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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Seniors Look To Extend Championship Dreams By Ending Home Careers With Win
November 08, 2005 | Football
Nov. 8, 2005
PRINCETON - The 128th meeting between the Yale and Princeton football teams will take on additional meaning this Saturday at 1 p.m. (CN8, Patriot Media TV, WHWH 1350 AM, WPRB 103.3 FM, GoPrincetonTigers.com). There is the hotly-contested Ivy League race, the H-Y-P title and the final home games for Princeton's Class of 2006.
But above all else, it's Yale-Princeton. Enough said.
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Game Notes
Lights, Camera, Action • The 128th meeting between Princeton and Yale can be seen live on Comcast affiliate CN8 at 1 p.m. Mick Moninghoff will handle the play-by-play and Bill Osborn will serve as the color commentator. Gregg Murphy will be the sideline reporter. The Patriot Media broadcast will be broadcast by Lou Brogno (play-by-play) and Tom Criqui (color).
The Amazing Race • With two weeks remaining in the Ivy League season, Princeton and Brown are the only teams in control of their own destiny in the Ivy League race. If Brown loses at home to Dartmouth and Princeton defeats Yale, the Tigers would clinch at least a share of their ninth Ivy League title and their first since 1995.
Sweep Dreams • Princeton has swept the H-Y-P series 24 times, although it hasn't done it since the 1994 season.
Nine Inch Nails • Princeton ended a pair of nine-year losing streaks this season with a 27-24 victory at Harvard and a 30-13 victory at Penn. Those two teams combined to earn all 16 first-place votes in this year's preseason league poll. Three-Pointer • With the wins over Penn and Harvard, the team with the longest winning streak over Princeton now is Yale, which has won three straight against the Tigers, including a 27-24 double-overtime win at Princeton Stadium in 2003. Yale tied that game on the final play of regulation.
My Brother's Keeper • Yale starting quarterback Jeff Mroz is the older brother of reserve Princeton quarterback Greg Mroz. Both are younger than the oldest brother, David, a former Princeton quarterback and a member of the Class of 2003.
A Hughes Success • Last week's win against Penn guarantees Princeton its second winning record since 1995 and also guarantees an improved winning percentage from last season. Under head coach Roger Hughes, Princeton has improved its winning percentage from the previous season five of the last six years, an unprecedented feat in the 136-year history of Princeton football.
Four Score • Princeton has not had at least four wins in its first five Ivy League games since the 1995 season, when Princeton started 5-0 and went on to win its most recent Ivy League title.
First And Foremost • Princeton is 6-0 when it scores first and 0-2 when it doesn't this season. Furthermore, Princeton has never trailed at the end of a quarter in a game it lost, nor has it led at the end of a quarter in a game it won. The only quarter that ended with Princeton and its opponent tied was the fourth quarter last weekend against Cornell.
Jaywalking • With his interception last weekend, Princeton defensive back Jay McCareins took over the national lead in interceptions with 0.75 per game. He also ensured his career would end with at least one interception against every Ivy League team.
First and 15 • The first of Jay McCareins' 15 career interceptions came in a 34-14 victory over Yale in the 2001 season. Because he missed the 2003 season, McCareins is the only player on the Princeton roster who has defeated Yale.
The Buck Stops Here • Jay McCareins was added to the official Buch Buchanan Watch List last weekend. The Buck Buchanan Award goes to the top defensive player in Division I-AA. McCareins leads the Ivy League in interceptions, passes defensed, kickoff returns and punt returns.
Justin Time • Two-time co-captain and senior linebacker Justin Stull enters the weekend with 291 total tackles in his career. He needs 24 in his final three games to tie Aaron Harris '93 for second-place on Princeton's all-time list.
Starting Lineup • Senior linebacker Justin Stull will be making his 29th straight start this weekend. Since that streak started, he has made 285 tackles, including seven last weekend. The next closest active player in the Ivy League during that time is Dartmouth's Josh Dooley, who enters this weekend with 221 career stops. Stull has averaged nine tackles per game in two starts against Penn.
I'm Honored • Junior defensive back Tim Strickland was named the Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a field goal and recording two interceptions in the 30-13 win over Penn last weekend.
Something Special • Princeton has won the Special Teams Player of the Week award each of the last three weeks. Jay McCareins won it after his game-winning 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Harvard three weeks ago. Two weeks ago, placekicker Derek Javarone tied and surpassed the Ivy career record for field goals, with his record-setting 42nd kick giving Princeton a 20-17 overtime win. Tim Strickland's two interceptions and blocked field goal earned the award against Penn.
Junior Mint • Junior quarterback Jeff Terrell ended a string of 16 straight Princeton games without two or more touchdown passes last weekend when he threw for three scores against Penn. His touchdown throws went to a wide receiver, a tight end and a fullback.
On Target • During Princeton's current three-game win streak, Jeff Terrell has thrown for five touchdowns and zero interceptions and has a quarterback rating of 140.35. For the sake of reference, Yale quarterback Jeff Mroz leads the Ivy League this season with a rating of 138.29.
Double Dekker • Senior tight end Jon Dekker has caught touchdown passes in his last two games. He is the first Princeton receiver with touchdowns in back-to-back games since Blair Morrison scored against Harvard and Cornell in the 2003 season.
Rob-bery • Sophomore fullback Rob Toresco leads Princeton in rushing at 54.2 yards per game and has scored three touchdowns in the last two games, including two in last weekend's victory over Penn.
Unchartered Territory • No current Princeton player has ever scored a touchdown against Yale. In two of the last three contests with Yale, the Tigers have been kept out of the end zone.
Conversion Chart • Princeton recorded its first ever defensive two-point conversion last weekend in its 30-13 win over Penn. Brig Walker started the play by blocking the extra point, and Luke Steckel scooped it up and started heading the other way. He quickly pitched to Jay McCareins, who crossed the field and went the distance for two points.
Close Calls • Since the Class of 2006 began their Tiger careers, 23 of 37 games have been decided by a touchdown or less. Princeton is 11-12 in those games, but it has won five of its last seven (the 17-10 win over Dartmouth in '04 and this year's Lafayette, San Diego, Harvard and Cornell games).
D+ • Princeton leads the Ivy League and is ranked 13th nationally in scoring defense. The Tigers have allowed 17.8 points per game this season and only 13.3 points per game at home.
Seeing Red • Princeton ranks first in the Ivy League in both red zone offense and red zone defense. The Tigers score on 89.7% of their trips inside their opponent's red zone (14 TD/12 FG), and they allow their opponents only a 61.9% success rate (8 TD/5 FG).
Sixth Sense • Co-Ivy League leaders Princeton and Brown lead the Ivy League with a +6 turnover margin this season. The next closest teams, Harvard and Penn, are both at +1.
Strength Of Schedule • Princeton's three non-league opponents this season have a combined 21-7 record. Overall, Princeton's 2005 opponents have a combined record of 39-22. The Tigers and the Bulldogs shared one common non-league opponent, San Diego. Yale lost its season opener at San Diego by a 17-14 score, and the Tigers opened their home schedule with a 20-17 victory over the Toreros.
Golden Anniversary • The Princeton-Yale game will mark the 50th anniversary of Princeton's 13-0 upset of the Bulldogs, which clinched the final unofficial Ivy League title (official play began in 1956). There will be a halftime ceremony honoring that team this weekend.
Party Like It's 1995 • Saturday's other halftime honoree will be the 1995 team, which is Princeton's most recent Ivy League championship team. That squad jumped out to an 8-0 start, and Alex Sierk's 18-yard field goal in the final seconds of the season finale gave the Tigers the outright league title.
Crystal Ball • Princeton will conclude its 2005 season next weekend when it travels to Dartmouth for a 12:30 showdown against the Big Green. The game could be televised on the YES Network, although no determination has been made yet. Check www.GoPrincetonTigers.com for more information, and the audio broadcast will be available on the official Princeton athletics web site as well as WHWH 1350 AM. Princeton has won three of its last four meetings with the Big Green.
Last Year: Yale 21, Princeton 9
Box Score
Yale tailback Rob Carr rushed for 160 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs to a 21-9 victory over Princeton in front of 15,296 at the Yale Bowl. The loss dropped Princeton to a 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the Ivy League. It also left the Tigers with one last chance, the next week's game against Dartmouth, to earn a .500 season.
Trailing 14-3 at halftime, the Princeton defense clamped down and kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard in the third quarter. The offense moved the ball deep into Yale territory twice, but it fell just short of the end zone both times. Derek Javarone, who hit a 34-yard kick in the first half, connected from 19 and 22 yards out to cut the Princeton deficit to 14-9.
Another Princeton stop put momentum firmly in the Tigers' corner, but a slight misjudgment ended that quickly. Returner Greg Fields, who occupied the national Top 20 in all-purpose yardage throughout the season, misplayed the ensuing punt, which bounced off his shoulder pads and bounced into a mad scrum between players from both teams. Yale ended up with the ball at the bottom of the pile and then scored a back-breaking touchdown.
Senior quarterback Matt Verbit threw for 205 yards and became the 12th quarterback in Ivy League history to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a career. Verbit completed 23 of 39 passes and wasn't intercepted. Fields caught nine passes for 106 yards while Joel Mancl caught five passes for 18 yards. The rushing attack was a balanced effort, with Jon Veach (45 yards) and Branden Benson (35) leading the way.
Justin Stull led the Princeton defense with seven tackles, while Zak Keasey had six tackles and a sack. Jay McCareins broke up a pair of passes while James Williams recovered a fumble.
Tale of the Tape
Yale Princeton 22.9 Points Per Game 25.1 20.4 Points Allowed Per Game 17.8 161 First Downs 136 55/99/7 Rushing/Passing/Penalty 63/67/6 124.8 Rushing Yardage Per Game 163.9 5 Touchdowns Rushing 12 264.8 Passing Yardage Per Game 185.0 295/182/10 Att./Comp./Int. 213/116/6 20 Touchdowns Passing 8 50/57.8 Penalties/Yards 60/65.5 44/33.2 Punts/Avg. Per Punt 40/39.5 29:03 Time of Possession 30:01 15/106 Sacks By/Yardage 16 for 86 11/3 Fumbles/Fumbles Lost 17/6 4/7 Field Goals/Attempts 13/14 52 for 116 (45%) Third-Down Conversions 47 for 114 (41%)