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Princeton University Athletics
Tigers Open Princeton Stadium With Win
August 16, 1999 | Football
Sept. 9, 1998
The crowd of 27,800 that came to see a brand-new stadium, a new helmet that is actually seven decades old and a Princeton win went home happy.
As for touchdown, well, that will have to wait for another day. The Tigers christened Princeton Stadium with a 6-0 victory over Cornell that was fashioned on a pair of Alex Sierk field goals and some big-time defense.
Sierk, an All-America, finished off Princeton's first two drives with field goals of 47 and 37 yards, and the David Ferrara-led defense made it stand up for the next three quarters. The victory is a good omen for the Tigers, who have averaged 7.8 wins per year when opening with a victory over the Big Red this decade.
Ferrara had two of Princeton's three sacks, while Gerry Wilson had 10 tackles and the clinching interception in the final minute. Jim Salters had 14 tackles to stop the Big Red, who racked up 337 yards and drove inside the Tiger 35 five times on seven second-half possessions.
Sophomore Kyle Brandt rushed for 119 yards on 26 carries for Princeton in his first start.
PRINCETON-CORNELL GAME OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT
Inaugural game at Princeton Stadium draws full house
PRINCETON, N.J. - Princeton Stadium will open to a capacity crowd this weekend.
The new home of Princeton University football will have all 27,800 seats full for its first game this Saturday, when the Tigers host Cornell University. The last of the tickets was sold Tuesday afternoon.
Princeton has sold 6,219 season tickets, compared with slightly more than 1,000 for Palmer Stadium's final season of 1996. Season tickets were sold for $20, while individual game tickets for Princeton's four remaining home games are available for $5.
Pregame events will begin at 10 a.m. with a lecture by Rafael Vinoly, the stadium architect. On-field ceremonies begin at 1:15, with kickoff set by 1:37.
Princeton went 6-4 in 1997 while playing all 10 games away from campus.
Game Notes
at
Princeton (0-0)
The Date Sept. 19, 1998 The Kickoff 1:37 p.m. The Site Princeton Stadium, Princeton, N.J. The Series Princeton leads 50-28-2 Last Year Cornell defeated Princeton 14-10 The Coaches Princeton: Steve Tosches (12th year, 70-38-2) Cornell: Peter Mangurian (first year, 0-0) TV/Radio The game can be heard live on the Princeton Radio Network, which includes flagship station WHWH AM 1350 in Princeton and WHTG AM 1410 in Eatontown. The game can also be heard live on WPRB FM 103.3. The game can be seen live on CN8 and on RCN, which will televise the game Tuesday at 8 p.m. The Storyline Princeton opens its 129th season, Princeton Stadium opens its firstCORNELL at PRINCETON
The 91st meeting
This Week's Note of the Week
- Ready when the bell rings - Princeton is 4-4 in its last eight season-openers against Cornell. The Tigers have averaged 5.5 Ivy League wins in the four years it defeated Cornell and 2.5 Ivy League wins in the four years it lost.
- Welcome home - Varsity intercollegiate football returns to Princeton's
campus after an absence of exactly 22 months. The last time the Princeton
campus went that long without a varsity football game was Jan. 12, 1868 to
Nov. 13, 1869.
- Home field advantage? - Princeton is 0-5-1 in its last six Ivy League
home
games (0-1-1 in the last two games of 1995, 0-4 in 1996).
- What inflation? - A ticket to the last game at Palmer Stadium was $12
(vs.
Dartmouth in 1996), a ticket to the first game in Princeton Stadium is $5.
- What inflation II? - A game program at the first game in Palmer Stadium in 1914 was five cents, a game program in the first game at Princeton Stadium in 1998 is free.
- Princeton Stadium is 15 feet higher from the field level to the top of the stadium than Palmer Stadium was, however, the last row of seats is the same height off the field in Princeton Stadium as it was in Palmer
- the distance from the end line to the first row of stands in Princeton Stadium is 17 feet, in Palmer Stadium it was more than 100 feet
- Palmer Stadium capacity was 45,750, Princeton Stadium capacity is 27,800
- Palmer Stadium was the third-largest stadium in the Ivy League, Princeton Stadium is the fourth-largest stadium in the Ivy League
- Palmer Stadium had no elevator from the ground to the press box, Princeton Stadium has an elevator not only from the ground to the press box but also from the first row of seats in the press box to the second row
- Moving again - Princeton Stadium is the fifth home of Princeton
football.
Princeton?s first intercollegiate football contests were held off campus,
at a vacant town lot between the north end of Chambers Street and Bayard
Lane called the Varsity Grounds. In 1876, however, the exasperated owner
of this private property evicted the team for "very careless use of the
field." Play migrated to Brokaw Field, below what is now Dillon Gymnasium,
and then in the late 19th century to University Field, a 10-acre parcel
east of campus where the Engineering Quadrangle now stands. Princeton then
moved into Palmer Stadium in 1914.
- 50-something - The Gogolak brothers (Cornell's Peter, Class of 1964,
and
Princeton's Charlie, Class of 1966) will hold a kicking contest for
charity at halftime of this week's game.
- The grass is greener - Princeton Stadium's turf is two-year-old sod
known
officially as Princeton Bluegrass.
- A league of its own - Princeton Stadium is the first new Ivy League
stadium since Lawrence Wien Stadium at Columbia opened in 1984. The next
youngest stadium in the league is Brown Stadium, which opened in 1925.
- Old and new - Princeton coach Steve Tosches coaches his 111th game as
head coach this week, the most among current Ivy League coaches. Cornell
coach Peter Mangurian coaches his first game as head coach.
- Old and new II - Peter Mangurian is the fourth Cornell head coach to
oppose Steve Tosches.
- Getting their kicks - Each team's punter (Princeton's Matt Evans,
Cornell's Charles Watson) set a school record for average yards per punt
in a season last year. Evans actually broke his own record.
- More kicks - Alex Sierk has 26 career field goals, leaving him one
behind
Charlie Gogolak and six behind Chris Lutz on Princeton's career field
goals list.
- The whammy - Princeton has not lost to Cornell in Princeton since 1983
and
only once since 1972.
- Close shaves - The last three Princeton-Cornell games have been
decided by
an average of three points.
- Catching on - Princeton's wide receivers entered last year with a
combined
one career reception. Princeton's wide receivers enter this year with a
combined 79 career receptions.
- Crossing the line - Gerry Giurato will start at cornerback this year
after
starting at tailback last year. No Princeton player under Steve Tosches
has ever before started on one side of the ball one year and the other
side the next.
- Crossing the line II - Princeton has flipflopped two of its backup
linemen
from a year ago. Ross Tucker has moved from defensive end to offensive
guard, and Brian Latzke has moved from offensive tackle to defensive end.
- Veteran's day - Justin Bennett and Brian Herdman are the only active
Princeton player to have started every game the last two years.
- 'Backer up - Jim Salters and Mike Veronesi have shared one linebacker
position each of the last two years, playing alongside Tim Greene and
Jamie Toddings. Salters and Veronesi will both start this year.
- Young guns - Princeton has 16 sophomores listed on its two-deep.
- Starting over - Princeton has 11 player starting their first game and
two
other players who will start at different positions. The changes from last
year (* indicates 1997 All-Ivy):
1997 1998 Quarterback Harry Nakielny John Burnham Tailback Gerry Giurato Kyle Brandt Fullback/H-Back Mike Clifford Jason Glotzbach Tight end Jason Glotzbach Tom Stanley Offensive guard Brian Herdman Ross Tucker/John Amburgy Defensive end Griff King* David Ferrara Defensive tackle David Ferrara Tumoana Webster Defensive tackle Mark Whaling* Nathan Podsakoff Linebacker Tim Greene* Mike Veronesi Linebacker Jamie Toddings* Chuck Hastings Cornerback Damani Leech* Gerry Giurato Strong safety Bret Marshall Ryan Demler Free safety Tom Ludwig* Dave Richie
- In a tight spot - Princeton has not had a tight end catch at least 10
passes in a season since 1992.
- Down on the corner - Gerry Wilson started all 10 games a year ago,
making
Damani Leech and him the only sophomores to start all 10 games at
cornerback this decade.
- Playing catch - Princeton graduated 52 career interceptions and 47
career
receptions from the Class of 1998.
- Burnham, baby, Burnham - John Burnham will start for Princeton at quarterback against Cornell. The last time Princeton had a quarterback start consecutive openers was Joel Foote in 1992 and 1993.
Probable Two-Deeps
Princeton Offense WR 15 RAY CANOLE (Sr., 6-1, 195, Minooka, Ill.) 19 Phil Wendler (Sr., 6-3, 195, Kent. Wash.) LT 72 JUSTIN BENNETT (Sr., 6-3, 295, Tulare, Calif.) 66 John Raveche (So., 6-4, 285, Hoboken, N.J.) LG 57 HAMIN ABDULLAH (Jr., 6-3, 280, Jacksonville, Fla.) 68 Brian Herdman (Sr., 6-4, 285, Canonsburg, Pa.) C 61 BERNARD MARCYK (Jr., 6-2, 260, Absecon, N.J.) 62 Brian Wilson (So., 6-2, 275, Springfield, Pa.) RG 65 ROSS TUCKER (So., 6-5, 280, Wyomissing, Pa.) or 52 JOHN AMBURGY (So., 6-4, 240, Clearwater, Fla.) RT 74 STEVE LAMBERTON (Sr., 6-4, 280, Wynnmoor, Pa.) 76 Dennis Norman (So., 6-3, 265, Marlton, N.J.) TE 82 TOM STANLEY (Sr., 6-4, 225, Delray Beach, Fla.) 84 Djordje Citovic (So., 6-5, 230, Middleburg Heights, Ohio) WR 5 RYAN CROWLEY (Sr., 6-0, 185, Norfolk, Neb.) 3 Danny Brian (Jr., 5-9, 170, Escondido, Calif.) H-B 89 JASON GLOTZBACH (Sr., 6-3, 245, Redlands, Calif.) 24 Bruce Erb (Jr., 6-0, 220, Pequannock, N.J.) QB 4 JOHN BURNHAM (Sr., 6-3, 205, Washington, D.C.) 16 Jon Blevins (So., 6-3, 200, Westlake, Ohio) or 18 Pat Minnihan (Sr., 6-1, 185, Sycamore, Ill.) TB 34 KYLE BRANDT (So., 6-0, 200, Lincolnshire, Ill.) 40 Nathan McGlothlin (Sr., 6-2, 230, Lebanon, Va.) or 29 Derek Theisen (Jr., 5-11, 200, Avon Lake, Ohio)Princeton Defense DE 95 DAVID FERRARA (Jr., 6-3, 250, Ramsey, N.J.) 90 David Atchison (So., 6-2, 235, Sunnyvale, Calif.) DT 69 NATHAN PODSAKOFF (So., 6-2, 240, Bloomington, Ind.) 65 Douglas Silverman (Jr., 6-2, 225, Potomac, Md.) or 60 Preston Tims (Jr., 6-0, 245, Boardman, Ohio) DT 71 TUMOANA WEBSTER (So., 6-0, 340, Aukland, N.Z.) 99 Brian Latzke (Sr., 6-3, 270, Brookfield, Ill.) DE 56 DAN SWINGOS (Sr., 6-4, 240, Brecksville, Ohio) 96 Jason Rotman (So., 6-4, 240, Deerfield, Ill.) LB 54 JIM SALTERS (Sr., 5-11, 205, Pullman, Wash.) 51 Mike Higgins (So., 5-11, 205, Ho Ho Kus, N.J.) LB 7 MIKE VERONESI (Sr., 6-0, 195, Dyer, Ind.) 55 Steven Koopman (So., 6-1, 200, Indian Springs, Ala.) LB 50 CHUCK HASTINGS Jr., 6-2, 210, Trenton, Mich.) 45 Ted Doody (Sr., 6-2, 235, Mobile, Ala.) CB 8 GERRY GIURATO (Jr., 5-10, 175, Jacksonville, Fla.) 39 Garrett Fittizzi (Jr., 5-9, 165, Voorheesville, N.Y.) SS 33 DAVE RICHIE (Jr., 5-10, 180, Coal Township, Pa.) 30 Rocky Fittizzi (Sr., 5-9, 185, Voorheesville, N.Y.) FS 22 RYAN DEMLER (Jr., 6-2, 185, Escondido, Calif.) 28 Andrew Frank (So., 5-10, 175, Sterling Heights, Mich.) CB 21 GERRY WILSON (Jr., 5-10, 175, Piscataway, N.J.) 43 Brian Beem (Fr., 5-9, 175, Atlanta, Ga.)
Princeton Specialists PK 2 ALEX SIERK (Sr., 6-1, 180, Bettendorf, Iowa) KO 11 GREG NORTMAN (Jr., 5-11, 170, Encino, Calif.) P 20 MATT EVANS (Sr., 6-1, 185, Bellaire, Texas) LS 91 TODD HELFRICH (Jr., 6-3, 225, Northbrook, Ill.) H 86 CHUCK MINERVINO (Sr., 6-0, 190, Roseland, N.J.) PR 15 RAY CANOLE (Sr., 6-1, 195, Minooka, Ill.) KR 34 KYLE BRANDT (So., 6-0, 200, Lincolnshire, Ill.)