HANOVER – Several dozen or more football teams gathered in their football complexes Sunday to watch the FCS playoffs selection show. Dartmouth had a regular team meeting planned, but the Big Green could be excused if tuning in to ESPNU to see which teams made the cut, and who they would be playing was not on the agenda.
Thanks to Saturday’s win over Harvard, Yale knew it was in the field, and learned it would be playing at 15-seed Youngstown State, with the winner going on to face second-seeded Montana State. Harvard, widely expected to be a top-eight seed before being battered by the Bulldogs, was one of the “last four” in the field as an at-large entry, and will play at 12-seed Villanova Saturday, with the winner advancing to a matchup with fifth-seed Lehigh.
Two teams Dartmouth faced this fall learned their fate as well. Central Connecticut, the Northeast Conference automatic qualifier, will face nine-seed Rhode Island and New Hampshire, like Harvard an at-large team and one of the “last four in,” visits 14-seed South Dakota State.
With wins over Yale, Central Connecticut and New Hampshire and a loss to Harvard, Dartmouth had a 3-1 record against teams who are continuing on.
The Yale, Harvard and Central Connecticut games will kick off Saturday at noon with the New Hampshire game slated for a 1 p.m. start.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Dartmouth quarterback Grayson Saunier completed 24-of-41 throws for 274 yards Saturday with a career-high three touchdown passes and three interceptions. He ran six times for 26 yards. . . . Brown quarterback James Murphy was 22-of-27 for 222 yards, also with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He ran for times for 21 yards.
Tight end Chris Corbo matched his career high of eight catches and set a new high with 83 yards receiving. His touchdown grab gave him four on the season and 13 in his career. . . . Grayson O’Bera pulled in seven catches, also for 83 yards, and had one touchdown while Ky’Dric Fisher caught four balls for a career-high 75 yards and his first collegiate TD.
Nico Schwikal led Dartmouth with seven tackles while Zyion Freer-Brown, Cameron Best-Alston, Sean Williams and Niquis Ratcliff each had four. … Eight players each had one tackle for loss with Bruce Williams and Cameron Lee each recording a sack. … Best-Alston and Ratcliff each had an interception.
Luke Armistead punted three times for a 45.0-yard average. He finished the season averaging 42.7 yards, narrowly missing the school record of 42.9 set by Alex “Fred” Ware in 2001.
Dartmouth finished with advantages in total offense (386 yards to 304), rushing yards (112-82), passing yards (274-222), first downs (21-16), and time of possession (34:45-25-15). … The Big Green was 8-of-16 on third down and Brown 5-of-12. Dartmouth was 2-of-2 on fourth down and Brown 2-of-3.
Dartmouth drives in order (plays/yards/result): 5/39/touchdown; 3/8/punt; 8/19/interception; 7/75/touchdown; 12/75/touchdown; 3/0/punt; 3/8/punt; 11/54/touchdown; 4/0/missed field goal; 6/29/lost fumble; 7/25/interception; 7/44/interception.
Brown drives in order (plays/yards/result): 2/0/interception; 7/32/punt; 7/69/touchdown; 11/49/touchdown; 6/68/touchdown; 1/0/half; 3/6/punt; 2/8/interception; 4/7/downs; 7/68/touchdown; 3/-15/punt; 6/17/end of game.
THEY SAID IT (lightly edited for clarity)
Brown coach James Perry (via Brown sports): "These guys were incredible to coach. I'm so proud of them. Our guys have practiced very well, and I knew we'd play well today."
Perry: “I’m as proud as I've ever been of these kids and the way they work, practice, and take care of business.”
Dartmouth coach Sammy McCorkle on Brown being a better team than its record would indicate: “Oh gosh, yeah. They played well defensively too. That's the thing. Everybody wants to talk about their offense. Their defense came to play today. They played with a lot of energy, they played hard, they played confidently, and they did a good job of coming after us.”
McCorkle on Brown playing like a team with nothing to lose by going for it on fourth downs, including in their own end: “They get the extra down. But that's who they are. And you knew that going into the game.”
Dartmouth tight end Chris Corbo: “This has been the best four years of my life. These guys that I played with throughout my four years, especially my class, are my brothers for life. This program has changed my life forever. I am forever in debt to Coach (Buddy) Teevens, Coach McCorkle, and the rest of the coaching staff and everyone that's been a part of this these last four years. I wouldn't trade it for the world.”
Corbo on the young players who are the future of the program: “A lot of guys stepped up when they needed to. I’m proud of them. This program is in very good hands. A lot of guys coming back next year and are going to get their full shot to show what they can do, and I’m excited for them to get their opportunity.”
Linebacker Zyion Freer-Brown on the loss: “I mean it's very disappointing, especially as seniors. Everybody's crying and sulking, and everything like that, but we just have to take it on the chin and walk out of here with our heads up and chest out. … We can't change the outcome. I wish we could have done some things better, made more plays out there. But this is the reality, and this is the life that we have to live with.”
Freer-Brown: “This class has been through a lot. The death of Coach T(sevens), the death of another teammate as well. We've been through a lot of adversity, but we've used that to fuel ourselves. We raised the standard here. We … hold that near and dear to our hearts. Everybody knows that whenever we come out here it's an honor and a privilege (shared by) the guys who wore the jersey before you and the guy who's going to wear it after you. So you better, each and every snap, go out there and leave it all out on the field.”
Freshman running back Myles Craddock: “There's a lot to take away from this year. A lot of good things, a lot of bad things. I wish we could have gotten the ‘dub ‘today as a team. But I think there are some good things that you can take away from this game and bring into next year. The seniors set a really good standard for us young guys, so we have to step up next year and make sure we do better.”
McCorkle (from yesterday’s game story in case you missed it): “I'm disappointed for the seniors. There's a group of guys that I can't tell you enough about how proud I am and what they've meant to this program and just the resilience they've shown through all the tough times they've been through. I just hate for them to have to finish on this note, but I told them inside the locker room that one game does not signify who you are and what you've done for this program.”
On tap tomorrow: Your Mileage May Vary