It’s the kind of ending that makes you believe in sports movies again. Not the glossy, overproduced kind with orchestral swells and slow-motion montages, but the scrappy, underdog flicks where the quarterback you didn’t expect to be the hero throws a pass that feels like it’s carrying the weight of every practice, every mistake, every second-string doubt. That’s what happened in New Britain, Connecticut, when Dartmouth’s football team, yes, the Ivy League’s own Big Green, pulled off a 35-28 win over Central Connecticut State University in a game that felt like it was written by someone who really loves third-act twists.
Let’s set the scene. The score is tied. There are 58 seconds left. CCSU has just marched down the field with a 12-play drive that ends in a touchdown, and the crowd is buzzing with that kind of nervous energy that makes you check your pulse. Dartmouth gets the ball back. Quarterback Grayson Saunier, who up until this point has been solid but not exactly headline-grabbing, starts throwing darts. Three short completions. One incompletion. Then, with 16 seconds left, he spots Ky’Dric Fisher streaking down the right sideline. Fisher, who hadn’t been a major target all game, makes a double move that leaves his defender grasping at air. Saunier launches it. Fisher catches it. Touchdown. Game.
It was the kind of play that makes you question everything you thought you knew about momentum. Fisher later admitted they’d never run that play before. His position coach asked if he knew it. He said yes. That was enough. Sometimes football is less about the playbook and more about the vibe. And the vibe was immaculate.
Saunier finished the game with 407 passing yards, a career high that shattered his previous bests like a rock through a stained-glass window. He went 30-for-44, threw two touchdowns, and looked like someone who had finally figured out how to turn potential into performance. One of those touchdowns was a 71-yard bomb to Grayson O’Bara, who had himself a day with seven catches and 128 receiving yards. O’Bara was everywhere, sidelines, seams, deep routes, and every time Dartmouth needed a spark, he lit the match.
But this wasn’t a clean game. Dartmouth’s first drive ended with an interception that CCSU turned into a touchdown. Later, Ian Scott broke loose for a big gain only to fumble deep in enemy territory. Head coach Sammy McCorkle didn’t sugarcoat it. “We gotta take care of the ball,” he said. “Especially when we’re in traffic. That’s fundamental stuff.” And he’s right. You can’t win consistently if you keep giving away possessions like party favors.
Still, the Big Green found ways to claw back. D.J. Crowther, who’s quickly becoming the team’s most reliable scoring option, punched in two touchdowns and racked up 86 rushing yards. That brings his season total to five touchdowns in just two games, which puts him near the top of the Ivy League leaderboard. Crowther’s style isn’t flashy, he’s not juking defenders out of their cleats, but he’s consistent, and in a league where consistency is often the difference between a winning season and a cautionary tale, that matters.
Defensively, Dartmouth had its moments. After a shaky start, the unit settled in and forced a key three-and-out that gave the offense a chance to tie the game before halftime. Linebackers filled gaps, corners stuck to their assignments, and while CCSU did manage to score twice in the fourth quarter, the defense held firm when it mattered most. The final play of the game, a lateral attempt that ended in a fumble, was a fitting metaphor for CCSU’s night. Close, but not quite.
And let’s talk about the coaching. McCorkle’s postgame comments were a mix of pride and pragmatism. “We didn’t make it easy for ourselves,” he said. “We left a lot of points out on the field.” But he also praised his players for their resilience, their readiness, their ability to step up when the spotlight found them. That’s the kind of leadership that doesn’t just win games, it builds programs.
So where does this leave Dartmouth? At 2-0, with wins over New Hampshire and CCSU, the Big Green are starting to look like a team that could make noise in the Ivy League. The offense is clicking, the defense is learning, and the special teams haven’t imploded. That’s a good start. But the real story here isn’t just the record. It’s the way this team is winning, with late-game heroics, unexpected stars, and a quarterback who’s finally playing like he owns the field.
In a sport that often feels like it’s dominated by blue-chip recruits and billion-dollar programs, Dartmouth’s win was a reminder that football is still, at its core, about execution, trust, and timing. It’s about knowing your moment and seizing it. And on a Saturday afternoon in Connecticut, with the game on the line and the clock ticking down, Ky’Dric Fisher seized his. The rest, as they say, is highlight reel history. The Big Green would carry this momentum into their next victory at Fordham.
