Upcoming Event: Football at #7/7 Lehigh on September 19, 2026 at 12:00 PM
12:00 PM
Football
at #7/7 Lehigh
Saturday, September 19
Bethlehem, Pa. / Goodman Stadium
12:00 PM
Dartmouth College
at
Lehigh
Football to Open 2026 Season at #7/7 Lehigh
9/17/2026 1:00:00 PM | Football
Game One: Dartmouth (0-0) at #7/7 Lehigh (3-0) - Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, 12 p.m.
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HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth football team opens its 144th season on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, against #7/7 Lehigh.
Setting the Scene
The Big Green open the 2026 season against back-to-back Patriot League champion #7/7 Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at Goodman Stadium with game time set for 12 p.m. Dartmouth will be aiming for a fifth Ivy League title in the past seven years in 2026, and returned a talented roster headlined by Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy honorees Grayson Saunier and Harrison Keith.
Dartmouth owns the most all-time Ivy League Championships, with 22, and have won a title in four of the past six seasons.
Sammy McCorkle, the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach, enters his fourth season at the helm in 2026. The Big Green won Ivy League titles in 2023 and 2024 under McCorkle.
Core contributors return throughout the lineup for the Big Green, including quarterback Grayson Saunier, who threw for 2,143 yards and 9 touch owns, while also rushing for 413 yards and a team-high 11 rushing touchdowns last season. Ky'Dric Fisher will be the top returning pass catcher, with 21 catches for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2025.
Harrison Keith, a Third Team Associated Press (AP) All-American last season, returns and led the team with four interceptions as a junior. Cameron Alston-Best enters his senior year after 40-tackle 2025 season and is up to 59 career tackles over 20 games. Bruce Williams and Joshua Johnson combined for four sacks and 37 tackles as juniors last year and will look to take their production to the next level in 2026.
The game marks the first between Dartmouth and Lehigh since 2023, when the Big Green earned a 34-17 win at home.
Receiving Votes
The Big Green received two votes in the Monday, Sept. 12, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll.
With a Win on Saturday…
Lehigh is ranked #7 in the AFCA poll with 473 points and #9 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 with 1010 points. In their most recent game, the Mountain Hawks took down #16 William & Mary, 44-20, at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Sept. 12. The Mountain Hawks are back-to-back Patriot League Champions and compiled a 12-1 record along with a perfect 7-0 record in conference play in 2025. Last season, Lehigh hosted #12 Villanova in an FCS playoff second round and fell, 14-7.
Last Time vs. Lehigh
(Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023)
- The win was the first for interim head coach Sammy McCorkle, coming just days after the passing of Buddy Teevens, and improved Dartmouth to 3-5 all-time in the series.
- Dartmouth won 34-17 at home, snapping a long gap because the teams hadn't played since 1999.
- Dylan Cadwallader was efficient through the air, completing 16-of-19 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, a 7-yard fade to Paxton Scott that gave the Big Green the lead just before halftime.
- The rushing attack dominated, piling up 219 yards on the ground. Q Jones (17 carries, 99 yards, 1 TD) and Nick Howard (16 carries, 70 yards, 2 TDs) led the way.
- Dartmouth's defense and special teams created key turnovers, with a Leonard St. Gourdin forced fumble recovered by Ejike Adele and a Sam Koscho blocked punt both setting up third-quarter touchdowns.
- The Big Green controlled the game overall, running 30 more plays than Lehigh and finishing with more than double the total yardage (346-169.)
McCorkle Against the Patriot League
McCorkle holds a 3-1 record as the Robert L. Blackman Head Coach against the Patriot League:
- def. Lehigh, 34-17; Saturday, Sept 23, 2023, at Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field
- def. by Colgate, 27-24 (OT); Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at Andy Kerr Stadium
- def. Fordham, 45-13; Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, at Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field
- def. Fordham, 30-13; Saturday, Oct. 18, at Coffey Field
Last Time Against a Top 10 Opponent
The last time Dartmouth faced a top 10 opponent was on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2019, at Yankee Stadium when the No. 13 Big Green got past No. 10 Princeton, 27-10, in a battle of unbeaten Ivy League teams. quarterback Jared Gerbino running for two touchdowns and 97 yards, and Niko Lalos returning an interception for a score. The win snapped Princeton's 17-game winning streak, avenged Dartmouth's previous year's loss to the Tigers, and pushed Dartmouth to 8-0 (5-0 Ivy) and into sole possession of first place in the league.
Recapping 2025
The Big Green finished third in the Ivy League in the 2025 season, recording a 7-3 overall record and a 4-3 record in Ivy League play. The season opened with a 27-20 win over #23/25 New Hampshire, before a 35-28 victory over Central Connecticut State in another non-conference matchup. Dartmouth also defeated Fordham in its other non-conference play.
While the Big Green fell to #12/15 Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Brown in Ivy League play, Dartmouth earned victories over Princeton, Cornell, Columbia and Yale. The Big Green's 17-16 win over the Bulldogs was a thriller that was decided by a 51-yard Owen Zalc field goal.
Elite Company for Saunier
Grayson Saunier has etched his name in the Dartmouth record book in multiple statistical categories:
- Points in a season: 60 (2025) — tied for Ivy League-best (with Yale's Josh Pitsenberger).
- Career completion percentage: .650 — second in program history (behind Derek Kyler '21's .693); 7th in Ivy League history.
- Single-game passing yards: 407 yards vs. CCSU (2025) — tied for 5th in program history.
- Season completions: 183 (2025) — seventh all-time in program history.
- Season passing yards: 2,143 yards (2025) — eighth all-time in program history.
- Season rushing touchdowns: 11 (2025) — ninth all-time in program history.
- Career rushing touchdowns: 19 — 10th all-time in program history.
- Career total offense: 3,320 yards — 10th all-time in program history.
- Career completions: 230 — tied for 10th all-time in program history.
- Career passing yards: 2,676 yards — 14th all-time in program history.
Zalc in the Record Book
- Single-season field goals: 17 made on 21 attempts (2023) — program record.
- Career field goals: 39 made on 56 attempts — Dartmouth record.
- Career field goals (Ivy League context): 39 — sixth all-time in Ivy League history; needs 13 to tie and 14 to pass Brown's Steve Morgan (2004-07), the conference record holder.
- Single-season field goals (Ivy League context): 14 field goals in 2023 — Ivy League single-season record.
- Career points-kicking: tops Dartmouth's career points-kicking chart, with 89 of 91 extra points made and 39 of 56 field goals made.
- Career points 206 points — third all-time in program history.
Big Green Receive Preseason Honors From Phil Steele
Grayson Saunier and Harrison Keith were named to the Phil Steele Magazine Preseason All-Ivy League Team, with both collecting first team honors.
Preseason Phil Steele All-Ivy honors:
First Team
Grayson Saunier, quarterback
Harrison Keith, defensive back
Big Green in the NFL
Two Big Green alumni played in NFL preseason games. Delby Lemieux '26 debuted with the Minnesota Vikings and Josiah Green '25 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
30 Years from Perfection
This season marks the 30th anniversary of Dartmouth's perfect 1996 campaign, one of the finest in program history. Led by fifth-year head coach John Lyons, the Big Green went a perfect 10–0 overall and 7–0 in the Ivy League, finishing the year ranked No. 17 in the national rankings and capturing the program's 17th Ivy League title. The championship run featured signature wins over Cornell and Harvard, a dominant 40-0 shutout of Columbia, and a title-clinching victory at Brown, before the Big Green closed the year at Princeton, beating the Tigers 24-0 to complete the undefeated season. Thirty years later, that 1996 squad remains a touchstone for Dartmouth football and a fitting piece of history to celebrate this season.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats
Listen
Tickets
Game Notes
X
HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth football team opens its 144th season on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, against #7/7 Lehigh.
Setting the Scene
The Big Green open the 2026 season against back-to-back Patriot League champion #7/7 Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at Goodman Stadium with game time set for 12 p.m. Dartmouth will be aiming for a fifth Ivy League title in the past seven years in 2026, and returned a talented roster headlined by Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy honorees Grayson Saunier and Harrison Keith.
Dartmouth owns the most all-time Ivy League Championships, with 22, and have won a title in four of the past six seasons.
Sammy McCorkle, the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach, enters his fourth season at the helm in 2026. The Big Green won Ivy League titles in 2023 and 2024 under McCorkle.
Core contributors return throughout the lineup for the Big Green, including quarterback Grayson Saunier, who threw for 2,143 yards and 9 touch owns, while also rushing for 413 yards and a team-high 11 rushing touchdowns last season. Ky'Dric Fisher will be the top returning pass catcher, with 21 catches for 341 yards and 2 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2025.
Harrison Keith, a Third Team Associated Press (AP) All-American last season, returns and led the team with four interceptions as a junior. Cameron Alston-Best enters his senior year after 40-tackle 2025 season and is up to 59 career tackles over 20 games. Bruce Williams and Joshua Johnson combined for four sacks and 37 tackles as juniors last year and will look to take their production to the next level in 2026.
The game marks the first between Dartmouth and Lehigh since 2023, when the Big Green earned a 34-17 win at home.
Receiving Votes
The Big Green received two votes in the Monday, Sept. 12, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll.
With a Win on Saturday…
- Dartmouth would win its season opener for the 15 the time in the last 16 seasons.
- The Big Green would earn consecutive wins over Lehigh for the first time in history.
- Move McCorkle to 4-1 all-time against Patriot League opponents
Lehigh is ranked #7 in the AFCA poll with 473 points and #9 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 with 1010 points. In their most recent game, the Mountain Hawks took down #16 William & Mary, 44-20, at Goodman Stadium in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, Sept. 12. The Mountain Hawks are back-to-back Patriot League Champions and compiled a 12-1 record along with a perfect 7-0 record in conference play in 2025. Last season, Lehigh hosted #12 Villanova in an FCS playoff second round and fell, 14-7.
Last Time vs. Lehigh
(Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023)
- The win was the first for interim head coach Sammy McCorkle, coming just days after the passing of Buddy Teevens, and improved Dartmouth to 3-5 all-time in the series.
- Dartmouth won 34-17 at home, snapping a long gap because the teams hadn't played since 1999.
- Dylan Cadwallader was efficient through the air, completing 16-of-19 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, a 7-yard fade to Paxton Scott that gave the Big Green the lead just before halftime.
- The rushing attack dominated, piling up 219 yards on the ground. Q Jones (17 carries, 99 yards, 1 TD) and Nick Howard (16 carries, 70 yards, 2 TDs) led the way.
- Dartmouth's defense and special teams created key turnovers, with a Leonard St. Gourdin forced fumble recovered by Ejike Adele and a Sam Koscho blocked punt both setting up third-quarter touchdowns.
- The Big Green controlled the game overall, running 30 more plays than Lehigh and finishing with more than double the total yardage (346-169.)
McCorkle Against the Patriot League
McCorkle holds a 3-1 record as the Robert L. Blackman Head Coach against the Patriot League:
- def. Lehigh, 34-17; Saturday, Sept 23, 2023, at Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field
- def. by Colgate, 27-24 (OT); Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, at Andy Kerr Stadium
- def. Fordham, 45-13; Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, at Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field
- def. Fordham, 30-13; Saturday, Oct. 18, at Coffey Field
Last Time Against a Top 10 Opponent
The last time Dartmouth faced a top 10 opponent was on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2019, at Yankee Stadium when the No. 13 Big Green got past No. 10 Princeton, 27-10, in a battle of unbeaten Ivy League teams. quarterback Jared Gerbino running for two touchdowns and 97 yards, and Niko Lalos returning an interception for a score. The win snapped Princeton's 17-game winning streak, avenged Dartmouth's previous year's loss to the Tigers, and pushed Dartmouth to 8-0 (5-0 Ivy) and into sole possession of first place in the league.
Recapping 2025
The Big Green finished third in the Ivy League in the 2025 season, recording a 7-3 overall record and a 4-3 record in Ivy League play. The season opened with a 27-20 win over #23/25 New Hampshire, before a 35-28 victory over Central Connecticut State in another non-conference matchup. Dartmouth also defeated Fordham in its other non-conference play.
While the Big Green fell to #12/15 Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and Brown in Ivy League play, Dartmouth earned victories over Princeton, Cornell, Columbia and Yale. The Big Green's 17-16 win over the Bulldogs was a thriller that was decided by a 51-yard Owen Zalc field goal.
Elite Company for Saunier
Grayson Saunier has etched his name in the Dartmouth record book in multiple statistical categories:
- Points in a season: 60 (2025) — tied for Ivy League-best (with Yale's Josh Pitsenberger).
- Career completion percentage: .650 — second in program history (behind Derek Kyler '21's .693); 7th in Ivy League history.
- Single-game passing yards: 407 yards vs. CCSU (2025) — tied for 5th in program history.
- Season completions: 183 (2025) — seventh all-time in program history.
- Season passing yards: 2,143 yards (2025) — eighth all-time in program history.
- Season rushing touchdowns: 11 (2025) — ninth all-time in program history.
- Career rushing touchdowns: 19 — 10th all-time in program history.
- Career total offense: 3,320 yards — 10th all-time in program history.
- Career completions: 230 — tied for 10th all-time in program history.
- Career passing yards: 2,676 yards — 14th all-time in program history.
Zalc in the Record Book
- Single-season field goals: 17 made on 21 attempts (2023) — program record.
- Career field goals: 39 made on 56 attempts — Dartmouth record.
- Career field goals (Ivy League context): 39 — sixth all-time in Ivy League history; needs 13 to tie and 14 to pass Brown's Steve Morgan (2004-07), the conference record holder.
- Single-season field goals (Ivy League context): 14 field goals in 2023 — Ivy League single-season record.
- Career points-kicking: tops Dartmouth's career points-kicking chart, with 89 of 91 extra points made and 39 of 56 field goals made.
- Career points 206 points — third all-time in program history.
Big Green Receive Preseason Honors From Phil Steele
Grayson Saunier and Harrison Keith were named to the Phil Steele Magazine Preseason All-Ivy League Team, with both collecting first team honors.
Preseason Phil Steele All-Ivy honors:
First Team
Grayson Saunier, quarterback
Harrison Keith, defensive back
Big Green in the NFL
Two Big Green alumni played in NFL preseason games. Delby Lemieux '26 debuted with the Minnesota Vikings and Josiah Green '25 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
30 Years from Perfection
This season marks the 30th anniversary of Dartmouth's perfect 1996 campaign, one of the finest in program history. Led by fifth-year head coach John Lyons, the Big Green went a perfect 10–0 overall and 7–0 in the Ivy League, finishing the year ranked No. 17 in the national rankings and capturing the program's 17th Ivy League title. The championship run featured signature wins over Cornell and Harvard, a dominant 40-0 shutout of Columbia, and a title-clinching victory at Brown, before the Big Green closed the year at Princeton, beating the Tigers 24-0 to complete the undefeated season. Thirty years later, that 1996 squad remains a touchstone for Dartmouth football and a fitting piece of history to celebrate this season.
Players Mentioned
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