Bulldogs blown out by Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. — The images of 230pound Jared Gerbino running around and over the members of the Yale defense stayed with the leaders of the Bulldogs’ defensive unit for 12 months.

Yale arrived at Memorial Field for Saturday’s showdown of undefeated Ivy League teams eager to write a different script after Gerbino rumbled for 169 yards in last year’s decisive win over Yale. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs’ desire to limit Gerbino’s running plays opened up a new set of issues.

With Yale defensive backs often jumping routes and peeking into the backfield in order to slow down Gerbino, the senior quarterback produced 224 yards on five completions including a pair of long touchdowns to Drew Estrada as the Big Green rolled to a 4210 win before a crowd of 6,796 at Memorial Field.

“They take big shots and run the ball very well,” Yale junior cornerback Melvin Rouse said. “They force people to come up, they lull you to sleep and go with big shots. If you don’t play disciplined against Dartmouth what just happened to us happens.”

Estrada finished with 203 receiving yards on five receptions. He went 75 yards for a score on the second play of the game and opened up the scoring in the second half with a 61yard touchdown catch.

“We really game planned throughout the week,” Estrada said. “It just seemed like everything we put on was working and they didn’t really have an answer for it.”

Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens said the plan was to use the aggressiveness of the Yale secondary against it.

While Estrada was covered well on the second of his scoring catches, the majority of the 330 passing yards given up by the Bulldogs came on throws to wide open receivers.

There were also two costly interceptions by Kurt Rawlings in the first quarter to set up the second and third touchdowns.

Rawlings was intercepted by Niko Mermigas and Quinten Arello to set up Gerbino’s 6yard touchdown run and a 12yard scoring scamper by fellow quarterback Derek Kyler. Gerbino’s score came one play after Estrada was left open once again.

Yale, which came into the game having given up only 16 points in the first half this season, was down 210 after the first quarter. A 15yard pass from Rawlings to Mason Tipton allowed the Bulldogs to drive into the red zone for the first time but a third down sack by Jack Traynor forced Yale to settle for a 42yard field goal by Sam Tuckerman.

Ryan Burke had a key tackle for loss on Dartmouth’s next drive after which the Bulldogs drove inside the 10. The drive of nearly 8 minutes didn’t result in any points when Tuckerman, who had made his first six field goals this season, missed from 23 yards out.

Instead of it being a 2110 game at halftime, it was 283 as Dartmouth capped a 75yard scoring drive when Hunter Hagdorn was left uncovered in the middle of the field. Despite being under pressure, Kyler got the ball down the field to the senior receiver for the 31yard touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half.

It was more of the same in the second half as Gerbino hooked up with Estrada for a 61yard touchdown pass on Dartmouth’s first series of the third quarter.

The next time Dartmouth got the ball, Robbie Mangas was left uncovered as he rumbled 58 yards to the 10. On the next play, Dakari Falconer was untouched for a 10yard touchdown run to push the lead to 423.

The Bulldogs finally got into the end zone with 47 seconds left on a 12yard pass from Nolan Grooms to Darrion Carrington.

“They are a great team, they showed it in every area today,” Yale coach Tony Reno said. “They were better than us in every facet of the game.

“When you have adversity, it is how you respond to it. We have to learn from it and respond to it.”

The Bulldogs might have to respond to adversity without some key players as leading tackler Rodney Thomas and receiver JP Shohfi were injured in the first half and did not return. Rawlings had to leave the game twice and backup quarterback Griffin O’Connor was also knocked out of the game.

Yale (31, 11 in the Ivy League) actually dominated in time of possession as the longest of Dartmouth’s six scoring drives lasted all of 2:01.