.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Football Friday Brings Together No. 22 Princeton, '05 Ivy Champ On ESPNU
October 13, 2006 | Football
In a week full of firsts, the No. 22 Princeton football team is looking for a second. Sure, it's the first recorded Friday night game in the history of the program. It's the first time the ESPNU cameras will be at Princeton Stadium to televise a Tiger football game to a national audience. It's also Princeton's first Ivy League home game of the 2006 season.
But above all else, it could be a second step on the path to an Ivy League title.
The top two teams in the final 2005 Ivy League standings will meet at 7:04 Friday night (ESPNU, DirecTV Channel 609, WBUD 1260 AM, GoPrincetonTigers.com, Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 107), and they're likely to renew one of the most exciting rivalries in the recent history of the Ivy League. High-scoring games are the norm over the last two decades, and with the two top-rated passing offenses in the league, it could be another tough night for the scoreboard operator.
Whether the winning score is in the 40s or the single digit, the victorious team will put itself in strong position for the remainder of the Ivy season. A win would send Princeton to 2-0 in the league and set up a showdown next weekend with fellow 2-0 Harvard. Brown lost its first Ivy game of the season to the Crimson, but the Bears did the exact same thing in 2005 and used a win over the Tigers to ignite a 6-0 finish and a league title.
It promises to be an exciting and meaningful Friday night showdown, and the nation will have the opportunity to watch it live.
Brown-Princeton
Date/Time: Oct. 13/7:04 p.m.
Stadium: Princeton Stadium
Location: Princeton, N.J.
TV: ESPNU/DirecTV Channel 609
Radio: WBUD 1260 AM, Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 107
All-Time Series: Princeton 50-22
Last Year: BROWN 31, Princeton 28
Last at site: PRINCETON 24, Brown 10
Last Five Years: Princeton 3-2
Current Streak: Brown 1
Game Notes ? Week 5
Lights, Camera, Action ? Princeton will make its debut on ESPNU Friday night against Brown. The game, which will be broadcast by Dave Ryan (play-by-play) and David Diaz-Infante (color), will kick off at 7:04 and can also be seen on DirecTV channel 609.
Poll Position ? Princeton broke into the Division I-AA Top 25 for the first time in more than a decade last week. It debuted in the CSN Coaches Poll at No. 22 after defeating Columbia and moved up to
No. 24 in the Sports Network poll after the 27-26 overtime win at Colgate last week.
Four Score ? Princeton is off to its first 4-0 start since the Ivy League championship season of 1995. The Tigers have been 3-1 four times since then, including each of the last two years. In those two
seasons, Princeton fell in its fourth game to Colgate.
Speaking Of Scoring... ? In the last two decades, the Princeton-Brown game has accounted for at least 34 combined points 19 of 20 times. The only exception was a 16-14 Princeton win in 2002. The winning team in this matchup has scored at least 30 points in seven of the last nine games.
That Winning Feeling ? Princeton has won 12 of its last 15 games since the last game of the 2004 season. From 1996 until the end of the 2004 season, the most games any Princeton team won over a 15-game stretch was nine (including one win by forfeit).
Patriot Games ? Princeton earned its first 3-0 record against the Patriot League since the 1997 season. Even more impressively, the Tigers defeated, in order, preseason No. 3 Lehigh (14-10), No. 2 Lafayette (26-14) and No. 1 Colgate (27-26, OT).
Road Warriors ? Princeton has won six straight road games for the first time since 1964-65, when head coach Dick Colman's teams won seven straight road games.
Elite Eight ? Princeton has won eight of its last nine games for the first time since the championship season of 1995.
Top Of The Line ? Brown and Princeton finished first and second in the Ivy League standings last season. Neither was picked to finish in the top two for the 2006 season (Brown, 3rd; Princeton, 6th).
Working Overtime ? Princeton has won three straight overtime contests, including two by the same 27-26 score. In 72 matchups, Princeton and Brown have never been tied at the end of regulation.
Conversion Chart ? The Princeton offense has converted five fourth-down opportunities this season. The Tiger defense has only allowed only one more third-down conversion (6) in as many games.
Rallying Cry ? Despite winning seven games last season, Princeton never won in 2005 when trailing at the end of any quarter. In its first four games this season, Princeton has already won when trailing at the end of the first (Lehigh, Colgate), second (Lehigh, Colgate) and third quarters (Lafayette).
Home Sweet Home ? The home team has won seven of the last eight contests in this series. The lone exception was a 34-14 win for Princeton at Brown Stadium in 2003, a game that featured an NCAA record 99-yard touchdown pass from Matt Verbit to Clinton Wu.
We Must Protect This House ? Brown is the only Ivy League team to have a winless record at Princeton Stadium, the home of Princeton football since 1998. The Tigers have won all four matchups there by an average margin of 14.3 points.
Offensive Notes ? Week 5
Winning Foote-ball ? Senior quarterback Jeff Terrell has a 11-3 record as a starter. The last Princeton starting quarterback who won at least 11 of his first 14 starts was Joel Foote, who graduated in 1994, went 15-3 as a starter and led the Tigers to the 1992 Ivy League title.
Movin' On Up ? Jeff Terrell threw for a career-high 293 yards in Prince-ton's win over Colgate; he moved past three players, including 1951 Heisman Trophy winner Dick Kazmaier, and now stands 10th on the all-time Princeton passing list with 2,621 career yards.
Looking Ahead ? Jeff Terrell needs 58 yards to gain sole possession of ninth place on the list, 97 yards to gain eighth place and 239 to gain seventh place; David Splithoff's sixth-place total is 825 yards away.
Passing Fancy ? The top two passers in the Ivy League will match up Friday night. Brown's Joe DiGiacomo leads the league with 272.2 passing yards per game, while Jeff Terrell is second with 225.0 yards per game. The race in total offense yards (passing plus running) is much closer; DiGiacomo leads the league with 268.5 per game, while Terrell is second with 252.0 yards per game.
Circle Pattern ? Brendan Circle caught four passes for a career-best 116 yards against Colgate and became Princeton's first 100-yard receiver in 18 games (Greg Fields vs. Cornell in 2004).
Spreading The Wealth ? Brendan Circle became the sixth different receiver to catch a touchdown pass from Jeff Terrell this season when he scored at Colgate. Dating back to 2005, Terrell has thrown his last 10 TD passes to nine different receivers (Brian Brigham caught two).
Brian's Song ? Brian Brigham caught six passes for 72 yards and a touchdown in Princeton's win over Lafayette. The last wide receiver to catch six passes in one game was Greg Fields, who did it in the 2004 season finale (TE Jon Dekker and RB Rob Toresco had six-catch games last season).
Rob-bery ? Since the beginning of the 2005 season, Rob Toresco leads all Princeton players with 1,041 all-purpose yards (734 rushing, 307 receiving). The next closest active player is Brendan Circle, who has 567 yards (-2 rushing, 569 receiving). Toresco also leads Princeton with seven touchdowns over that stretch, including two rushing scores this season.
Line 'Em Up ? Princeton is starting a completely new offensive line (LT Brendon Swisher, LG Matt Murphy, C Brett Barrie, RG Kyle Vellutato and RT Mark Paski) from last season. That new line has only allowed two sacks this season, second-best in the Ivy League.
Making His Mark ? Mark Paski became the first freshman ever at Princeton to start his first career game on the offensive line.
Defensive Notes ? Week 5
Driving Them Crazy ? Princeton has allowed only two scoring drives of more than 40 yards in the last 15 quarters, a span of 46 opposing drives.
Point, Counterpoint ? Princeton is second in the Ivy League and 15th nationally in scoring defense. The Tigers have allowed only 14.0 points per game in their four wins this season. Brown ranks second in the Ivy League in scoring offense at 26.5 points per game.
Tackling The Issue ? Junior linebacker Tim Boardman, a former winner of the Top Defensive Freshman award for Princeton, recorded the Tigers' first double-digit tackle game of the season with 12 stops in the 27-26 overtime win at Colgate.
Walk The Line ? Two of the biggest tackles of the last two games have been made by the defensive line. Against Columbia, Mike Meehan tackled quarterback Craig Hormann in the end zone for Princeton's first safety since 1997. Last weekend, Tom Methvin tackled quarterback Mike Saraceno to stop an overtime two-point conversion and clinch Princeton's first win at Colgate since that same 1997 season.
Six Pack ? Tim Strickland, who now has 11 career interceptions, has picked off six passes in his last eight games. Both he and classmate J.J. Artis, both of whom have played since their freshman seasons, have two interceptions this year.
Two For One ? Princeton has had two-interception performances in four of its last seven games. Tim Strickland had two picks vs. Penn last season and Lehigh this season. Jay McCareins had two vs. Yale last season, and J.J. Artis had two vs Lafayette last weekend.
Who's Got The Time? ? Princeton leads the Ivy League in average time of possession (33:09) this season. In their first Ivy League game, the Tigers held the ball for 40:06 in a win at Columbia.
Song and Dance ? Junior linebacker Doori Song, who is replacing Justin Stull as a primary run stopper, leads Princeton with four tackles for loss. He made a critical 3rd-and-short stop against Lafayette to go along with a 4th-and-1 stop in the opener.
Sky-Walker ? Senior linebacker Brig Walker had a single-game best three tackles for loss last weekend against Colgate. His final one came on Colgate's final drive of regulation, and helped keep the Raiders out of field goal range. That effort followed another strong game at Columbia, which included his first interception of the season. Walker is the only 2006 linebacker with starting experience from last year.
Miscellaneous Notes ? Week 5
I'm Honored ? Sophomore kicker Connor Louden was named the Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week after making two field goals, including a 34-yarder to force overtime with 4:02 remaining. Louden is in his first year as the starting kicker and is one of two placekickers in the Ivy League to have a perfect PAT conversion percentage.
Just For Kicks ? Senior Colin McDonough is a three-time All-Ivy pick (first team in 2003, 2005; second team in 2004) and earned All-America honors by one publication last year. He is averaging 44.2 yards per punt this season; the single-season punting record at Princeton is held by Matt Evans, who averaged 44.0 yards per punt in 1998. McDonough injured his elbow at practice last week and his availability for Friday night could be a game-time decision.
First Day ? Sophomore Ryan Coye took over the punting duties for Colin McDonough last week and averaged 34.2 yards per punt, including a long punt of 47 yards. He also got off a 42-yard punt from inside the Princeton end zone.
Block Party ? Junior defensive back Kevin Kelleher blocked Jacob Stein's potential game-winning 38-yard field goal attempt last weekend against Colgate with less than two seconds remaining in regulation.
Dollar Bill ? Reserve quarterback Bill Foran has excelled on special teams this season. He made three tackles, including two solo stops, last weekend, and returned a free kick 44 yards following Princeton's safety.
TV Guide ? Princeton will play three home games on major television stations this season. Besides the Oct. 13 Brown game on ESPNU, Princeton will play Harvard Oct. 21 on the YES Network and will play Nov. 4 against Penn on CN8.
The Crystal Ball ? Princeton will remain home next Saturday at noon to play the No. 15 Harvard Crimson. Princeton ended a nine-game losing streak against the Crimson last season with a 27-24 win in Cambridge. Jay McCareins' 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown provided the winning points in the fourth quarter. Harvard was projected to win the Ivy League in the preseason media poll and already owns league wins against Brown and Cornell.
Last Year: Brown 31, Princeton 28
PROVIDENCE, R.I. ? Despite 247 total yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Jeff Terrell, the Princeton football team watched a furious 17-point rally fall just short in a 31-28 loss to Brown in front of 5,031 drenched fans at Brown Stadium.
The contest featured 802 total yards of offense, but amazingly it was a scoreless fourth quarter that secured the win for Brown. The Tigers, who trailed 17-0 and 24-7, scored with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter to take a 28-24 lead, but they could not manage another score the rest of the game. The Princeton
offense was led by Terrell, who completed 13 of 21 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown and rushed the ball 12 times for 74 yards and two scores. Rob Toresco (12 rushes for 59 yards) and Jon Dekker (two catches for 12 yards) added touchdowns for Princeton.
The offensive star of the game was Brown running back and eventual Bushnell Cup winner Nick Hartigan, who thrived in the muddy conditions and rushed for 245 yards on 38 carries. His effectiveness allowed the Brown passing game to succeed as well, as Bears quarterback Joe DiGiacomo used the play-action pass to complete 15 of 27 passes for 201 yards and three scores. His favorite target was Jarrett Schreck, who caught six passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Nate Starrett recorded his second straight game with 10 tackles, including six solo stops and one forced fumble.
After falling into a 17-0 hole, Terrell got Princeton on the scoreboard with a 34-yard touchdown run on an option to the right, which he then cut across the field to elude the defensive backs.
Brown scored immediately to go up 24-7, but the Tigers scored the next 17 points. Terrell threw a two-yard touchdown pass on play action to Dekker, and he rushed for a 2-yard score. Toresco gave Princeton its first lead of the game when he added a 1-yard touchdown run on another option.
The Bears regained their footing after Toresco's score and drove 81 yards on nine plays to take the lead. DiGiacomo threw the game-winning touchdown pass to tight end David Turner late in the third quarter.
Brown Princeton
26.5 Points Per Game 21.5
30.5 Points Allowed Per Game 14.0
84 First Downs 80
25/53/6 Rushing/Passing/Penalty 33/44/3
90.5 Rushing Yardage Per Game 125.2
8 Touchdowns Rushing 4
289.8 Passing Yardage Per Game 225.0
150/82/5 Att./Comp./Int. 110/65/6
7 Touchdowns Passing 6
21/44.8 Penalties/Yards 22/44.8
13/42.8 Punts/Avg. Per Punt 17/41.2
28:28 Time of Possession 33:09
1/0 Fumbles/Fumbles Lost 11/5
1/3 Field Goals/Attempts 5/8
25 for 56 (45%) Third-Down Conversions 15 for 51 (29%)
24 for 57 (42%) Def. Third-Down Conversions 6 for 46 (13%)