Zalc Converts Walk-Off Winner as Dartmouth Downs Yale, 17-16

Saturday, October 11

Hanover, N.H.

1:30 PM

Dartmouth College

Yale

Zalc Converts Walk-Off Winner as Dartmouth Downs Yale, 17-16

10/11/2025 7:35:00 PM | Football

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The Big Green improve to 3-1 and 1-1 in the Ivy League

By: Justin Lafleur

HANOVER, N.H. — Yale scored a go-ahead touchdown with 37 seconds remaining, but the Dartmouth football team drove 42 yards to get Owen Zalc into field goal range, and he wouldn't disappoint as he drilled a 51-yard field goal as time expired to give the Big Green a thrilling 17-16 win on Saturday afternoon to cap off Homecoming in front of 7,895 fans in attendance. Saturday's game was presented by The Richards Group. The Big Green were held scoreless until the fourth quarter, when they reeled off 17 points over the final 10:24.

"Unbelievable," said Sammy McCorkle, Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach. "Proud of this team, proud of our staff, battling to the end. Everything didn't go our way, but we didn't flinch, we didn't blink and we believed. Our guys believed the entire time. Every time we went out there and every time we huddled on the sideline to go out there on the field — offensively, defensively and special teams — our guys just wanted one more shot to get out there and make it happen."

Zalc's game-winner marked his third-career field goal of 50+ yards and first-career game-winning kick as time expired. He converted what proved to be the game-winner with 1:29 remaining in regulation his rookie season against Princeton.

Owen Zalc hits it from 51 yards as time expires!

BIG GREEN 17, Bulldogs 16.#GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/oBRKU0bE76
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) October 11, 2025

"We get so many chances; I had three today," said Zalc. "Every time I come up, make or miss, Coach Mac is like we trust you. We have our full faith in you. And it's really nice. It's a good feeling, you know, bouncing back from two misses early in the game. Just coming off the field, truly everybody comes up to me and they're like we have full faith in you.

"It's just an incredible feeling having so much support, even after a rough start to the game," Zalc continued. "Shout out to everyone involved and hats off to Yale too. It comes down to Andy [Belles], Woods [Ray], incredible snapper, incredible holder. The line did their job. It was just a great game."

Saturday marked the second straight season Dartmouth erased a fourth-quarter deficit against the Bulldogs. Last season, the Big Green were down 21 until 7:30 left in the fourth quarter. On Saturday, the deficit reached as much as 10.

Grayson Saunier finished 15-for-22 through the air for 158 yards, while also rushing for 95 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns, from six and 37 yards out. As a team, the Big Green rushed for 209 yards, with D.J. Crowther going for 63 on 18 carries and Desmin Jackson adding 51 yards on 11 carries.

Grayson O'Bara had some spectacular catches, finishing with five for 69 yards. Ky'Dric Fisher had a huge 22-yard reception to set up Zalc's winning kick.

Defensively, Nico Schwikal finished with a career-high 12 tackles while Zyion Freer-Brown added 10 as well. Sean Williams had his second interception of the season.

The game was scoreless until midway through the second quarter. On Dartmouth's first drive, the Big Green got to the Yale 13-yard line, but a missed 31-yard field goal kept things 0-0.

The Bulldogs went on to convert a 41-yard field goal with 7:27 left in the second quarter to open a 3-0 lead, which proved to be the halftime score.

After a Dartmouth punt to begin the third quarter, Yale drove 88 yards on 12 plays, but a turnover on downs gave the Big Green the ball back. However, three plays into Dartmouth's drive, a strip sack of Saunier gave the Bulldogs the ball back at the six-yard line. It took just one play for Yale's Dante Reno to find Nico Brown in the corner of the end zone, with the extra point giving the Bulldogs a 10-0 lead with 4:59 left in the third.

That score remained until an 11-play, 92-yard drive for the Big Green, ending with a six-yard run from Saunier to make the score 10-7 with 10:24 left in the fourth. O'Bara had two huge catches in the drive, each for 20 yards, and both spectacular grabs.

Grayson Saunier gets us on the board!

10-7 Yale with over 10 minutes to play.

GameDay Central: https://t.co/xxyxsyE42U #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/xUYV1TGrAF
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) October 11, 2025

On the ensuing possession, Dartmouth forced a punt and capitalized, going 75 yards on just five plays. The drive ended with Saunier rushing 37 yards down the right side for a touchdown and a 14-10 Big Green lead with 4:13 remaining.

Grayson Saunier gets his second of the game and we have the lead!

14-10 Dartmouth!

GameDay Central: https://t.co/xxyxsyE42U #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods pic.twitter.com/OBUr1JMMxF
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) October 11, 2025

Yale responded by going 70 yards on 12 plays to retake the lead, but the extra point was missed, giving the Big Green 37 seconds with three timeouts remaining and just needing a field goal to win. The big play of Dartmouth's drive saw Saunier find Fisher for 22 yards to the Yale 33-yard line. Two plays later, Zalc converted from 51 to send the Big Green home winners.

"Hats off the Yale," said McCorkle. "They played a great game. They really did. Coach Reno and that staff did a good job preparing them, and they came here ready to play. We made the plays when we needed to. I'm super proud of these guys."

For the game, the Big Green held a 367-352 edge in yards, with Dartmouth holding a 209-156 edge on the ground and Yale finishing with a 196-158 advantage through the air.

The Big Green hit the road for Fordham next Saturday for a 1 p.m. showdown with the Rams. Dartmouth returns home to host Columbia on Friday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. on Healthcare Appreciation Day. For Columbia tickets, please click here, and the Healthcare Appreciation tickets, click here. Head to this link for more information on group experiences.

NOTES: Zalc now has three career kicks of 50+ yards … This marks the second straight that Saunier has had at least two rushing touchdowns against Yale … Sean Williams' interception marked the second of his career against the Bulldogs … The Big Green's 17 points marked their fewest in a win against Yale since Oct. 15, 1994, a 14-13 home victory … Dartmouth has now beaten Yale by one points in consecutive years, the first time the Big Green have had two consecutive one-point wins against the Bulldogs in the series' 108-game history.