Nick Schwieger '12 broke a single-game rushing record and led Dartmouth to its first victory in nearly two years today. The Big Green snapped its 17-game losing streak in convincing fashion with a 28-6 win over Columbia at Memorial Field in a Homecoming matchup.
"I'm happy for them, because they didn't get panicked, and they didn't get nervous," head coach Buddy Teevens said. "They were laughing on the sidelines, not as a distraction but because they loved what they were doing. It's what college football should be like."Schwieger broke Dartmouth's (1-5, 1-2 Ivy) single-game record for rushing with 242 yards. The record had previously been held by Al Rosier '91, who ran for 229 yards against Brown in 1991.
The Big Green got on the scoreboard on the first drive of the game and never looked back. By alternating steady Schwieger rushes with consistent passing, Dartmouth drove 67 yards down the field until finally Conner Kempe '12 found Niles Murphy '10 with a 24-yard touchdown pass.
Columbia's (2-4, 1-2 Ivy) celebrated quarterback M.A. Olawale was inefficient early on Saturday, and the Lions soon tried to kick the ball away. Luke Hussey '11 blocked a messy Columbia punt attempt, however, giving Dartmouth posession on the Lions' own 36-yard line.
While the running game brought the Big Green into scoring position, success came in the air on this drive. Michael Reilly '12 was in the perfect position to catch Kempe's seven-yard toss.
Going into halftime, Dartmouth up 14-0, had already notched its largest lead since it took on Cornell in 2007.
Defensive tackle Eddie Smith '12 said that playing with a lead changed the team's outlook.
"It's a different feeling, that we've got to stop them so we can score again," he said. "It's a lot easier to get into the zone when we're ahead."
Despite a slow third quarter in which Dartmouth posted only 18 offensive yards overall, the Big Green's day would only continue to improve in the fourth.
Less than five minutes into the quarter, Shawn Abuhoff '12 forced a fumble by Columbia senior receiver Austin Knowlin at his own 39-yard line. Charles Bay '11 capitalized on this opportunity, running the ball all the way into the Lions end zone.
"I didn't know I knocked the ball out, to be honest with you," Abuhoff said. "We put it all together and played a great game."
Dartmouth was hit with a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebration after the score.
Teevens said that he was not bothered by the penalty because at that moment, it hit him that the team was in the process of capturing the win that had been so elusive for the past two years.
"I don't like a lot of penalties, but that's one I'll take," he said.
Columbia finally escaped a shutout on the next drive, when Olawale picked up a one-yard run into the end zone. The two-point conversion attempt failed, however, keeping the score at 21-6.
The Big Green, playing with a fervor the team has not shown in years, soon responded. Schwieger outran the Lions for a 66-yard dash down the field, culminating in Dartmouth's fourth touchdown of the day.
Schwieger said Dartmouth fully earned the victory.
"I don't know if I've ever really felt like this, quite honestly," he said. "I believe in coach Teevens and I believe in the system. This is the start of something new and something great."
In the rainy weather, Kempe completed just seven of 20 pass attempts, but the running game was the day's clear focus. Olawale, who was named the Ivy League offensive player of the week in September, completed 12 of his 30 attempts, and was held to 89 yards. He was also sacked twice, by Mark Dwyer '12 and by Smith.
The Big Green will look to start a winning streak in next weekend's road match against Harvard in Cambridge, Mass.
