In the immediate aftermath of Dartmouth’s 31-27 homecoming defeat to Harvard on Saturday, senior quarterback Jackson Proctor, in his first game back since a three-game hiatus due to injury, used one of his coach’s favorite adages.

“Obviously it wasn’t the outcome that we would have wanted, but all we have to do is wash it and move on,” said Proctor, who threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns in his return. 

For the first time this season, the Big Green had lost a game. After six consecutive victories, including five straight by four points or fewer, Dartmouth received its first tally in the loss column in front of a crowd of over 7,000 in Hanover. 

The 24-hour rule, which had previously allowed for one day of postgame celebration early this season ahead of the team’s late Sunday afternoon practice, now required the Big Green to sit with this result before moving on. No doubt the team’s squandering of a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter will sting, especially given the conference title implications.

But this isn’t to say that positives couldn’t be drawn from the performance, something McCorkle expressed postgame. Proctor looked good in his first appearance since the Penn game, the wide receiving corps stepped up in fifth-year Paxton Scott’s stead, and the team wasn’t whistled for a single penalty.

The main takeaway for senior linebacker Micah Green?

“The goal is to just get a lead and keep the lead,” he said.  

Now squarely in a three-horse race for the Ancient Eight crown, Dartmouth heads south to New Jersey for a Friday evening date with Princeton. The nationally televised game pits a middling Tigers squad, one that surrendered 94 points to opponents in their last two games, against a Big Green team angling to stay level with the winner of Saturday’s Harvard-Columbia game atop the conference’s standings — even if the title picture isn’t top of mind, per McCorkle.

“And like I said, we’re going to watch this tomorrow, get it out of our system, but our complete focus is going to be on Princeton,” McCorkle said. “I don’t care about anything else but Princeton.”

Here are a few storylines to monitor ahead of kickoff:

Can Dartmouth defense capitalize on Princeton turnovers?

Just two weeks ago, the Big Green defense picked off Columbia three times in their 24-21 win in Manhattan. The performance effectively broke the unit’s turnover drought, having only been credited with two forced turnovers through the first five games of the season.

Dartmouth, which forced a fumble against Harvard, will now face a Princeton squad that has been prone to coughing the football up this fall. 

The Tigers’ quarterback, Blaine Hipa, had attempted one pass in his collegiate career before assuming the starting role this season. Hipa has struggled in six appearances this season, throwing 12 interceptions and completing just 54% of his passes — he has also thrown seven touchdown passes. Princeton has also lost four fumbles this season to boot.

Who steps up in receiving corps for Dartmouth? 

With Scott, the team’s leading pass catcher, potentially sidelined once again, offensive coordinator Kevin Daft can turn to a number of weapons in the receiving corps.

Chris Corbo’s emergence this season has been a particularly boon to the unit, especially as a red zone threat. Corbo has found the end zone five times this season in seven games. 

Daniel Haughton broke loose for a 72-yard touchdown score against the Crimson, the second 70-plus-yard touchdown connection between Proctor and a wide receiver this season, joining Painter Richards-Baker’s 75-yard touchdown catch against Merrimack. Jackson Namian hauled in a career-high five catches against the Crimson after catching just one pass in the previous five games.

Even if Dartmouth is without Scott, who has recorded 34 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns this season, Proctor has a number of options in the passing game to balance the team’s ground game with Q Jones, D.J. Crowther and Desmin Jackson.

The wider Ivy League title picture

As much as McCorkle may try to reinforce going 1-0 each week or focusing solely on the next opponent, it’s hard not to get swept up in all the potential outcomes over the final three weeks of the season. 

Sure, Dartmouth’s bid for an undefeated season withered away following the loss to Harvard, but McCorkle’s squad is still in control of its own destiny. 

Road wins over Princeton and Cornell would move the Big Green to 5-1 in the conference ahead of the regular season finale at Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field against Brown. All three of the Big Green’s remaining opponents sit below .500 on the season and feature the three worst scoring defenses in the conference. Of course, picking up three straight wins is easier said than done, especially facing teams looking to capture some semblance of positivity amid otherwise dreary season outlooks. 

Still, should Dartmouth knock off the Tigers on Friday, the loser of Harvard and Columbia’s matchup this weekend will cede its spot among the three-way tie, dropping a game back of the winner and the Big Green in this scenario.