Dartmouth Football Defeats Cornell, 26-17, for Fourth Straight Win

Nov. 8, 2003

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HANOVER, N.H. -- The Dartmouth football team won its fourth consecutive game and improved to .500 on the season with a 26-17 victory over Cornell Saturday at Memorial Field.

Dartmouth improves to 4-4 overall, 3-2 in the Ivy League. The four-game win streak is the longest for the Big Green since 1997 when Dartmouth opened the season with five wins. Cornell falls to 1-7, 0-5.

Sophomore quarterback Charlie Rittgers continued his strong play in the victory. Rittgers completed 17-of-29 passes for 207 yards and four touchdowns. Rittgers put the Big Green on the board first when he hit junior Andrew Hall from 13 yards out with 7:58 left in the first quarter. The Big Green missed the extra point and took a 6-0 lead.

Cornell marched down the field quickly to take a 7-6 lead. D.J. Busch connected with Carlos Hill from 10 yards out at 6:20 of the first quarter, and four minutes later the Big Red opened a 10-6 lead when Trevor MacMeekin hit a 32-yard field goal.

Dartmouth took advantage with the wind at its back in the second quarter. Rittgers hit senior Casey Cramer with a 25-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to put the Big Green up, 13-10.

Rittgers and Cramer hooked up again at 7:58 of the third quarter. A three-yard Cramer touchdown reception capped an 11-play, 66-yard drive that went against the wind. Dartmouth missed another extra point and took a 19-10 lead.

Cornell cut the deficit to 19-17 when Busch hit John Kellner with a 26-yard score with 51 seconds left in the third quarter. On its next offensive possession, Cornell moved the ball out to its 40-yard line. However, Dartmouth senior Phil Frost came up with an interception to give Dartmouth the ball at the Cornell 38. The Big Green took advantage of the field position and took a 26-17 lead when Rittgers found senior Jay Barnard in the corner of the end zone for a 14-yard score.

The Big Red moved the ball to the Dartmouth 10 on the next possesion, but MacMeekin missed a 27-yard field goal. Cornell was not able to move into Dartmouth territory the rest of the game.

"When you can win and you don't play your best, it's a really good sign," said Dartmouth head coach John Lyons.

Cramer finished with seven catches for 109 yards and two scores. Sophomore Mike Ribero led the defensive effort with nine tackles and an interception.

Dartmouth returns to action Saturday at Brown at 12:30 p.m. The Big Green's final home game is November 22 at 12:30 p.m. against Princeton.

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