Dartmouth improved to 3-3 Saturday with a convincing 33-5 win over visiting Ohio State. The Buckeyes started the match as if that wouldn’t be the case, controlling the opening kickoff and driving the ball with good forward play for the game’s opening try just 90 seconds in. Ohio State led 5-0 for the game’s first 10-15 minutes, but once Dartmouth scored, they’d never trail again.

“We were pretty clam,” said Dartmouth scrumhalf and co-captain Derek Fish. “That was a big takeaway for the game for us, was we kind of weathered the storm, relaxed and stuck to the game plan, and it worked for us.”

Wet field conditions coerced Dartmouth to play a territorial game, which started to pay off midway through the opening half, and pushed the Big Green a 19-5 lead at intermission. The second half was more of the same.

“We came out in the second half and just really tried to pin them back, let them try to run it out if they were able to, and really put the onus on them,” said Fish. “The conditions were really poor, so getting it through the hands was tough, so we pinned them back and ended up getting a few tries off turnover ball and spinning it wide.”

Dartmouth has just one more game left, on the road against Kutztown next week, and though the playoffs are no longer on the table, the Ivy League club still considers a winning record a worthy prize.

“We want to finish above .500, definitely,” said Fish. “We want to send these seniors out with a winning record, and then we’ve got the CRC coming up, so we want to get as much quality rugby as possible.”

Scoring a try in his debut for Dartmouth rugby Saturday was Tanner Scott, a wide receiver for the gridiron Big Green who could factor in as a playmaker in the upcoming CRC. (USA 7s fan favorite Miles Craigwell also played Ivy League football.)

“He’s about 6-4, solid build, long stride,” added Fish. “He’s a good finisher. He can make you miss, for sure.”

With the loss, the Buckeyes fall to 0-5. Their best and last shot at a victory comes at home against one-win Rutgers Saturday.