NEW HAVEN, Ct. — In a thrilling college football matchup on Saturday, Grayson Saunier shone with a total of five touchdowns, leading Dartmouth to a stunning comeback victory against Yale, finishing 44-43 after a critical two-point conversion attempt was thwarted in overtime.

Yale appeared to be in control when Grant Jordan connected on a 10-yard touchdown throw to David Pantelis, extending their lead to 37-16 early in the fourth quarter. However, Dartmouth quickly responded, as Saunier threw two touchdown passes, one for 7 yards to Paxton Scott and another for the same distance to Daniel Haughton, narrowing the score to 37-30 with just over six minutes left in the game.

As time ran down, Yale moved the ball to Dartmouth’s 29-yard line but faced a setback when Nick Conforti missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, keeping Dartmouth’s hopes alive. Saunier then led another impressive drive, capping it with a decisive 32-yard rushing touchdown that leveled the score at 37 with only 1:22 left on the clock.

Yale attempted to regain the advantage, reaching Dartmouth’s 28-yard line, but a last-second 46-yard field goal attempt by Conforti fell short, sending the game into overtime.

In overtime, Q Jones found the end zone for Dartmouth, giving them a 44-37 lead. Yale struck back with a touchdown via a Jordan pass to Chase Nenad from 10 yards out; however, the Bulldogs’ attempt to convert for two points was unsuccessful as Jordan’s pass intended for Pantelis was knocked down.

Saunier finished the game with an impressive stat line, going 20 of 34 for 276 yards and three touchdowns, while also contributing 84 rushing yards. Jones matched this rushing total, and Scott emerged as a significant receiving threat with 100 yards on six receptions.

For Yale, Jordan had an exceptional performance, completing 32 of 47 attempts for 412 yards and five touchdown passes, three of which were caught by Pantelis, who totaled 117 yards on eight catches.

This victory allowed Dartmouth to achieve a 4-0 record for the first time in three years and ended a two-game losing streak against their longstanding rivals, Yale. Overall, Dartmouth now leads the series with a record of 56-45-5.