Football embarrassed by lowly Dartmouth

It might’ve been the music Buddy Teevens played during halftime. It might’ve been Dartmouth’s president shaking hands and cheering from the sideline. Whatever it was, Dartmouth (1-5, 1-2 Ivy) came out and stunned Columbia (2-4, 1-2 Ivy) 28-6 on Saturday.

“You can’t just come out and come onto a field thinking you’re going to beat somebody. Period,” senior Austin Knowlin said. “I think we might’ve done a little bit of that today.”

The Big Green broke their 17-game losing streak with their first Ivy win since 2007, and did it in decisive fashion. Sophomore running back Nick Schwieger broke the single-game rushing record for Dartmouth with 242 yards on the ground and overtook Columbia senior Ray Rangel for first place in the league’s yards rushed.

“We didn’t do our job today defensively as far as stopping the run,” safety Adam Mehrer said.

With the rain pouring down in sheets, Dartmouth started out strong. Schwieger ran for 39 yards on the Big Green’s opening drive before quarterback Conner Kempe found Murphy Niles in the back of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown, putting Dartmouth up 7-0 after just six minutes.

Columbia didn’t have an answer for the Big Green as its offense was stopped again and again in the first half.  A high snap went through punter Greg Guttas’s hands during the Lions’ first drive and the freshman scrambled to get the punt off. The resulting two-yard punt put Dartmouth on their field again at the Columbia 36.

This time Schwieger had 24 yards on four plays, and Kempe threw another perfectly placed pass to the corner of the end zone for another seven. Dartmouth led 14-0 after only 13 minutes.

“You can’t let a team like that who’s looking for some life, who’s looking for a reason to win, who’s looking for some belief that they can win, continue to believe they can win the football game,” head coach Norries Wilson said.

Columbia’s field goal woes continued as Guttas’s 37-yard attempt flew wide left in the second quarter. The Lions have converted just one field goal this season. The second field goal attempt came after a successful drive to start the second half, with the Lions getting to the Dartmouth eight-yard line. A holding penalty put them back on the 18-yard line, and this time Guttas’s kick was blocked with Shawn Abuhoff getting a hand on it.

But Columbia kept driving and on its next possession, coordination by senior quarterback Millicent Olawale and Rangel produced a run that put the Lions at first-and-ten from the Dartmouth 20-yard line. But safety Peter Pidermann stepped in front of a pass intended for Taylor Joseph at the one-yard line, and returned it out 17 yards.
Olawale’s troubles weren’t over yet. Despite a successful day running the ball—he led the team with 82 yards—the senior said he “just didn’t get it done.”

On the drive immediately following his first interception, a pass intended for Joseph floated high. He got a hand on it, but the tip caused the ball to fall into J.B. Andreassi’s hands for Olawale’s second interception on the day. The senior finished 12-for-32 for 89 yards with two interceptions.

“We watched film and we saw whenever you get him [Olawale] rattled, he’s liable to make mistakes,” Abuhoff said.

The defense held Dartmouth on a three-and-out, but again, the offense turned the ball over. Abuhoff popped Knowlin after the senior caught a screen pass and the ball came loose. Sophomore Charles Bay scooped up the live ball and ran it in into the end zone to put the Big Green up 21-0. The Big Green received a celebration penalty for the party in the end zone.

“Honestly, at that point, I really didn’t care,” Bay said. “If they’re going to call it, let’s just celebrate more. They can’t call it twice.”

Teevens shared the sentiment. “I don’t like a lot of penalties, but that one I’ll take.”

Columbia’s only score of the day was early in the fourth quarter after four complete passes to four different receivers on the drive. A one-yard quarterback sneak put the Lions on the board. But a bobbled snap on the hold for the extra point meant Guttas once again had to try and make something happen. But the Lions saved a shutout, putting six on the board to make it 21-6.

But Schwieger wasn’t finished yet. After being relatively contained for the entire second half, Schwieger popped 66 yards on third-and-ten to put the nail in the coffin, 28-6. With five minutes remaining, the game was essentially over. And the Lions were none too happy with the result.

“There’s going to be some changes, there has to be,” Wilson said. “Guys need to be accountable to themselves. It’s not okay to lose. They keep score in these football games. This ain’t four-year-old tee ball.”