The Big Green football team faced a tall task this past week: Start classes along with the rest of campus, and prepare to face the No. 7 ranked Lehigh University Mountain Hawks on the road.
The Mountain Hawks had a clear advantage not only in the national rankings but in experience as well, coming into the contest with a 3-0 record while Dartmouth’s squad made their season debut. After a back-and-forth battle and some late-game dramatics, the Big Green fell 24-20.
It was no secret that this game would be a challenge. Lehigh had blown out each of their prior opponents their season, putting up 35, 45 and 44 points over the course of their first three matchups. In an interview before the game, Dartmouth head coach Sammy McCorkle acknowledged the fundamental strength of the opponent.
“They’re well-coached,” McCorkle said. “Their coaching staff does a great job of preparing them, and you have to be prepared for a physical football game.”
Preparing the Big Green to play against Lehigh’s high-powered offensive attack fell on the shoulders of Jordan Belfiori, the Big Green’s defensive coach who was making his debut with the team. Belfiori arrived on campus after coaching for one season at Butler University and seven years at Colgate University, eager to implement his defensive philosophy and help develop the younger players on the team.
“The one big thing about college football is that you’re always developing the next guys in the wing,” Belfiori said. “Stepping into this role seven months ago, we knew we were going to lose a lot of guys from graduation, so it was all about the development of the younger guys coming up for the program.”
Statistically, the Mountain Hawks had much more trouble finding explosive plays against Dartmouth than previous opponents. Luke Yoder, a 2025 All-American who leads the Lehigh rushing attack, was the focal point of their offense, recording 150 rushing yards on 27 carries and finding the end zone twice from goal-line situations. Despite his stellar performance, Dartmouth only allowed 73 passing yards from Lehigh quarterback Derek Morgan, who was filling in for the injured Hayden Johnson — an encouraging performance for the young Big Green secondary.
A defensive emphasis heading into this game was group tackling, with Belfiori and McCorkle both hammering home the importance of swarming to the ball and avoiding one-on-one tackling situations.
“I thought the guys pursued the football,” McCorkle said. “When [Luke Yoder] broke a tackle, there was another guy there to hit him.”
Offensively, Dartmouth was turnover-free until it mattered most, as quarterback Grayson Saunier ’27 threw an interception with 19 seconds left to seal the loss. Still, there were several bright spots and flashes that the Big Green will hope to build on in coming weeks. Wide receiver Nick Lemon ’27 led the passing attack with five catches for 102 yards, with fellow wideout Ky’dric Fisher ’28 adding 88 yards and a deep score down the sideline in the final minute of the first half.
Saunier said he knew that there were plays everyone on the offense would have liked to have back.
“I think we performed well at times, they’re a good team and we know that, but we feel we beat ourselves today,” Saunier said.
Still, McCorkle highlighted encouraging performances he saw from younger players stepping up into bigger roles across the offense. Offensive lineman Paul Binder ’29 and tight end Jason Bish ’29 saw significant playing time after primarily serving backup roles last season.
“I thought the o-line stepped up today and did a good job protecting for [Saunier],” Coach McCorkle said, “And I thought our wide receivers stepped up, making some big plays for us in critical situations.”
Ultimately, the Big Green gave Lehigh a bigger scare than any other team they’ve faced this year. Heading into the season after several key starters across the roster graduated last spring, promising threads to follow indicate that Dartmouth will not be any less of a threat in the Ivy League this upcoming season. Look forward to an exciting matchup at home against Monmouth University this Saturday, Sept. 26, with kickoff slated for 1 p.m.
