HANOVER — The Dartmouth College football team’s win over Princeton on Friday night wasn’t a flawless performance. But given the way it played out and the importance of the game, it was Dartmouth’s biggest feat of the 2021 season to date.

A loss would’ve essentially eliminated Dartmouth from Ivy League title contention. And it would’ve put Princeton in clear control. But Dartmouth’s win means that, with wins over Cornell and Brown in the final two weeks of the season, the Big Green would win at least a share of the Ivy League championship.

Here are three reasons why Dartmouth won the biggest game of the season in the Ivy League in convincing fashion:

— Fast start: The first quarter of this game made all the difference. From the first play from scrimmage, Dartmouth established what type of game this would be.

Dartmouth’s defense allowed one first down but got some of the yardage back on a sack a few plays later. The next Princeton possession was a three-and-out.

On the other side, the Big Green moved the ball with relative ease. Fifth-year quarterback Derek Kyler went 5-for-5 in the opening quarter with 72 yards and two touchdowns. The first touchdown was a big play to sophomore wideout Paxton Scott, who barreled into the end zone after a run down the sideline. Kyler also hit Scott for a 19-yard gain earlier in the drive.

Dartmouth’s second drive started in Princeton territory, but the Big Green still moved it downfield methodically. The short passing game with Kyler and runs by senior tailback Zack Bair and junior quarterback Nick Howard led to a short touchdown pass from Kyler to junior receiver Dale Chesson.

The two scoring drives combined with the stout defense was a real statement to start the game. Dartmouth forced Princeton to adapt and adjust very early — and as I note in the next two sections, the Tigers weren’t able to do enough to come back from this commanding Dartmouth first quarter.

— Defensive pressure: Dartmouth’s defensive front flat-out dominated this game.

The Big Green defense regularly closed in on Princeton quarterback Cole Smith. Dartmouth sacked Smith six times, the team’s second-most sacks in a game this season. Two official QB hurries and constant pressure on Smith and Princeton’s running backs added to the control Dartmouth’s defense had on the game.

Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens said it was a group effort.

“It’s a collection of people that just play hard,” Teevens said. “That says a lot about (defensive line coach) Duane Brooks’ ability to motivate all those guys (and instill) the unselfishness. They just keep coming. That’s a hard thing. They’re a fast-paced offense, and we keep rolling guys through.”

Junior Shane Cokes was the standout performer on the defensive line, responsible for 2½ sacks. Linebacker Jalen Mackie, the Ivy League’s leading tackler, maintained his strong form Friday with 13 tackles, including a shared sack and 2½ tackles for loss. Senior defensive end Mick Reese recorded 1½ sacks, as did junior linebacker Marques White — bringing White’s team-high sack total to five on the season.

Senior defensive end Bobby Jefferson added two QB hurries.

The Big Green’s pressure not only allowed them to set the tone quickly, but it also forced Princeton to make adjustments very early. The Tigers noticeably picked up their tempo on offense on their fourth possession, after Dartmouth built the 17-0 lead. That worked — it was Princeton’s only touchdown drive of the game. But Dartmouth’s defense adjusted as well, and the depth Teevens referenced proved too much for Princeton when it played as well as it did collectively.

— Tigers didn’t pounce: While Dartmouth capitalized on its early opportunities to take control of the game, Princeton squandered most of the chances it had to close the gap or even take the lead.

Inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, Dartmouth was 2-for-2 with a touchdown and a field goal. Princeton, however, went 1-for-4, with one touchdown in the second quarter. The Tigers missed a short field goal on the final play of the first half, and Dartmouth stopped them on fourth down twice in the fourth quarter.

Kyler and Scott miscommunicated early in the second quarter when Scott didn’t turn around for what Kyler expected to be a quick-hitter on the outside. Princeton cornerback Christian Brown jumped in and had a chance for a game-changing play. The pass was right to him, and if he picked it off, he had a sure-fire touchdown return. Dartmouth had nobody in the vicinity to stop him — Teevens admitted as much after the game.

But Brown couldn’t make the interception. The pass bounced off his hands.

Princeton simply left too many points on the field to have a realistic chance at winning. Dartmouth’s defense deserves credit for keeping the Tigers quiet for much of the game. But they had their chances and just didn’t take them.

Seth Tow can be reached at stow@vnews.com.