Football defeats Dartmouth at home; Atkinson carries to go over 1,000 yards

The Tiger football team was out of contention for the Ivy title Saturday against Dartmouth, and in the first half they played like a team that merely wanted the season to end.

The first winning record in five years was up for grabs, too, though, and in the fourth quarter, senior running back Cameron Atkinson carried the ball — and the team — to a 38-30 victory and its first winning record since 1997.

Atkinson ran for 196 yards in the second half and 233 on the game. Most of his yards came on two big plays in the fourth quarter — one for 66 yards on the first play of the quarter and one for 84 yards with 10 minutes, 32 seconds left in the game.

While the meeting ended with Atkinson stealing the show, it did not begin that way.

Princeton (6-4 overall, 4-3 Ivy League) had the ball for the first drive of the game. A couple solid running and passing plays brought the Tigers to midfield, where they were stalled and punted the ball to the Dartmouth (3-7, 2-5) 10-yard line.

The Princeton defense stepped up once again and suffocated Dartmouth's running game, forcing the squad to go three and out on their first position.

Princeton then got the ball back on its own 46 for a 14-play, five and a half minute drive in which they averaged a mere 2.86 yards a play. The drive was typified by a sack or penalty against the Tigers on first down, and then eight-yard plays on second and third down to barely make the first down.

Finally, the Tigers were stopped on third and goal from the 14, and freshman kicker Derek Javarone kicked a field goal to put the Tigers up, 3-0, with 3:17 left in the first.

On Dartmouth's next drive, it took the ball to the Princeton 15 before tying the game with a field goal on the first play of the second quarter. The teams had minimal yardage on their next few possesions until sophomore quarterback Matt Verbit tossed an interception with about 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. The turnover and ensuing return gave the Big Green possession of the ball on Princeton's 27-yard line. After a few rushes and completions, Dartmouth's Mike Giles ran the ball into the endzone to get on top of the Tigers, 9-3.

Princeton went three-and-out on its next possession, and a weak punt gave Dartmouth the ball on Princeton's own 41 yard-line. Four plays later, Dartmouth went up, 16-3 — the score with which the teams entered the break.

Even though it seemed Dartmouth had control, the Tiger coaches still had victory on their minds.

"We were smiling at halftime," head coach Roger Hughes said. "I told them we had to be positive. They did some things wrong on the defensive line in the first half, but we made the adjustments and took it one play at a time."

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The adjustments enabled the Tigers to put up seven in the third quarter on a Verbit to junior tight end Randy Bly touchdown catch. It was just Princeton's second third-quarter score of the year.

Down 16-10 at the beginning of the fourth, Atkinson did his thing and paved the way for Princeton's 38-30 victory.

His first touchdown run was a play in which Atkinson should have been stopped for short yardage, but somehow, he stayed on his feet, and surprised the Big Green defense when he broke free and beat the secondary to the endzone.

"On the first run, he had me wrapped up pretty well, but I had my arm between me and him and kept pressing against him," Atkinson said.

Atkinson's second big run — the 84-yard dash — broke the stadium record for longest rushing play. He demonstrated the cutting that has been his style, and then he managed to cut outside and beat Dartmouth free safety Clayton Smith in a footrace.

Atkinson's third touchdown was a one-yard goal-line punch with 4:34 left in the game to make the score 38-24.

His 233 yards on the game gives Atkinson 1,028 on the year.

"The offensive line and the wide receivers gave me the greatest gift they could give me, and that was a 1,000 yard season, the best game of my career, and the greatest memory I'll ever have."