Big Plays by Campbell Carry Dartmouth to 20-9 Homecoming Victory

Saturday, October 21

Hanover, N.H.

1:30 PM

Dartmouth College

3-3 , 2-1

Columbia

2-4 , 0-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Columbia

Dartmouth

Patrick Campbell collects the ball in the end zone after blocking a first-quarter punt.

Photo by: Chloe Broeker

Big Plays by Campbell Carry Dartmouth to 20-9 Homecoming Victory

10/21/2023 6:56:00 PM | Football

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Highlights Postgame Press Conference

The sophomore cornerback blocked a punt for a touchdown, intercepted a pass and broke up another in the end zone

By: Rick Bender

HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth football team made sure the spirits of the 4,188 brave souls to face a steady rain on a very wet homecoming did not go home disappointed, knocking off visiting Columbia at Memorial Field on Saturday afternoon by a final of 20-9. Cornerback Patrick Campbell played the hero for the Big Green (3-3, 2-1 Ivy) with several big plays that turned the tide after the Lions (2-4, 0-3 Ivy) jumped out to an early 9-0 lead.

The slick conditions made advancing the ball a challenge for both teams with Dartmouth accumulating just 222 total yards and only 62 through the air on 7-of-15 completions against a Columbia defense that entered the game ninth in the country in total defense. The Big Green, meanwhile, kept the visitors in check by yielding 299 yards, only 45 of which came on the ground.

"Sometimes things aren't going to go your way, and we didn't panic when things didn't early," said Sammy McCorkle, the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach. "This is a long game, and it didn't start the way we wanted, but we couldn't worry about that and just had to adjust going forward. We were simply concerned with putting our offense and our defense in a position for them to be successful, and we were able to do just that."

Columbia, playing its fifth straight game in the rain, received the ball first and proceeded to march down the field in 10 plays, finishing off the drive on a 5-yard keeper by quarterback Joe Green. And when a Dartmouth snap went over the head of quarterback Dylan Cadwallader a few minutes later with Cadwallader simply kicking it out of the back of the end zone for a safety, the Big Green found themselves in a quick 9-0 hole.

Let's take a look at the first touchdown of the day, courtesy of @patrick_camp17!

We have a 14-9 lead in the second quarter right now, watch on @ESPNPlus: https://t.co/qAEVNdhaJh #TheWoods 🌲 | #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/XPuFdnCHbP
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) October 21, 2023

Instead of hanging their heads, Dartmouth got to work, and Campbell was there to provide the momentum-changing play. Following the safety, the Lions were unable to pick up 10 yards and were forced to punt from their own 27. The snap was high, but punter William Hughes was able to make a leaping grab to attempt the kick only to have Campbell reject it. The ball bounded into the end zone, and Campbell fell on it for a Dartmouth touchdown, closing the gap to two points.

The next time the Big Green got the ball back, they covered 70 yards in 15 plays — 12 on the ground — with Tevita Moimoi powering across the goal line from 2 yards out to give Dartmouth a 14-9 lead early in the second quarter.

Columbia had four more chances to score in the second quarter, only to miss a 45-yard field goal attempt and have another drive ended by safety Cam Maddox, who intercepted a pass after defensive lineman Charles Looes got a hand on the throw at the line. Dartmouth was able to advance the ball just 17 yards following that pickoff, but it was enough for rookie place kicker Owen Zalc to split the uprights from 47 yards out for a 17-9 lead before the half.

Neither team could dent the scoreboard in the third quarter, though Columbia threatened to before Campbell made an astounding, leaping interception on a halfback pass at the Big Green 28.

"I saw that they were running a reverse, and when the running back came over, he didn't look like he was trying to run the ball," Campbell said after the game. "So I was just disciplined. Some people would just try to run up there and leave the man behind wide open. When he threw the ball, I didn't know high I was, I just went up to get the ball."

Dartmouth was able to turn that turnover into three more points early in the fourth quarter when Zalc repeated his earlier performance with another 47-yard field goal.

"That's the farthest field goal I've ever hit in a game, and to do it twice is even cooler," Zalc said. "I can't do it alone; it's the line, it's the snap and the hold every time, so shoutout to [holder] Dylan [Cadwallader], [long snapper] Josh [Greene], and the whole line — and the offense — for giving me the opportunity."

And its @patrick_camp17 with another big play! Definitely #SCTop10 worthy!

Watch the final quarter on @ESPNPlus: https://t.co/qAEVNdhaJh #TheWoods 🌲 | #GoBigGreen @ESPNAssignDesk pic.twitter.com/mOl3qkVgCg
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) October 21, 2023

A 40-yard completion from Green to J.J. Jenkins down to the Dartmouth 1 had the Lions in position to close the gap, but with a little help from a low snap on second down, the defense stiffened, and Columbia gambled on 4th-and-goal from the 4. Green threw to Marcus Libman in the end zone, but there was Campbell, doing just enough to keep the pass from being completed.

The Lions had one last gasp, but another 45-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right with just under a minute to play, and the Big Green were able to take the victory formation twice to close out the victory.

Q Jones was Dartmouth's leading rusher with 73 yards on 16 carries while Moimoi added 48 more on 11 carries including the go-ahead touchdown. Cadwallader, who had missed the previous two games with an injury, completed 6-of-12 passes for 57 yards, and linebacker Macklin Ayers led the defense with 11 tackles.

Green threw for 239 yards on 25-of-41 passes while Jenkins had 94 yards on five catches and Malcolm Terry II ran for 62 yards on 17 attempts. Anthony Roussos led all players with 12 tackles, one going for a loss.

Dartmouth, one of five teams tied atop the Ivy League standings, will travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts, next weekend to take on Harvard (5-1, 2-1 Ivy), who suffered its first defeat of the year today at Princeton, 21-14. The Crimson's homecoming game will be televised on NESN and streamed live on ESPN+ at 4 p.m., and a free audio broadcast featuring Brett Franklin and Matt Corsetti also will be available through the official site of Dartmouth Athletics, DartmouthSports.com.

Notes: Dartmouth has won just three games in the last 25 years when passing for no more than 61 yards … the Big Green are now 72-20-1 all-time against Columbia … Dartmouth had a blocked punt recovered in the end zone for a touchdown last year in New York against the Lions as well … the most recent inductees into Dartmouth's Wearers of the Green were honored with an on-field celebration at halftime, recognizing men's and women's fencers who earned five national club sport championships in the mid-2010s, figure skaters, water polo players, an Olympian, a women's rugby player (prior to the team achieving varsity status) and a masters champion in women's squash.