In his first start at quarterback this season, Conner Kempe '12 threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns, filling in for the injured Alex Jenny '10.
Although this statistic bodes well for the Big Green (0-5, 0-2 Ivy), Kempe said that passing yardage has little value if it cannot be translated into scoring.
"It definitely felt good, and it's definitely reassuring for the whole team," he said. "But we have to put points on the board yards don't really matter, but points do."
Head coach Buddy Teevens said that to have a backup perform so well against a top-ranked team was crucial for the Big Green.
"There's an adjustment period, and that was Saturday, but the offense protected him well and rallied around him," Teevens said. "It was a great boost for the offense, but obviously we miss Jenny."
The Crusaders' (5-1, 1-0 Patriot) senior quarterback Dominic Randolph was ultimately more effective, converting his well timed throws into three touchdowns. Randolph also maintained an edge in accuracy, completing 26 of 36 passes, as opposed to Kempe's 26 of 45 effort.
Following the game, which took place during Holy Cross' homecoming weekend, Randolph was awarded the Johnny Turco Memorial Trophy as the contest's Most Valuable Player. He also received the award in 2007.
The Crusaders got on the board early in the game when a 30-yard pass from Randolph found wide-out Charles McCall for a touchdown with 11:02 to go in the first quarter.
Before the first half was over, Holy Cross found the end zone twice more, utilizing its strong rushing game as short runs brought the score to 20-0 in the Crusaders' favor.
Throughout the second half, Randolph continued his assault on the Dartmouth defense, cementing the victory with two more touchdown strikes to make the score 34-0.
Randolph's favorite receiver was sophomore tailback Matt Bellomo, who posted seven catches for 46 yards and also rushed for 91 yards over 11 carries.
With less than five minutes to go in the game, the Big Green finally made its move. Kempe found Tanner Scott '11 on a 16-yard touchdown toss with just 4:50 left on the clock.
Niles Murphy '10 finished off the game's action as he caught a four-yard throw from Kempe to tally another score for the Big Green with just 46 seconds to go, setting the final score at 34-14.
These last-minute plays suggest that Dartmouth has the talent to score, but has trouble taking advantage of crucial moments. Although the team capitalized on two of three red zone chances, the Big Green was largely ineffective inside Holy Cross's 30-yard line.
The Big Green needs to improve on its consistency, Kempe said.
"We need to score when we have the opportunities and take advantage of what the defense is giving us," he said. "The offense just kind of froze in the red zone, and we just need to overcome that somehow."
One instance where this problem presented itself was in the beginning of the fourth quarter, when a Kempe pass was intercepted at the Holy Cross 20-yard line and returned for 53 yards by defensive back Michael Wright. This turnover started the drive that ended with the Crusaders' fifth and final touchdown.
Both in and out of the red zone, Dartmouth's offense struggled to deliver the team converted 10 of 17 third downs.
Dartmouth's rushing game, normally a major asset, was luke-warm Saturday. Nick Schwieger '12 produced rushing for 84 yards on 20 carries but his effort was not enough to overcome the Crusaders' high-powered offense.
On defense, Anthony Diblasi '12 led the team with seven solo tackles and an interception late in the third quarter, which he returned for 12 yards. The defense as a team, however, struggled to stop the Crusaders both on the ground and through the air.
The Big Green is working on getting tough offenses off the field with more regularity, Teevens said.
"We're starting a freshman and a sophomore right now [on defense]," he said. "They're progressing and with every snap they take they'll get better. When we put it all together, it'll be something to watch."
The Big Green will return to Ivy League action next weekend for Dartmouth's Homecoming game on Saturday, when the team will face off against Columbia (2-3, 1-1 Ivy) at 1:30 p.m. at Memorial Field.
"Homecoming is a special time for many folks and a neat opportunity to see Dartmouth at its best," Teevens said. "When so many people are back for the weekend we want to perform our best."
Columbia fell 27-13 to the University of Pennsylvania (3-2, 2-0 Ivy) this weekend, as the Quakers took advantage of turnovers and sloppy mistakes on both sides. When Dartmouth played Penn on Oct. 3, it was able to score 24 points against the Quakers, but still posted a loss.
