HANOVER, N.H. -- For the first time in nearly seven decades, the Cornell football team knocked off a ranked Ivy League team on the road, overcoming a halftime deficit to claim a 20-17 victory over No. 12 Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Field. The win ended the Big Green's hopes of an unbeaten season (8-1, 6-1 Ivy), though Dartmouth can still claim at least a share of the Ancient Eight title with a win over Brown in its season finale. The Big Red improved to 3-6 (2-4 Ivy) with Senior Day and the Empire State Bowl against Columbia up next.

The last time the Big Red came home after a win over an Ivy ranked team, Cornell may have actually traveled by train. Cornell topped No. 13 Penn 13-7 at Franklin Field on Nov. 25, 1950, to cap a 7-2 season. It's the highest ranked opponent the Big Red has topped since knocking off No. 4 Ohio State during its 1939 national championship season.

Junior Richie Kenney hit senior Owen Peters over the middle for a 24-yard touchdown with 5:32 left, then made a diving play at the pylon for a two-point conversion to go ahead of Dartmouth. That came after Harold Coles' 74-yard touchdown run right after halftime got the visitors within two points after trailing 14-3 late in the second. Kenney connected on 22-of-38 passes for 267 yards and the go-ahead score, shaking off a pair of first half interceptions in a gutty performance. Coles ran for 111 yards and a score on 15 carries, becoming just the second 100-yard rusher against Dartmouth over the last three seasons. The receiving trio of Eric Gallman (nine receptions, 98 yards), Phazione McCurge (six receptions, 73 yards) and Peters (four catches, 81 yards, touchdown) helped the Big Red pile up 384 yards on the nation's fifth-ranked offense. The offensive line didn't allow a sack against a fearsome Big Green defense.

While the offense grabbed the headlines, it was the defense that set the tone - led by the seniors. Jelani Taylor had a game-high 11 tackles and forced a fumble in the Dartmouth red zone, David Jones had the game-clinching interception, Malik Leary and Justin Bedard each had sacks and Mo Bradford broke up two passes. The unit surrendered just 14 first downs and held Dartmouth to 3-of-14 on third downs.

Special teams did its part, as Nickolas Null hit a pair of first half field goals to keep the visitors in the game and averaged 36.0 yards with three of his seven punts downs inside the 20, including his final one with 2:12 left that pinned the Big Green at its own 7. Two plays later, Jones intercepted a pass to clinch the win.

The Big Green's All-America corner and reigning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Isiah Swann had a monster game with six tackles, five pass breakups and an interception he returned 69 yards for a touchdown. Darren Stanley also intercepted a pass that the Big Green converted into a touchdown as the home team scored 14 points off Cornell's two turnovers. Dakari Falconer had 105 yards on 19 carries to lead a rushing attack that had 180 yards, but the passing game was good for just 118 on 7-of-18 passing. 
 

First Quarter

• The Big Red defense got a stop after kicking off to the Big Green after the home team picked up a pair of first downs.
• Cornell's offense came to play, marching 84 yards on 12 plays with Kenney connecting on 7-of-8 passes for 79 yards, including two for 32 to McClurge and four for 24 yards to Gallman.
• The key play was a 24-yard completion from Kenney to McClurge on a third-and-5 that extended the drive.
• Cornell also converted on a third-and-7 with a 12-yard pass from Kenney to Gallman.
• After the Big Red forced a Dartmouth punt, Cornell immediately hit an 18-yard pass from Kenney to Owen Peters for a first down. 
• Two plays later, Kenney was picked off by Isiah Swann, who broke two tackles in a 69-yard touchdown return to give the home team the lead on Senior Day.
• It was Swann's fourth pick-six of his career, a new Dartmouth record.
• After 15 minutes, Cornell outgained the Big Green 114-55 but trailed 7-3 on the scoreboard.
 

Second Quarter

• The two teams traded punts in the until Kenney's deep pass over the middle was picked off by Darren Stanley.
• Ten plays and 59 yards later, Dartmouth had built its lead to 14-3.
• Derek Kyler's 30-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Hagdorn on fourth-and-14 gave the home team a solid lead.
• Cornell was undaunted, going on an 11-play, 65-yard drive that took under two minutes and ended in Null's 22-yard field goal with six seconds left before the break.
• A 28-yard pass from Kenney to Gallman on third-and-6 set up the goal-to-go in the final 30 seconds.
• Dartmouth held the ball for 10:38 in the quarter.
 

Third Quarter

• The second half began with fireworks, as Coles marched 74 yards on the second play from scrimmage to get the Big Red back within 14-12.
• The two-point conversion was stopped on a delayed handoff to Delonte Harrell, who was dropped a yard short of tying the game.
• Only one first down came on the next six total drives in the quarter - a Dartmouth offsides penalty that allowed the Big Red a five-play drive.
• Dartmouth got the ball back with five minutes to play in the third, and facing third-and-5 at the Cornell 22, Big Green quarterback Derek Kyler found some daylight.
• The signal caller made it to the 11 before Jelani Taylor knocked the ball out of his hands and sophomore Michael Irons pounced on it for the turnover.
• The Big Red picked up a pair of first downs prior to the clock hitting zero.
 

Fourth Quarter

• Cornell punted the ball back to the Big Green in the opening minute of the fourth and the offense went to work.
• Dartmouth went on a sustained, 11-play, 56-yard march that ended with a 34-yard field goal by Connor Davis to make it 17-12 with 8:06 remaining.
• Kenney hit on passes of 16 yards to Peters and 10 and 14 yards to Gallman in crossing midfield in its ensuing drive.
• Facing a third-and-4, Cornell drew Dartmouth offsides after a timeout to earn a new set of downs, but they wouldn't need them.
• On the very next play, Kenney connected with Peters over the middle for six to gain the lead at 18-17 with 5:32 remaining to cap an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive.
• Cornell decided to go for two, and Kenney made a dash for the left pylon after his first two options were well-covered.
• He beat Swann to the corner to push the advantage to 20-17.
• Dartmouth had two more chances to tie or take the lead, but the Cornell defense stood tall.
• The Big Green picked up a first down, but turned it over on downs after Bradford batted down a pass, Isaiah Hogan made a tackle for loss and Irons broke up a fourth-down pass to hand Cornell the ball back with 2:37 left.
• After three Harold Coles rushing plays gained 8 yards and facing fourth-and-2 from the Dartmouth 32, the Big Red decided to punt it away and make Dartmouth go the length of the field.
• Nickolas Null's punt was excellent, putting the ball out at the 7.
• Dartmouth gained the 13 yard line on its first play, but David Jones sniffed out a short pass and intercepted it on the second, his ninth career pick (No. 9 all-time at Cornell). 
• Cornell took a knee three times and walked off the field a winner in Hanover for the first time since 2005, snapping a 10-game skid against the Big Green in the process.
 

Next Up

• Cornell will close out the season when it plays Columbia for the Empire State Bowl on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Schoellkopf Field.
• The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+, with the Big Red celebrating its seniors prior to the game.
• The Big Red leads the all-time series 65-38-3, though the Lions won last season's meeting 24-21 on a last-minute kickoff return for a touchdown.