Big Green Erase 23-Point Deficit to Stun Yale in Overtime

Saturday, October 12

New Haven, Conn.

12:00 PM

Dartmouth College

4-0 , 2-0

Yale

2-2 , 0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Dartmouth

Yale

Photo by: Maria Golick

Big Green Erase 23-Point Deficit to Stun Yale in Overtime

10/12/2024 7:49:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Dartmouth finishes with its most points ever scored against the Bulldogs

By: Justin Lafleur

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Dartmouth football team just wouldn't quit. Despite trailing 30-7 late in the third quarter and 37-16 midway through the fourth, the Big Green scored touchdowns with 7:30, 6:34 and 1:22 remaining in regulation before topping Yale in overtime, 44-43, on Saturday afternoon inside the Yale Bowl. Quarterback Grayson Saunier helped spark the offense; in the fourth quarter alone, he threw for 111 yards and rushed for 50 more, as the Big Green improved to 4-0 and 2-0 in Ivy League play. The 23-point comeback victory marks the largest comeback in the program's storied history.

Yale fell to 2-1 and 0-2 in the league.

"Super proud of the guys, just the way they battled," said Sammy McCorkle, Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach. "We came out, didn't play our game early, made a lot of mistakes early in that game and put ourselves in a really, really tough situation. What we talked about at halftime is don't look at the scoreboard, just go out there and go one play at a time, chip away at this. You could just sense the energy as the second half was going on."

Seeing extended minutes for the first time in his career, Saunier finished 20-of-34 passing for 276 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 12 carries for 84 yards and two rushing scores.

Yesterday's 23 point comeback featured as the fantastic finish by ESPN's College Football Final#TheWoods #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/LOS7J5z8as
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) October 13, 2024

"That game was incredible, one of the best games I've ever been a part of," he said. "Not about myself, but as a team. I have never seen a team fight back like that before. We were down three or four possessions, but Coach Mac talks about it all the time, trying to figure out our identity. I just think it's our fight. We never give up.

"We never stopped having confidence in ourselves," Saunier continued. "We were going to give it our all until the end of the game."

Miss today's 23-point second-half comeback, including 21 in the final eight minutes? Check it out 👇#SCTop10 | @ESPNAssignDesk | @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/8W3EdBHpBn
— Dartmouth Athletics (@dartmouthsports) October 12, 2024

Paxton Scott finished with six receptions for exactly 100 yards, with Daniel Haughton added four for a career-high 69 yards. Q Jones had 39 of his 84 rush yards in overtime.

Micah Green led the Big Green defense with a career-high 11 tackles. For the game, Dartmouth had 10 tackles-for-loss, with three coming from Micah's brother Josiah Green — marking a career high.

The comeback began late in the third quarter when Saunier finished off a four-play, 75-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. One play prior, Saunier found Haughton for 42 yards down to the 1-yard line.

The two-point conversion was no good, but just moments later, Owen Zalc knocked through a 48-field goal with 2:31 on the third-quarter clock to make it nine straight Dartmouth points. That pulled the Big Green within 30-16 heading to the fourth.

Yale added some insurance at 11:02 of the fourth to take a 37-16 lead, but that insurance wasn't enough. An 11-play, 75-yard Dartmouth drive ended with Saunier connecting with Scott from seven yards out. The extra point pulled Dartmouth within 37-23 with 7:30 left in regulation.

The Big Green subsequently executed a perfect onside kick, which fell into the arms of Chris Corbo. And it took only 56 seconds on four plays to get even closer. Saunier found Scott for 38 yards to the Yale 7-yard line. Two plays later, Haughton finished off his first-career touchdown reception, from eight yards out, as Dartmouth pulled within 37-30 with 6:34 still on the clock.

Paxton Scott touchdown, followed by a Daniel Haughton TD moments later and the Big Green are within 37-30 with 6:34 still remaining!

Gameday Central ➡️ https://t.co/1Vtvt5prnL #TheWoods🌲 | #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/5TvSxhHsPb
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) October 12, 2024

The Bulldogs went on to gain two first downs, but a missed 47-yard field goal gave Dartmouth life and the ball with 3:20 on the clock. The Big Green marched to the Yale 43-yard line when Haughton came back to the ball for a dazzling one-handed grab and a much-needed first down on 3rd-and-10. One play later, Saunier ran it in himself from 32 yards away, evening the score at 37 with 1:22 let in the fourth.

32 yard touchdown run by Grayson Saunier ties it all up.#TheWoods #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/QNELo7VYb0
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) October 12, 2024

In the final moments of regulation, Yale marched to the Dartmouth 28-yard line, but a missed 46-yard field goal sent the game to overtime.

In the extra session, two penalties backed the Big Green up to the 35-yard line, but Jones immediately scampered for 31 yards down to the four. Five plays later, Jones finished off a 2-yard rush for the touchdown. Following the Zalc extra point, the Big Green led for the first time, 44-37.

On its offensive possession, Yale converted a 4th-and-5 to stay alive, then two plays later, found the end zone. However, the Bulldogs went for the 2-point conversion and Grant Jordan's pass sailed overtop his intended receiver, as the Big Green bench erupted.

"I thought across the board, those guys were confident," said McCorkle. "They knew we could move the ball when we had to. There were some times we stalled there, but overall, they felt like they had the confidence that we could put points up. We needed those points. We needed them to do it in a fast way and I thought tempo wise, they did a great job of moving fast, putting those points up and getting us back in the game."

The first half saw the Bulldogs jump out to a 9-0 lead behind a safety and 71-yard touchdown reception from Joey Felton. A Corbo 32-yard touchdown catch, his third TD grab of the year, got the Big Green within 9-7, but Yale ended the first half with 14 straight points and a 23-7 halftime lead.

What a catch and run by Chris Corbo 💪

Gameday Central ➡️ https://t.co/1Vtvt5prnL #TheWoods🌲 | #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/tV0CpqyA3o
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) October 12, 2024

"Halftime is a very important time," said Jones. "You being able to see everybody's eyes and understand that nobody's holding their heads down, that there's still hope [is important]. Even though we went down, it was never a loss of hope. We wanted to reiterate that throughout the team. That type of energy you give each other is very contagious and the fact that you have hope and play with confidence, it carries throughout the whole team."

For the game, Yale held a 532-445 edge in total yards. Dartmouth held a 157-120 edge on the ground and the Bulldogs had the advantage through the air, 412-288.

Dartmouth returns home next Saturday to host Central Connecticut State at 1 p.m. on Cheer Day and Education Appreciation Day. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

Questions can be directed to the Athletics Sales Office at athletics.sales@dartmouth.edu or by calling (603) 646-2466.

NOTES: Dartmouth's 44 points were its most ever scored against Yale; Saturday was the 107th all-time meeting … The Big Green's 23-point comeback victory marked their largest in program history. They had a 21-point comeback against Yale in 2017 along with a 23-point comeback to tie a team in 1933, which ironically, was also Yale ... Scott finished with his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and fifth of his career … Saunier's 276 passing yards were most by a Big Green quarterback against an Ivy League opponent since Derek Kyler had 303 against Brown on Nov. 23, 2019 … The Big Green are off to their best start since 2021 when they began 5-0 … Dartmouth is the only 2-0 team in the Ivy League; Columbia and Brown are each 1-0.