HANOVER, N.H. -- The last time they met, a nationally-ranked Dartmouth team let Cornell hang around and watched the Big Red pull out a 20-17 win to spoil its Senior Day. The Big Green didn't make the same mistake on Saturday at Memorial Field, putting the Big Red away early in a 41-7 victory. The Big Green improved to 8-1 (5-1 Ivy), while Cornell dropped to 2-7 (1-5 Ivy) in the loss.

Dartmouth outgained the Big Red 499-192, dominated time of possession (36:26-23:34) and never allowed the visitors to feel comfortable on either side of the ball in remaining in first place of the Ivy League standings. It can claim at least a share of the Ivy League title with a win over Brown next weekend or a Princeton loss to Penn. Dartmouth led 28-0 at the half, and except for a brief offensive spurt to open the second half, never threatened the defending Ivy champs. over the final 30 minutes.

Nick Howard ran for 172 yards and four touchdowns as the Big Green posted 292 yards and five scores on the ground. At the same time, a balanced Dartmouth squad also completed 17-of-22 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, with Derek Kyler hitting on 14-of-18 passes for 182 yards. Dale Chesson caught seven passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.

Jake Stebbins led the Big Red defense with nine tackles, including two for a loss and a sack, while Demetrius Harris had eight. Holt Fletcher and Onome Kessington each were credited with sacks. On the offensive end, Eddy Tillman had a career-high 36 rushing yards on six carries, while Devon Brewer scored the lone touchdown for Cornell en route to 19 yards on four carries. Thomas Glover hauled in four passes for 64 yards in the loss.
 

First Quarter

• Dartmouth drove the length of the field after taking the opening kickoff, reaching the Big Red 1 before a Stebbins sack pushed the home team back.
• The Big Green eventually settled for a 27-yard field goal that missed, keeping the game scoreless.
• It wouldn't be for long, however, as the Big Green marched 48 yards on seven plays following a Big Red three-and-out.
• A 26-yard pass from Kyler to Chesson got the home team in the red zone, and Howard went the final 10 yards on two carries to make it 7-0 with 4:34 left.
• After a Cornell punt, Dartmouth again went to work after a short punt gave the Big Green a short field.
• Cornell didn't gain a first down in the quarter and gained just six yards on six plays while Dartmouth held the ball for more than 12 minutes.
 

Second Quarter

• It was 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, but the floodgates opened in the second.
• The Big Green scored on the first play of the quarter, a 13-yard rush by Noah Roper just six seconds in.
• The PAT by Davis made it 14-0.
• Another three-and-out on offense was followed up by a Big Red stop, including a sack by Holt Fletcher.
• Three straight successful runs for the Big Red earned a first down, but when Cornell went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Dartmouth 49, a false start penalty moved the offense back and forced a punt.
• Four plays later, Dartmouth was in the end zone again.
• A 75-yard run by Nick Howard set up a 2-yard score by the quarterback to make it 21-0 with 5:47 left before the half.
• Another Cornell punt set up the Big Green for a final touchdown to cap a seven-play, 33-yard drive that was set up by a 34-yard punt return by Cooney.
• Kyler's touchdown pass to Chesson from 8 yards out sent the home team into the break leading 28-0.
 

Third Quarter

• Cornell picked up some momentum after halftime, scoring on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard burst through the line by Devon Brewer.

• The big play was a 31-yard pass from Jameson Wang to Thomas Glover to the Dartmouth 17.
• That came three plays after a 17-yard run by Eddy Tillman to start the half.
• Dartmouth answered right back, taking the air out of the Big Red by making up 70 yards on five plays with three consecutive plays of 19 yards or more to end the drive.
• Howard had consecutive runs of 21 and 20 yards for the touchdown, his third of the night.
• Cornell picked up a first down later in the quarter, but couldn't do much more.
 

Fourth Quarter

• After closing the third on the move, the Big Green capped the scoring with 13:36 remaining on a 32-yard run by Howard.
• The PAT was missed to make it 41-7.
• Cornell's final drive, led by senior Ben Mays, got to the Dartmouth 30 before stalling out.
• The Big Green milked the final 4:50 of the clock with a pair of first downs to move to 8-1 on the season.
 

Next Up

• Cornell returns to the road to face nationally-ranked Dartmouth on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 1:30 p.m. at Memorial Field in Hanover, N.H.
• The Big Green leads the all-time series 61-41-1, though Cornell won the last meeting between the teams 20-17 in 2019.
• The Big Red's victory over Dartmouth on its Senior Day ruined a perfect season and proved to be Cornell's first win over a ranked Ivy team on the road since 1950, as well as a win over its highest ranked opponent since topping No. 4 Ohio State in 1939.