Dartmouth Debuts in National Polls; STATS Team of the Week

HANOVER, N.H. — After trouncing Yale, 42-10, in a highly anticipated showdown of unbeaten teams on Saturday, the Dartmouth Big Green have been named the STATS FCS Team of the Week. Dartmouth also broke into the top 25 for the first time this season in both the STATS FCS Poll and the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll at No. 21 in each. Last year, the Green finished 15th in the coaches poll and 18th in the STATS poll.

The Bulldogs had been picked to win the Ancient Eight in the league's preseason poll with the Big Green finishing second, and the two teams were receiving votes in both polls entering Dartmouth's homecoming game at Memorial Field. But the matchup quickly turned into a blowout as Dartmouth (4-0, 2-0 Ivy) built up a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and a 42-3 advantage with more than five minutes still remaining in the third quarter. The only touchdown surrendered by the defense that leads the nation in fewest points allowed (8.5 per game) came in the final minute against the Big Green reserves. The win was the 100th for Buddy Teevens, the Robert L. Blackman Head Coach, and Yale (3-1, 1-1 Ivy) suffered its first loss of the season.

Proving that time of possession doesn't tell the whole story, Dartmouth had the ball for only 21:30 and ran just 45 plays in the game compared to 38:30 and 81 plays for the visitors. Thanks to an uber-efficient offense that put together six touchdown drives — none of which lasted more than 2:01 — the Big Green racked up 433 yards, and their 9.6 yards per play is the team's best total over the last 50 years.

Dartmouth does not have a single player averaging 50 rushing yards or a quarterback averaging 150 passing yards this season, yet the team leads the FCS in completion percentage (74.4), passing efficiency (201.67) and third-down conversion percentage (62.2). And the nation's stingiest defense ranks among the top 15 nationally in red zone defense (62.5 percent, sixth), passing efficiency defense (108.12, seventh), passing yards allowed (174.0, 12th) and total defense (320.0 yards, 14th).

Dartmouth takes a break from league action to play its final non-conference game at Marist (1-4) this Saturday at noon in the first-ever game between the two schools on the gridiron. The game will be streamed live on the Red Fox Network, and a free audio broadcast will be available online as well through DartmouthSports.com with Brett Franklin and Wayne Young '72 calling the action.

Notes: The Big Green have won seven of the last eight meetings with Yale … the scoring drive that took the longest (2:01) went the shortest distance (18 yards) … the Green have scored at least one touchdown in the first quarter each of the last 12 games, and over the last 14 contests, they have trailed for a total of 15 minutes and 58 seconds — barely more than one quarter — while posting a 13-1 record … since the start of the 2014 season, Dartmouth's 42-12 record is the best in the Ivy League.

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