Football Shakes Off Rust to Win Season Opener, 28-18

Saturday, September 18

Valparaiso, Ind. / Brown Field

2:00 PM

Dartmouth College

1-0

Valparaiso

0-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Dartmouth

Valparaiso

Zack Bair (22) and Derek Kyler (12) celebrate their touchdown toss in the first quarter.

Photo by: Jon Hendricks

Football Shakes Off Rust to Win Season Opener, 28-18

9/18/2021 5:21:00 PM | Football

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Derek Kyler threw for 3 TDs and Zack Bair scored twice to lead the Big Green at Valparaiso

By: Rick Bender

VALPARAISO, Ind. — In Dartmouth's first football game in two years, the Big Green overcame a bit of rust and several miscues to earn a 28-18 victory at Valparaiso (0-3) on Saturday afternoon at Brown Field. Fifth-year quarterback Derek Kyler threw for 177 yards and three touchdowns, one of which went to senior running back Zack Bair, who also ran 11 yards for the game's final score, to lead the Big Green (1-0) to their 11th straight season-opening victory and 17th consecutive non-conference win.

"Give Valparaiso credit, they were physical, they were aggressive and they challenged us," said Buddy Teevens, the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach. "We also had a lot of new people out on the field performing at the collegiate level for the first time. But everybody had some butterflies, even us coaches. If you don't do things for an extended period of time, it takes a little bit to get back into the flow."

Dartmouth piled up nearly 100 more yards of offense (335-236) on the day as Bair ran for a career-high 92 yards on 14 carries and added 57 more yards on three catches. Junior quarterback Nick Howard added 55 more yards on the ground, including a pair of 21-yard bursts and a key fourth-down conversion in the first quarter that seemed to settle the offense and lead to the Big Green's first score.

Kyler, meanwhile, completed 15-of-22 passes for his 177 yards and three scores, and Howard hit on all three of his throws for 31 more yards. Sophomore Paxton Scott, playing in his first collegiate game, was the preferred target with eight grabs for 87 yards and a touchdown, and junior Jonny Barrett caught a pair of tosses for 22 yards, including a 10-yard catch in the end zone.

"I'll say I feel better the longer after the game we get," Teevens continued. "Derek is a settling force at quarterback, though, and he had some receivers step up and make some big plays for him."

Kyler also appreciated the performances of his receivers. "We had a few guys show up, Paxton in particular, and it was definitely good to see them make some plays. I'm looking forward to what they will do down the road."

But it was Valparaiso that put the first points on the board when Trey Psota penetrated the line and sacked Kyler in the end zone for a safety fewer than four minutes into the game. The Beacons then methodically moved the ball 58 yards on 13 plays, taking up more than half of the first quarter before settling for a 29-yard field goal and a 5-0 lead.

The tide turned on the next Dartmouth possession when Howard fought hard for that first down on 4th-and-1 and just crossed the line thanks to his stubborn second effort. Kyler then quickly put the Green on top with a 10-yard pass to Bair, who took it 31 more yards for the first touchdown of the game with under a minute remaining in the first quarter. Junior Cameron Baller, filling in for the injured place kicker Connor Davis, converted the PAT for a sudden 7-5 Big Green advantage.

The offense continued to click on its next possession, marching 78 yards in eight plays, including a pair of 21-yard gains on a Howard run a reception by Scott. Kyler found Scott again on 1st-and-goal, completing the touchdown drive from six yards out to make it a 14-5 game.

Some Big Green miscues late in the second quarter gave the Beacons a terrific scoring opportunity, taking over at the Dartmouth 37. The defense did its job, however, and held Valpo to a 33-yard field goal with 1:42 on the clock, and the 14-8 score held into the break.

Dartmouth started the second half looking strong, covering 75 yards in 11 plays with Kyler finding Barrett in the end zone for a 21-8 lead.

But more mistakes reared their ugly head again when the snap on a punt sailed high and went out the back of the end zone for a second safety. Late in the third quarter, Dartmouth nearly gave up a touchdown on a muffed punt, but Valparaiso was called for kick-catching interference. On the very next play, the Beacons recovered a fumble at the Big Green 28 and took advantage when Teryn Berry hit Ollie Reese for a 14-yard touchdown. Valpo converted the two-point conversion and closed the gap to three at 21-18 with the fourth quarter yet to come.

The running game came into its own in the fourth quarter as Bair picked up 72 of his 92 yards in the final 15 minutes of action. But another fumble, this time at the Beacons 6, kept the Big Green from extending their three-point advantage.

Now it was host's turn to make a costly mistake as senior linebacker Jalen Mackie picked off an errant pass and returned it 28 yards to the Valpo 25. Bair needed just two runs to reach the end zone, scoring on an 11-yard burst for some much-needed breathing room at 28-18.

"I think Tanner [Cross] put the pressure on their quarterback, and I saw the ball come my way," Mackie said. "So I stopped and was able to tip it to myself and catch it, then I ran about 15 yards before I was caught." When it was pointed out to him that he was credited with 28 yards, he simply said, "Hey, there you go," with a wide grin on his face.

A fumbled handoff gave the Beacons one last chance to rally, but a pair of penalties pushed them back to midfield, and the defense got a fourth-down stop, allowing Dartmouth to run out the last 4:41 of the game.

Mackie had the biggest day on the defensive side of the ball, posting a career-high 12 tackles, two of which stuffed Valpo on 3rd-and-short situations, and his crucial interception. Marques White had the lone sack for the Big Green, and DeWayne Terry Jr. pitched in eight stops and broke up a pass.

Robert Washington ran the ball 24 times for 117 yards for the Beacons, gaining all but 13 of the team's yards on the ground. Berry finished his afternoon 15-of-24 for 106 yards, the one touchdown and an interception.

Dartmouth next plays host to Sacred Heart (2-1) on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Matt Corsetti and Matt Goldstein calling the action, and a free audio stream will also be available through the DarmouthSports.com website featuring Brett Franklin and Wayne Young '72 on the mic.

Notes: No team had scored two safeties against Dartmouth in at least 50 years … the Big Green had not lost three fumbles in a game since the 2015 season finale, which was also a Dartmouth victory that clinched the Ivy League title … Kyler is now tied for fourth at Dartmouth with 28 career touchdown tosses.