Let’s be honest. For most of the first half, Dartmouth football looked like it was stuck in a slow-motion replay. Drives that started with promise fizzled out like flat soda. The Bronx sun was shining, the turf was ready, and yet, six points. That’s all the Big Green could muster before halftime against Fordham. Six lonely points, courtesy of Owen Zalc’s field goals, while the Rams lurked, waiting for a misstep. And misstep they did. A punt return gone wrong, a collision that felt more like a blooper reel than a football play, and suddenly Fordham had the ball and a chance to tie. Which they did. Cue the groans from the Dartmouth faithful. Déjà vu, anyone?
But then came the second half. And with it, a vibe shift. Fordham tried to get cute with an onside kick to open the third quarter. Bold move. Didn’t work. Dartmouth recovered, and from there, it was like someone hit fast-forward. Grayson Saunier, the quarterback who’s been quietly building a highlight reel this season, led a drive that felt like a montage, four plays, red zone, touchdown. D.J. Crowther took a handoff, cut right, and boom, twenty yards to the house. Suddenly, the Big Green were up, and the energy flipped like a switch.
Let’s talk about Crowther for a second. The guy’s been a machine. All-purpose yards, touchdowns, Ivy League rankings, he’s stacking stats like vinyl records in a collector’s crate. But it’s not just numbers. It’s chemistry. Crowther, Saunier, Desmin Jackson, they’re not just teammates, they’re buddies. Off the field, they train together, hang out, build trust. On the field, that shows. The trio ran for a combined 180 yards against Fordham, and it felt effortless. Like jazz. Like a Tarantino tracking shot. Smooth, confident, a little dangerous.
And Saunier? Dual-threat doesn’t even begin to cover it. He leads all Ivy quarterbacks in rushing yards and touchdowns, which is wild considering how clean his passing game looked in the fourth quarter. Five completions, 103 yards, two touchdowns. One to Grayson O’Bara, one to Luke Rives. Both deep balls, both perfectly placed. O’Bara, by the way, is having a season. Over 100 receiving yards in three games now. He’s the guy who makes the tough catches look easy, the kind of receiver who turns broken plays into SportsCenter clips.
But don’t sleep on the defense. Gunnar Smith, Fordham’s quarterback, probably saw more green than he ever wanted. Dartmouth’s front line was relentless, sacking him three times and keeping him on the run. The secondary broke up six passes, and Sean Williams snagged his third interception of the season. Williams is the kind of player who doesn’t just show up, he makes you feel his presence. And he’s quick to credit the whole squad. Pressure from the D-line, depth from the linebackers, coverage from the corners, it’s a symphony, and Williams is just one of the soloists.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Fordham was gasping. Dartmouth, meanwhile, was cruising. Zalc hit another field goal to stretch the lead, and then the offense went full throttle. Two consecutive touchdown drives, both surgical, both decisive. The Rams managed one more score, but it was too little, too late. Final score: 30-13. A win that felt earned, not gifted. A win that didn’t require last-minute heroics or nail-biting finishes. Just execution. Just rhythm.
And rhythm matters. Especially in football. It’s not just about plays and formations, it’s about timing, trust, momentum. Dartmouth found that rhythm in the second half, and it was beautiful. Like a well-edited film, where every cut lands, every beat hits, and the audience leaves satisfied. The Big Green are now 4-1, with five Ivy League games to go. Columbia’s next, and they’ve been on the losing end of this matchup three years running. If Dartmouth keeps this energy, keeps this rhythm, keeps this chemistry, they’re not just contenders. They’re artists.
So what does this win mean? It means the team is growing. It means the offseason work is paying off. It means the mistakes of the first half aren’t defining the season. And it means that when the lights are on and the pressure’s real, Dartmouth knows how to respond. Not with panic. Not with chaos. But with poise. With swagger. With fourth quarter fever.
In the Bronx, on a Saturday that started slow and ended with fireworks, the Big Green reminded everyone that football isn’t just a game. It’s a performance. And right now, they’re putting on a show worth watching. For more Big Green football coverage, follow the Independent.
