“I’ve very proud of the group,” head coach Buddy Teevens said. “It was a great win for us and a great win for our program.”
Dartmouth now leads the overall series 46-43-4 after snapping Princeton’s eight-game win streak and preventing Princeton from seizing full control of the Ivy championship.
“We didn’t do enough,” junior Quinn Epperly said. “We lost. It’s a terrible way to end the season for these seniors. It really tarnishes a lot of what we did over the year.”
With 23 wins, including 16 conference games, the Class of 2014 finished its career with the most wins for any class in 15 years and defeated Princeton all four years.
Princeton entered having lost to Dartmouth the previous three years. But it seemed Princeton, ranked No. 19 in the FCS Coaches Poll, seemed prepared to break the losing streak with its prolific scoring offense. Princeton’s only loss prior to Saturday was 29-28 to Lehigh.
Epperly led Princeton’s offense in scoring at least 50 points in five of the last eight games. In Princeton’s game against Cornell, Epperly set an NCAA record with 29 straight completions to start a game.
“We knew they had the best offense coming in and we thought we had the best defense coming in, so we knew something’s got to give,” Chrustic said. “If everybody just does their job and doesn’t bite on some fancy things, we’ll do well.”
Last week, Princeton demolished Yale 59-23, earning a share of the Ivy League championship, its 10th in program history and first since 2006. It also broke the Ivy League single-season scoring record when senior Philip Bhaya returned an interception 34 yards for the score with five quarters to go.
“We already felt like we won the title,” head coach Bob Surace said. “We beat the team [Harvard] we tied with. Dartmouth is a good team and it was a toe-to-toe battle but they got us at the end.”
But on Saturday night, Princeton scored just 24 points despite running 104 plays on offense, the most against Dartmouth in at least 40 years. Princeton finished the year with an Ivy League scoring record to 437 points.
Dartmouth built up a 21-0 lead, but almost lost it when Princeton reeled off 21 unanswered points to tie the game early in the third. Williams scored a 17-yard touchdown on the ground midway through the third for what would turn out to be the game-winning score as Princeton could respond with only a field goal.
The game opened up with a three-and-out by both offenses. Williams tried to find Bo Patterson ’15 deep on third down but Patterson was unable to secure possession before stepping out of bounds while Evan Chrustic ’15 sacked Epperly on third down to force a Princeton punt.
Situated at midfield after Princeton’s punt, Dominick Pierre ’14 broke two big runs of 11 and 34 yards to put Dartmouth at the three. Two goal-line plays later, Pierre powered into the end zone from one yard out, putting Dartmouth on top 7-0.
On the drive, Pierre surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the season, and became the first Dartmouth player in program history to score a rushing touchdown in every game.
After another Princeton three-and-out, Williams tried to hit Robbie Anthony ’14 on the corner but sophomore Matt Arends intercepted the pass.
On Princeton’s ensuing drive, Epperly rolled left on the play-action and tried to find junior Connor Kelley. Chase Womack ’14 jumped on the underthrown pass but dropped the potential pick-six. Dartmouth held strong when Epperly threw to senior Roman Wilson on fourth down and Troy Donahue ’15 knocked the ball out of Wilson’s hands.
Dartmouth was unable to capitalize on the turnover on downs, going three-and-out after Williams misfired to Jordan Are ’15.
Dartmouth was given a second chance when Princeton was flagged for roughing the kicker, placing Dartmouth at midfield. However, Dartmouth went backwards fast after a holding penalty on first down and Williams was sacked on second. Dartmouth almost converted the third-and-27 when Williams heaved it deep to Patterson, but the ball flew through Patterson’s outstretched arms.
On Dartmouth’s next drive after a Princeton three-and-out, Williams located Patterson deep down the right sideline for 56 yards, increasing Dartmouth’s lead to 14. Patterson caught the ball at the 19 and fought off a Princeton defender the rest of the way.
Epperly responded on Princeton’s next attempt with a laser to senior Des Smith deep across the middle to the Dartmouth 43. Epperly was fortunate when an interception was ruled incomplete when the Dartmouth defender was ruled out of bounds despite maintaining possession. Chrustic deflected Epperly’s fourth-down pass at the line, giving Dartmouth the ball at its 17.
Dartmouth mounted its longest drive of the game, starting when Kyle Bramble ’16 went up the middle on Dartmouth’s first play before cutting to the left sideline and running 41 yards. Williams finished off the drive with a five-yard read-option touchdown run, running untouched through a massive hole in the middle, extending Dartmouth’s lead to 21.
For Princeton’s next drive, head coach Bob Surace pulled Epperly for junior Connor Michelson. Michelson fared no better after going three-and-out when Eric Wickham ’15 delivered a massive hit to Michelson’s blindside, sacking him to force a Princeton punt.
Dartmouth’s attempt to increase its lead ended when Dean Bakes ’14 was unable to pull in Williams pass, forcing Dartmouth to punt.
Surace reinserted Epperly, but also kept Michelson on the field in order to run a trick play. Epperly handed the ball off to Michelson, who rolled right and found a receiver for the first. Michelson was then pulled out, and Epperly continued marching Princeton down the field until Wilson took Epperly’s pitch five yards into the end zone. With just under five minutes in the first half, Princeton cut Dartmouth’s lead to 21-7.
Dartmouth’s offense was unable to find its rhythm and run time off the clock. During the punt, Dartmouth originally forced a fumble but the officials ruled the ball dead due to lack of forward progress.
Princeton’s luck stayed alive as time ticked down. Two major penalties gave Princeton 30 free yards, including one that should have been offset by a false start from Princeton’s right tackle, setting Princeton up at the Dartmouth 34.
Epperly misfired twice to wide-open receivers in the end zone before hitting junior Seth DeValve at the one. Epperly pushed the ball into the end zone to cut Dartmouth’s lead to seven with 10 seconds left in the half.
Like the opening drives of the first half, both offenses went three-and-out for their second-half opening drive.
Dartmouth’s opening drive ended when Williams was sacked by senior Elijah Mitchell. Williams was hurt on the play and left for one series.
Midway through the third quarter, the snow started falling as Epperly hit junior Matt Costello for 30 yards to tie the score at 21. During the drive, Princeton converted twice on fourth-and-1.
After a Dartmouth three-and-out, Princeton drove to its 44, and on fourth down, Epperly rolled right and was stopped short of the first. On every previous fourth down attempt, Epperly just did a quarterback sneak.
Williams reentered the game and found Patterson for a big first down on the right sideline. Pierre then broke a tackle and bounced outside before going out at the 17. On the next play, Williams scored to make the score 28-21 with 4:51 left in the third.
On the scoring play, Williams kept the ball and ran right before making the cutback to the left and sprinting the width of the field. After outrunning sophomore Anthony Gaffney, who was the only Princeton defender in position to stop Williams, Williams dove for the score, putting the ball just inside the left pylon.
On Princeton’s ensuing drive, Cody Fulleton ’16 knocked the ball loose from Mills, and Donahue emerged from the massive pileup with the ball at the 49.
Williams marched the offense down the field quickly, finding Pierre in the flat for a big gain that put Dartmouth at the Cornell 24. A holding penalty and a sack pushed Dartmouth back, and on fourth down at the 31, Williams tried to find Are in the end zone but underthrew him under pressure, turning the ball over on downs.
Princeton went three-and-out after Dartmouth knocked away two Epperly passes.
The snowfall stopped by the beginning of the fourth quarter as Dartmouth’s drive started at the Cornell 46 while the temperature dropped below freezing. Dartmouth’s drive ended quickly after Williams launched the ball deep into the end zone and Princeton intercepted it.
Princeton reached midfield but Epperly’s pass sailed through his receiver’s hands on third down.
Dartmouth was unable to sustain a drive after Williams was sacked on third down.
Princeton very quickly marched down the field, breaking into the red zone after starting with the ball at the Dartmouth 48. The snow started once again as Princeton lined up for a fourth-down attempt.
Epperly’s pitch to Wilson was good for the first down, putting Princeton at the four. Princeton was unable to punch the ball into the end zone and sophomore Nolan Bieck’s 23-yard field goal cut Dartmouth’s lead to four with 6:36 remaining.
Despite an excellent return by Womack to the Dartmouth 39, Williams was unable to spark the offense and run time off the clock, punting back to Dartmouth with 5:45 left.
Chrustic knocked down Epperly’s third-down pass, forcing Princeton to punt with 4:22 left.
With the ball at the 10 and the snow falling heavier and sticking on the field, Williams broke free for 37 yards up the middle. With time on its side, Dartmouth started using the entire play clock between each play.
On third down, Williams pitched the option to Brian Grove, who raced to the Cornell 27. Dartmouth turned the ball over on downs with 45 seconds left after Pierre was stopped for a four yard loss on fourth down.
Starting with one timeout and needing to race 76 yards to win the game, Epperly threw two incompletions before Garrett Waggoner ’13 intercepted Epperly’s third-down pass, icing the win with 24 seconds remaining.
At one point, the snowfall was so thick that Epperly admitted he was unable to reach the signals from the sideline and missed a couple reads.
Chrustic knocked three of Epperly’s passes at the line as Dartmouth’s defensive line harassed Epperly all afternoon.
“That was just the most fun I’ve ever had playing football,” Chrustic said. “It snowed and I thought that was to our advantage. It was such a great atmosphere. Best game all year.”
Pierre earned his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season after running 112 yards on 28 carries with a long of 35. Williams added another 57 yards and two scores.
Princeton’s leading rusher was Epperly, who kept the ball 20 times for 41 yards. Mills was second on the team with just 30 yards on the ground.
Overall, Dartmouth outran Princeton 239 to 140. However, Princeton outgained Dartmouth 403-331 in total offense as Dartmouth passed for just 92 yards.
Williams completed just four of 15 for 92 yards, two interceptions and the big 56-yard score to Patterson. However, Williams made plays when most needed.
“I think I was efficient at making plays but not efficient enough,” Williams said. “The majority of the game, I was taking shots and it didn’t go our way every time. But at the end of the day, we won.”
By contrast, Epperly threw 56 times, completing 26, for 242 yards and two scores. DeValve provided Epperly the most consistent target, pulling in nine passes for 115 yards.
“We didn’t execute well enough,” Epperly said. “I didn’t throw the ball well enough. They were very physical upfront.”
Neither team did well on third down as Princeton converted six of 24 while Dartmouth went four of 15. Princeton compensated by attempting eight fourth-down tries and converted five of them.
“They made more plays,” Surace said. “Field position hurt us. It was a tough day to throw and [Dartmouth] ran the ball better than we did. [Dartmouth’s] explosive plays really hurt us.”
As a result of Saturday’s win, Dartmouth also seized control of sole possession of third place, because Harvard and Princeton tied for first, in the Ivy League’s final standings.
“It’s probably one of the most unselfish teams I’ve ever coached,” Teevens said. “This was a statement game. I believe we are a championship-caliber team.”
Earlier Saturday afternoon, Harvard demolished Yale 34-7, to move into a first-place tie with Princeton, who had defeated Harvard earlier in the year. Princeton and Harvard finish the 2013 season sharing the Ivy Championship title.
The Ivy League’s remaining Saturday games included a surprise 42-41 upset by Cornell over Penn and a 48-7 Brown rout of Columbia. Columbia finished the season without a single win and just 73 points scored.
