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Princeton University Athletics
Offense Shines In Overtime Loss
November 15, 2003 | Football
Nov. 15, 2003
Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) - John Troost kicked a 26-yard field goal to start the second overtime and Bryant Dieffenbacher recovered a Princeton fumble at the 5-yard line to end the game as Yale beat Princeton 27-24 Saturday.
Yale (6-3, 4-2 Ivy League) won for just the second time in five games and will attempt to win the Big Three title next week with a victory over Harvard. Princeton (2-7, 2-4) lost four of five games at home this season with only a game at Dartmouth remaining.
After Troost's field goal, Princeton's first play was a completion to B.J. Szymanski, who took the ball to the 12 before it was knocked loose by Yale's James Beck. The ball bounced to the five before Dieffenbacher fell on it to clinch the win.
Yale tied the game with no time left in regulation when Alvin Cowan threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Chandler Henley, who got behind Tim Strickland in the left corner of the end zone. Troost's extra point forced overtime. The touchdown capped an 11-play, 92-yard drive that started with 1:03 remaining in regulation. Cowan was 8-for-11 on the drive with two of his incompletions being spikes.
Matt Verbit threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jon Veach in the first overtime, and Yale countered with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Cowan to Alex Faherty before Troost kicked his game-winner.
Yale entered the game second in Division I-AA in total offense but was outgained, 442-364. Veach rushed for 130 yards and Verbit was 18-for-29 for 265 yards.
Cowan completed 21 of 44 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns.
Trailing 17-3 at halftime, Yale got back in the game with a 19-play, 96-yard drive that was capped by Cowan's 8-yard touchdown pass to Ron Benigno. The Tigers took a 7-0 lead on Veach's 20-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Troost and Princeton's Derek Javarone traded field goals, and the Tigers expanded their lead to 17-3 when Verbit threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Szymanski with 2:33 remaining in the first half.
The Tigers had a chance for more when they took over with 1:48 left in the half, driving from their 7-yard line to the Yale 25. But Javarone's field goal attempt was tipped and fell short.
Yale was outgained 311-146 in the first half. The Bulldogs lost defensive end Brady Clegg and linebacker Ken Estrera, the team's leading tackler, to leg injuries and neither returned.