Football Continues Road Trip At Dartmouth Saturday

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By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com

In 2013 and 2021, Princeton won Ivy League titles with matching 6-1 records. The Tigers won overtime thrillers against Harvard, high-scoring showdowns against Yale, and dominating performances in both home and road contests. They went 12-0 in every Ivy League game not played at Memorial Stadium, home of the Dartmouth Big Green. You can probably figure out where the two losses came.

In 2017, Princeton quarterback Chad Kanoff posted one of the most incredible passing performances of his All-Ivy career at Memorial Stadium. He completed 37 of 46 passes for 444 yards, the seventh-most single-game passing yards in program history, and he helped Princeton lead by three points with two seconds remaining. The Tigers lost that game … by 10.

Princeton put on a nationally-televised show at Dartmouth two years ago, coming back from a double-digit deficit and grabbing a lead on a 62-yard touchdown catch by Luke Colella. A third-down stop late forced Dartmouth to send out a freshman for a 47-yard field goal with under two minutes remaining to take the lead. Owen Zalc made it, and Dartmouth won again.

Memorial Stadium has been a house of horrors for Princeton, which hasn't left Dartmouth with a victory since 2009. The Tigers would love nothing more than to end that drought this Saturday (1 pm, ESPN+) against a Dartmouth team that already has one nationally ranked win this season and bring in one of the Ivy's top-ranked defenses.

"Dartmouth is playing outstanding football this season," head coach Bob Surace said. "The offense has exceptional balance, led by the running of DJ Crowther and quarterback Grayson Saunier, who combines accuracy with a very strong arm to get the ball downfield. Dartmouth is physical and disciplined on defense as always, and they have been very aggressive in creating turnovers."

Besides its New Hampshire drought, Princeton is looking to end a current two-game skid. The Tigers jumped out to a 14-0 advantage on the road last weekend thanks to touchdowns by Ethan Clark and four-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week Josh Robinson, but a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Ryder Kurtz would hold up as the winning score in a 20-17 home win for Cornell.

There would be no better place to end multiple droughts than Memorial Stadium this weekend. It's long past time for Princeton to celebrate in the visiting locker room there, and it would the ideal way to start the final push of the 2025 season.

Week 8 Game Notes

History Lesson • Dartmouth leads the all-time rivalry 53-46-4 in a series that dates back to October 30, 1897. The Big Green has won seven straight home games in this series, although the 2019 game was held at Yankee Stadium as part of the 150th season of college football celebration.

On The Road Again • Princeton's current seven-game road losing streak to Dartmouth is its longest against an Ivy League rival since the Tigers lost 10 straight to Yale at the Yale Bowl between 1968 and 1986. The 1988 Princeton team that won 24-7 at the Yale Bowl was led by future NFL quarterback Jason Garrett and an undersized center named Bob Surace.

Close But No Cigar • Six of Princeton's seven road losses at Cornell since 2011 were one-possession games deep into the fourth quarter. The Tigers had late leads in two of the last three at Memorial Field, including a 23-21 loss two years ago that came down to a 47-yard field goal by Dartmouth's Owen Zalc.

Inside Man • After starting his career at outside linebacker, Marco Scarano moved inside days before the 2023 game at Dartmouth due to injuries. He made six tackles in that game and became a fixture at the position. Scarano, a team captain and All-Ivy player, ranks seventh in the Ivy League with 8.3 tackles per game.

Three Pointer • The trio of Marco Scarano, Nasir Hill and Chase Christopher combined for 40 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season in a 26-17 home loss to Dartmouth.

The Chase Is On • Junior linebacker Chase Christopher, a 2024 All-Ivy League honoree, ranks eighth in the Ivy League with 8.0 tackles per game. Christopher had seven tackles in each of the last two games.

Grounded • Two of the Ivy League's leading rushers will meet at Memorial Stadium Saturday. Dartmouth's DJ Crowther ranks second in the league with 85.1 rushing yards per game, while Princeton's Ethan Clark is fourth with 57.0 yards per game. The Dartmouth duo of Crowther and quarterback Grayson Saunier has combined for 16 rushing touchdowns this season.

Taking Care of the Ball • Princeton quarterback Kai Colón leads all Ivy League quarterbacks in fewest interceptions thrown (three), while Saunier is tied for second with four interceptions. Over the last four games, Colón has thrown seven touchdown passes and only two interceptions.

Record Watch • Freshman Josh Robinson, a four-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week, is on pace to break Matt Costello's 14-year freshman records for single-season receptions (29) and single-season receiving yards (341). After catching only one pass in each of the first two games, Robinson is averaging more than five catches per game over the last four weeks. He has 26 catches for 318 yards so far this year, and he had a highlight-worthy touchdown catch against Cornell last weekend.

With Honors • Josh Robinson is one of 11 players in Ivy League history to win Rookie of the Week honors four times in a season. He has three weeks left to become one of six players to win it five times (including Princeton's Ryan Butler, 2022) and one of four players to win it four times (including Princeton's Chuck Dibilio, 2011). If he wins it three more times, he'd be the only player with seven Rookie of the Week honors.

Just For Kicks • Two of the Ivy League's top special teams players will meet Saturday. Princeton junior Brady Clark continues to rank in the Top 10 nationally in punting. The 2024 All-Ivy standout leads the Ivy League and ranks eighth in the FCS with a 45.7-yard punting average. He has 10 punts over 50 yards this season; the rest of the Ivy League has combined for 15 punts over 50 yards. Meanwhile, Dartmouth placekicker Owen Zalc is the reigning Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Year, and he has the longest field goal in the Ivy League this season (51 yards).

Justice For All • Senior offensive lineman Justice Musser was selected as a semifinalist for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, the top scholar-athlete/citizen honor in the FCS. Musser started a non-profit organization called the Ironwood Foundation. He plans to host an event in March in Damascus, Virginia to help the town raise money for its trail restoration that was destroyed by Hurricane Helene.

Coach 'Em Up • Head coach Bob Surace is now in his 15th season as the Princeton head coach Saturday, the longest run of consecutive seasons for any head coach in program history (Hall of Famer Bill Roper coached 17 years over three different stints). He has the second-most wins in program history (84). He is currently five behind Roper for the all-time program lead, and his four Ivy League titles match the Princeton record set by Hall of Famer Dick Colman. Surace, who also coached a year at Western Connecticut, earned his 100th win as head coach in the Week 2 victory over Lafayette.

The Constant • Senior Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Steve Verbit is in his 40th season at Princeton. Throughout his time at Princeton, Verbit has coached everything from multiple NFL players (Mike Catapano '13 and Caraun Reid '14) to his son Matt Verbit '05. He has been on the coaching staff for eight of Princeton's 13 Ivy League championship teams.

Looking Ahead • Princeton will return home to host Yale on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium Saturday at 12 pm. The Tigers will honor the Class of 2026 as part of the Senior Day festivities

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