Princeton University
Army
Army Drubs Princeton, 48-7
October 12, 2001 | Sprint Football
Oct. 12, 2001
Princeton, N.J. - The Princeton University Sprint Football team was not expected to have a chance against Army tonight. The Black Knights entered the contest in first place at 2-0, having outscored their opponents 67-7. Princeton came to play with a 0-2 record, and only 19 points scored verses 83 against. So when the first quarter ended with the score still tied at 0, the Princeton players were roaring as they came off the field. But in the second quarter, Austin Wilson, Army's kick returner, single handedly deflated the Tigers, and then the Army offense took over to make it a blowout.
Wilson returned a punt 53 yards for a touchdown that gave Army a 14-0 lead going into the half. Then to open the second half, Wilson found a seam and broke free again, returning the opening kickoff 88 yards down the sideline for a 21-0 lead. Army would score twice more in the third quarter and twice more in the fourth quarter. Clay Bibb and John Rhodes scored on touchdown runs in the third, and Steve McKeon scored on another run in the fourth. Michael Kelvington capped the Army scoring with a 32-yard interception return with 2:30 to play in the game. Army first struck with 10 minutes to play in the first half on a two-yard run by Baron Moffit that capped a 61-yard 11-play drive. Moffit's TD run would be the first of seven consecutive touchdowns for the Black Knights, as they ran the score to 48-0 after Kelvington's score.
Princeton get possession of the ball with time running out, but a breakout 47-yard run by Christian Gomez, who had been fairly quiet all night, landed the Tigers at the Army 19 with 1:08 to play. Dennis Bakke, a freshman who came on as quarterback in the second half, rolled out of the pocket and scored on a 7-yard run with 19 seconds left to put the Tigers on the board. Peter Richter's extra point hit the left post and then the crossbar before falling through the uprights. Only one touchdown had been scored against Army in its first two games.
Gomez finished with 103 rushing yards on 25 carries. Rikki Racela added 41 yards on 14 carriers for the Tigers. Princeton completed 8 of 21 passes for 72 yards.
Army had just one completion on 6 passing attempts, but Princeton had no answer to the Knights' running game. Army racked up 272 yards rushing, led by Aaron Scheinberg (14-87), Clay Bibb (5-59-1 TD), and quarterback George Feagins (8-55).
Princeton forced and recovered two fumbles in the first quarter, both around the Army 30-yard line, but the Army defense stood strong and after a series of futile plays, Princeton was forced to punt both times.