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

“Obviously it wasn’t the outcome we 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 straight wins, including five straight victories by four points or less, Dartmouth earned its first tally in the loss column before a crowd of more than 7,000 in Hanover.

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

But this isn’t to say there weren’t positives to be taken from the performance, something McCorkle expressed after the match. Proctor looked good in his first appearance since the Penn game, the wide receiving corps stepped up in place of fifth-year Paxton Scott and the team wasn’t whistled for a single penalty.

The biggest takeaway for senior linebacker Micah Green?

“The goal is to just get a lead and maintain that lead,” he said.

Now in the thick of a three-horse race for the Ancient Eight crown, Dartmouth heads south to New Jersey for a Friday night date with Princeton. The nationally televised game pits a mediocre Tigers squad, which has given up 94 points to opponents in its last two games, against a Big Green team looking to remain tied with the winner of the Harvard matchup and Saturday’s Columbia, at the top of the conference standings — even if the title photo isn’t top of mind, McCorkle said.

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

Here are a few storylines to keep an eye on ahead of kickoff:

Can Dartmouth’s defense take advantage of Princeton’s turnover?

Just two weeks ago, the Big Green defense defeated Columbia three times in their 24-21 victory in Manhattan. The performance effectively broke the unit’s turnover drought, as it was credited with just two forced turnovers in 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 up the football this fall.

Tigers quarterback Blaine Hipa had attempted one pass in his collegiate career before taking on the starting role this season. Hipa has struggled six times 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.

Who will step up to host the corps for Dartmouth?

With Scott, the team’s leading pass catcher, potentially sidelined again, offensive coordinator Kevin Daft can deploy some weapons in the receiving corps.

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

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 touchdown catch of 75 meters against Merrimack. Jackson Namian had 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, DJ Crowther and Desmin Jackson .

The broader Ivy League title photo

As much as McCorkle tries to strengthen by going 1-0 every week or focusing solely on the next opponent, it’s hard not to get caught up in all the possible outcomes of the final three weeks of the season.

Sure, Dartmouth’s bid for an undefeated season disappeared after 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 are below .500 this season and boast the conference’s three worst scoring defenses. Of course, making it three wins in a row is easier said than done, especially when dealing with teams looking for some semblance of positivity amid an otherwise bleak seasonal outlook.

But should Dartmouth beat the Tigers on Friday, the loser of this weekend’s Harvard-Columbia game will give up their spot in the three-way tie, leaving them one game behind the winner and the Big Green in this scenario.