HAPPY ENDING: Princeton University tight end Scott Carpenter heads upfield in a game this season. Last Saturday against visiting Dartmouth, senior star Carpenter made a key fourth quarter touchdown reception as Princeton rolled to a 38-21 win over the Big Green, clinching a share of the Ivy League title. Princeton finished at 8-2 overall and 6-1 Ivy, tying Penn (7-3 overall, 6-1 Ivy) for the crown, the 11th in program history. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Ever since Bob Surace took the helm of the Princeton University football team in 2010, Dartmouth has been a thorn in the side for the Tigers.

The Big Green won the first six meetings between the rivals in Surace’s tenure, making it the only Ivy League team Princeton hadn’t beaten in that time.

With Princeton hosting Dartmouth last Saturday in the season finale needing a win to ensure at least a tie for the Ivy title, Surace justifiably saw the Big Green as a threat.

“I felt they were a terrific team, they have had a lot of bad breaks,” said Surace of the Big Green, who brought a 4-5 record into the contest with just one Ivy League win after sharing the 2015 league crown with Penn and Harvard.

“They worried me more than any team we had played since Harvard in terms of that because they threaten us in areas where we have struggles.”

Princeton struggled against Dartmouth in the first half, finding itself down 14-10 at halftime.

“I don’t feel like we trusted, we were in this emotional state,” said Surace, recalling his halftime message.

“We were kind of fighting each other a little bit and I said if we trust and  focus on the now we are going to be fine.”

By the end of the afternoon, Princeton was basking in an emotional high as it pulled away to a 38-21 win over Dartmouth before a cheering crowd of 8,320, earning a tie for the Ivy crown with Penn.

In winning its 11th Ivy title and second in four seasons, Princeton finished at 8-2 overall and 6-1 Ivy with Penn at 7-3 overall, 6-1 Ivy.

Afterward, the players mobbed each other and celebrated by belting out a spirited rendition of the Princeton alma mater in front of the student section.

As the music was playing, Surace’s thoughts turned to the character displayed by his team in the wake of a disappointing 23-20 overtime loss to Harvard on October 22.

“That was hard, I was thinking about that as we were celebrating with the band,” said Surace.

“The thing I said then hasn’t changed; this is a team that everybody can be proud of, how we play, and how we do things as a group. They are not perfect. I am not perfect, they know that. It is a group of guys that just works their tails off and they are completely into it.”

Senior star defensive back and tri-captain Dorian Williams was proud of how the Tigers overcame their shaky start against Dartmouth.

“We had little internal battles with our units, you hear coaches on the offensive side saying the same thing as our defensive coaches were saying,” recalled Williams.

“It is guys, you know what we are doing — self-inflicted wounds — the conflict inside is just tearing us apart. That is something we got rid of in the second half, I think you guys could see how we played as a team in the second half.”

Princeton forged ahead 17-14 with 4:58 left in the third quarter when junior star John Lovett scored on a one-yard touchdown run, giving him a program-record 20 rushing TDs for the season, breaking the mark set by legendary running back Keith Elias in 1993.

Senior quarterback Chad Kanoff, who ended the game by completing 14-of-24 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, liked the way the Tigers executed in the second half as they pulled away from the Big Green.

“We just kept playing our game and we played better,” said Kanoff. “They were playing well at the beginning of the game, they had a lot of energy. People get tired and the rush gets a little less at the end of the game but we just kept playing our game.”

Lovett’s production in the red zone has been a key part of Princeton’s game this year.

“I think it is a product of how hard we work as a team all year, our offensive line has done a phenomenal job,” said Lovett, reflecting on his touchdown record.

“I know that was a spot on our team where the media was saying was a weakness. Those guys really bonded together, ‘five strong’ is their motto, whenever one guy goes down, the next guy shows up.”

In the view of Williams, Princeton’s strong 4-0 finish, which included a 28-0 win over Penn on November 5, made this title sweeter than the one he experienced in 2013 as a freshman when the Tigers fell to Dartmouth in the finale, losing a shot at an outright crown.

“When we were freshmen, we lost our last game; it was bittersweet, it was like we had the title outright and we didn’t take full advantage of it,” said Williams.

“You are able to end the season knowing that you did everything that you could have done. We lost that one to Harvard, that was tough. Coach came in there and says it is football, it is a long season, and anything can happen. You guys need to keep doing what you are doing and we will see what happens at the end of the season. Control what you can control and that is what we did. This is definitely a different feeling because we won it at home and we won the last game.”

By the end of the season, Williams and his teammates felt that they were in control of the league, notwithstanding sharing the title.

“I do feel like we are the best in the league,” maintained Williams. “I think the way that we performed on both sides of the ball and on special teams proves we are the best team in the league.”

Surace, for his part, is going to miss working with this team. “The sad part is that we can’t practice next week, I am serious, it is such a tight group of guys,” said Surace.

“I know the 6 a.m. meetings stink but it is a bonding. You just feel it every day at practice when the music turns on and these guys are so in tune with things. We have been so distraction free; we talk about eliminating all of the things that can distract you and erasing them and focusing on targets. I have never been around a team that has done it as well as this group, including the NFL in some of those years. They just do it.”

A focus that resulted in an Ivy crown.