the Big Green didn’t break. Two consecutive stops on the ground and an incompletion led to a fourth-down try from the Dartmouth 2-yard line. Colón scrambled and tried to find a target, but pressure from linebacker Nico Schwikal ’26 forced a tight throw that was broken up by Campbell, leading to a turnover-on-downs.
After giving up the ball on a three-and-out late in the third quarter, however, Dartmouth couldn’t hold off the Princeton offense and gave up a short rushing touchdown to begin the fourth. Campbell broke up the following two-point try to make the score 20-9 in favor of the Big Green.
The Dartmouth offense continued to falter in their next couple of possessions. With three minutes to go in the fourth quarter and the Big Green still up 11, a missed field goal attempt gave Princeton possession. A quick 11-play drive ended with Colón sneaking into the end zone and scoring a two-point conversion with 30 seconds left. An onside kick attempt was the Tigers’ last hope, but Corbo made yet another huge play, recovering the ball and giving Dartmouth the 20-17 victory.
Despite the Dartmouth victory, the Tigers’ offense outgained the Big Green by over 100 yards and had twice as many first downs, which speaks to the impact of the Big Green’s defensive playmakers on scoring opportunities. Turnovers and big fourth-down stops held the Tigers’ offense throughout the day..
“Whenever the defense makes plays … to put us in short fields and positions to put up points, we can take advantage of that,” Corbo said. “We take advantage of every opportunity possible when they create a turnover.”
Dartmouth’s next test will be Cornell University at home this Saturday. The Big Red, who are fifth in the Ivy League at 4-4 overall and 3-2 in conference play, are red hot after beating the University of Pennsylvania 39-17 on the road last week for their first four-game win streak since 1999. Both teams will look to carry their midseason momentum into a pivotal Ivy League matchup with playoff implications on the line.
