Princeton University Athletics
Penn 36, Princeton 6
August 17, 1999 | Sprint Football
The team that stepped out onto the turf of Franklin Field in Philadelphia Friday night was not the same sprint football squad that had lost to Penn by three touchdowns Oct 9. It was a Princeton team inspired by two consecutive victories and the desire to finish off a memorable season on a winning note. It was a team out to prove something.
The Tigers (2-4 overall, 2-4 Central Sprint Football League) accomplished one of these goals, showing Penn that they were a much improved team. Nevertheless, Princeton could not hold on to an early lead, and eventually fell to the Quakers by a 34-6 count.
The Tigers played with heart from the opening kick off, stopping the Quakers on several offensive series. By holding Penn's running back Tim Ortman in check, Princeton was able to keep the score even for the duration of the first quarter.
The Quakers' defense also held firm against the Tigers until the last few minutes of the quarter, when freshman tailback Jeff Mah managed a two-yard touchdown run.
"I thought we did a great job in the first quarter of controlling the ball on the ground," head coach Bob DiPipi said. "Jeff has been there for us all year and he came through again with the touchdown run."
Behind the efforts of Mah and senior running back Kevin Roberts, who stepped up to replace injured sophomore running back Geoff Gasperini, Princeton was able to move the ball effectively on the ground for most of the first half. Keeping possession time fairly even, the Tigers were able to limit the chances of both Penn and Ortman.
Despite the small number of opportunities and the solid play of the Princeton defense, Ortman finally broke out with a 26-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. The Quakers added another score just four minutes later on a 37-yard pass by quarterback John Kernan, making the halftime score 14-6.
"When they've got a weapon like Ortman in the backfield, you know they are going to get some big plays," DiPipi said. "I think we did a great job of keeping him in check during the first half and keeping the score close."
The coming of the second half brought disappointment for the Tigers however, as Penn tallied a third score on a 76-yard touchdown run by Ortman. Five minutes later, Kernan added his second touchdown toss of the day to increase the Quaker lead to 22 points.
"They came at us hard in the third quarter and our lack of depth began to show," DiPipi said. "We just couldn't stack up to them with all the injuries we've had over the past few weeks."
Despite the apparent adversity, several individuals performed well for the Princeton defense. Junior defensive back Mike Pagnotto collected 12 tackles and freshman linebacker Andy Morabito added another nine on the game.
Several players on the offensive side of the ball also gave solid efforts. Mah and Roberts combined for 127 yards of rushing on the game, while senior wide receiver Brook Gardiner caught eight passes for 73 yards in his final appearance for the Tigers.
The loss is a tough one for the sprint football team, as it hoped to close out the season with a win. Nevertheless, Princeton's season has been a success, as the Tigers should look forward to an even better 1999.
"We've competed well all year long," DiPipi said. "I think we're much improved and have gained a lot of respect."