Week 10 Matchup: No. 24 Dartmouth (7-0, 4-0 Ivy) at No. 18 Princeton (7-0, 4-0)
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET at Princeton Stadium (27,773) in Princeton, New Jersey
Broadcast: ESPN+
Series: Dartmouth leads 49-44-4 (last meeting: Dartmouth won 54-44 on Dec. 18, 2017 in Hanover, New Hampshire)
The Skinny: Two of the four unbeaten FCS teams meet with the winner taking sole possession of first place in the Ivy League. It’s the sixth game in Ivy history between two unbeaten teams with at least seven wins, and the first since Harvard’s 28-21 win over Penn in 2001. Dartmouth’s Buddy Teevens and Princeton’s Bob Surace are the only two people in history to have won an Ivy title as both a player and head coach.
Dartmouth has beaten Princeton in six of the last seven meetings and seeks its 50th win in the series, but is considered about a touchdown underdog. The Big Green defense has fueled the huge season, ranking fourth in the FCS in scoring defense (10.7 ppg) and eighth in total defense (270.1 ypg), although slightly behind the Tigers in both categories. CB Isiah Swann (national-high seven interceptions), DE Rocco Di Leo (seven sacks) and LB Jack Traynor (42 tackles) lead the swarming unit. On offense, the Big Green rotates two QBs, runner Jared Gerbino (team-high 474 yards and six TDs) and passer Derek Kyler (10 TDs to one interception). Dartmouth ranks No. 1 nationally in turnover margin (plus-2.14 per game; plus-15 overall), although Princeton isn’t far behind in third.
Princeton leads the FCS in scoring (50.7 ppg) and offense (549.3 ypg), directed offensively by dual-threat QB John Lovett, who averages 313.3 yards of total offense and has accounted for 22 touchdowns. He has scored a rushing TD in 17 straight games (he missed last season with an injury), which is two games shy of the league record. The offense plays with great discipline and Lovett spreads the wealth with RB Charlie Volker (13 TDs) and WRs Jesper Horsted (10 TDs) and Stephen Carlson (five TDs). Princeton’s defense lives in the shadow of the offense, but has been fantastic. Leading tackler Mark Fossati has had a breakout season and T.J. Floyd is second to Swann in the FCS with six interceptions. One negative to watch: Opponents have blocked four Princeton kicks.
Prediction: Next year’s game will be played at Yankee Stadium as part of the 150th anniversary of college football (Princeton and Rutgers met in the first game in 1869), but it will be hard to match the magnitude of this year’s matchup. Princeton, 31-24.