Princeton University Athletics
Penn 41, Princeton 20
August 17, 1999 | Sprint Football
Speed. Strength. Agility. College football coaches at any level salivate over the player who can put all these dangerous weapons together. This past Friday night, the sprint football team may have discovered such an exceptional player on the sidelines of Weaver Stadium. Unfortunately, he was not wearing a Princeton uniform.
The Tigers (0-2) came into Friday's game against Penn (2-0) optimistic about their chances for victory after falling to Cornell by only six points a week earlier. Nevertheless, the Quakers took control of the game from the opening kickoff, and behind the play of running back Tim Ortman, handed Princeton a 41-20 loss.
The defeat was Princeton's 14th-straight loss, a streak spanning three seasons.
Early mistake
After turning the ball over on downs during their first possession, the Tigers got an early look at the abilities of Ortman. Penn pounded the ball between the tackles, which opened the door for the Quakers first touchdown of the evening, a 42-yard run by Ortman on a toss sweep to the outside.
"They came at us with Ortman from the very start," head coach Bob DePipi said. "We just couldn't tackle him, and as a result he made some big plays."
This early flash of brilliance would not be the only dazzling play to come from the legs of the Penn running back. He would later add two more touchdown runs, as well as a 56-yard punt return for a score. For the evening, he finished with 31 carries for 207 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
"Ortman is just an outstanding player and a great athlete," DePipi said. "He could play and succeed in the heavyweight program of most any school in the country."
Despite the amazing play of Ortman, Princeton continued to play hard and make it a competitive game. Using a two quarterback rotation, the Tigers were able to move the ball effectively against the Quakers and put points on the board.
Improvements
"We looked better on offense this week," DePipi said. "I am happy with how the running and passing attacks are coming along."
Sophomore running back and quarterback Geoff Gasperini, who rushed nine times for 47 yards and one touchdown, and junior quarterback Joe Andolina, who completed a 60-yard touchdown pass to Gasperini, both had solid games in a losing effort. The play of senior wide receiver Brook Gardiner and freshman running back Jeff Mah also helped to keep the Princeton offense moving throughout the evening.
Hangin' tough
"I'm glad to see that we didn't quit during the game," DePipi said. "We didn't let the score get us down, and consequently we were able to score a few touchdowns."
Even as the Tiger offense began to click Friday, the defense struggled to find a way to stop Penn's running attack. Despite the solid play of junior linebacker Mike Pagnotto, senior defensive back Kwaku Akowuah and sophomore defensive lineman Ki Moon, the Quakers seemed to move the ball effortlessly on their way to putting up 41 points.
"We just need to get back to the basics on defense," DePipi said. "Our tackling has to become more sound, we have to become more physical and we have to concentrate more on the field."
Princeton now looks to build off this performance as it travels Friday to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army in a Central Sprint Football League matchup. As a consistently strong program, the Cadets have the size and the speed to cause problems for the Tigers.
"We all know it will be a challenge to stay with Army," DePipi said, "but if we play hard and stay focused we might just have a shot."