Sunday, October 19, 2014

Saturday Opponent Recap

How Dartmouth opponents fared Saturday . . .

Princeton 27, Brown 16
Recap and links
Quarterbacks were the story as the Tigers (3-2, 2-0 Ivy) jumped out to a 24-0 lead by the first minute of the second quarter and then held off the Bears (2-3, 0-2 Ivy). With reigning Ivy League offensive player of the year Quinn Epperly injured, Connor Michelsen stepped in for Princeton and completed 33-of-45 throws for 367 yards and two touchdowns. For Brown, Marcus Fuller tossed up an Ivy League-record 71 passes, completing just 29 but for 454 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Matt Costello had eight grabs for 121 yards and two touchdowns for Princeton while teammate Seth DeValve had 10 grabs for 120 yards. For Brown, Troy Doles piled up 200 yards on six catches while Brian Strachan had 10 catches for 146 yards.

Penn 31, Columbia 7
Recap and links
Penn (1-4, 1-1 Ivy) set an Ivy League record for the longest winning streak against one team as it posted its 18th consecutive victory over the Lions (0-5, 0-2 Ivy). Penn halted an eight-game losing streak of its own by dealing Columbia its 16th consecutive loss. Alek Torgersen completed 16-of-22 passes for 214 yards and added 70 on the ground for the Quakers, who got 77 yards rushing from Brian Schoenauer. In his first start replacing departed Stanford transfer Brett Nottingham, Trevor McDonagh completed 26-of-50 throws for 266 yards and one touchdown for the Lions. Penn outgained Columbia on the ground, 276-20. The Lions were flagged a whopping 16 times for 118 yards in a contest that saw Penn commit nine penalties for 75 yards.

Harvard 24, Lafayette 14
The Crimson (5-0 overall, 2-0 Ivy) built a 24-0 lead before the Leopards (3-4) made the final respectable. Lafayette outgained the host team, 413-367, and had 22 first downs to Harvard's 16, but missed two field goal attempts and scored just one touchdown on offense with the other coming on an interception return. With senior quarterback Conner Hempel – the Harvard record-holder for highest career completion percentage – still unavailable, Scott Hosch started again and completed just 11-of-24 throws for 203 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Paul Stanton, Jr., had 17 carries for 102 yards including a 43-yard touchdown for the Crimson. Harvard receiver Andrew Fischer had six grabs for 107 yards, including a 78-yard TD.

Yale 45, Colgate 31
Yale (4-1, 1-1 Ivy) rode Tyler Varga and a 21-point fourth quarter to a win over Colgate (4-3). Varga scored five touchdowns for the second time this fall, with four coming on the ground and one through the air. The senior tailback finished with 184 yards on 25 carries. His five-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter broke a 24-all tie and his 69-yard burst with 4:42 left closed out the scoring. Morgan Roberts was an efficient 23-for-33 for 379 yards and two touchdowns for Yale as the Bulldogs bounced back from their first loss last week against Dartmouth. They finished with 633 yards of total offense, including 254 on the ground.

Lehigh 31, Cornell 14
On a day when the Ivy League flexed its muscles with three wins against the Patriot League, Cornell (0-5) fell to previously winless Lehigh (1-5). The Mountain Hawks, on the way to ending their longest losing streak since 1967, jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter only to have the Big Red close to 17-14 with touchdown passes late in the third quarter and with 8:31 remaining in the game. With its lead down to three points, Lehigh answered the second Cornell touchdown by driving 78 yards for a touchdown. Down 10 points with just under three minutes remaining, Cornell suffered a sack on a fourth-and-10 play from its own 23 and it took Lehigh just two plays to tack on a final score. The Big Red managed just 13 first downs and 273 yards of offense while turning the ball over three times.

Robert Morris 27, Central Connecticut State 24
Robert Morris (1-6) got its first win in dramatic fashion despite Rob Holloman running for 164 yards and two touchdowns for Central Connecticut State (2-5). The Blue Devils built a 24-6 lead early in the third quarter before the Colonials roared back with 21 consecutive points. Robert Morris pulled within 24-19 with 5:15 remaining and then recovered a fumble at the Central Connecticut State 13. After a two-yard run, Robert Morris got an 11-yard TD pass and two-point conversion. The Blue Devils blocked a punt to take possession at the Robert Morris 21 with 1:52 left but five false start penalties pushed them back and the clock ran out on them with the ball at the home 37.