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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
#21 Football Team Eyes Historic Showdown With Fellow Unbeaten #15 Harvard
October 20, 2006 | Football
It's been 84 years since Princeton and Harvard were both undefeated this late in the season heading into the annual resumption of this great rivalry. The winner of this 99th meeting will remain ranked, unbeaten and, most importantly, atop the Ivy League standings. The YES Network will show this game live at noon (DirecTV channel 622), and it can be heard live on WBUD 1260 AM and on www.GoPrincetonTigers.com.
Game Information
Date/Time: Oct. 21/12:05 p.m.
Stadium: Princeton Stadium
Location: Princeton, N.J.
TV: YES Network/DirecTV Channel 622
Radio: WBUD 1260 AM
All-Time Series: Princeton 51-40-7
Last Year: Princeton 27, HARVARD 24
Last At Site: Harvard 39, PRINCETON 14
Last Five Years: Harvard 4-1
Current Streak: Princeton 1
Game Notes • Week 6
Just Say YES! • Saturday's game is Princeton's second straight contest available to a national audience. The YES Network, which can be found on DirecTV channel 622, will show today's game live with John Sterling (play-by-play), Howard Cross (color) and Chris Shearn (sideline) announcing. The Tigers' next home game, a Nov. 4 showdown with Penn, will be shown live on CN8, the Comcast Network.
Catch-22 • The last time a Princeton-Harvard game featured two undefeated teams with at least three wins apiece was 1922, when the famed Princeton “Team of Destiny” topped the Crimson 10-3 in Cambridge, Mass., and went on to win the national championship. Both teams were 6-0 at the time.
Pulling Rank • This is the first Princeton game between two ranked teams since Nov. 13, 1993, when No. 17 Penn topped the No. 24 Tigers by a 30-14 score.
Winning Them Over • Saturday's game is the first Ivy League matchup between undefeated teams (minimum five games) since 2001, when Harvard defeated Penn 28-21 at home to improve to 9-0 and clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title.
Four Score • Four 2-0 teams currently stand tied atop the Ivy League standings: Princeton, Harvard, Penn and Yale. Within a few hours, only two teams will remain, as Princeton hosts Harvard and Yale hosts Penn.
That Winning Feeling • The Tigers have won 13 of their last 16 games since the final game of the 2004 season. From 1996 until the end of the 2004 season, the most games any Princeton team won over a 16-game stretch was 10 (including one win by forfeit).
Five Alive • Princeton is off to its first 5-0 start since the Ivy League championship season of 1995. In the 10 seasons between 1995 and 2006, Princeton's cumulative record in the first half of its seasons was 25-25.
Driving Them Crazy • Princeton has not allowed a scoring drive of more than 40 yards in three straight home games, dating back to last season. In its last seven games overall, the Tigers have only allowed four scoring drives of more than 40 yards. None of the 40-yard scoring drives have been recorded by an Ivy League opponent.
Conversion Chart • Princeton leads the nation with a defensive third-down conversion percentage of 18.0%. The Tigers have allowed only 11 conversions in 61 attempts this season.
We Must Defend This House • One week after maintaining its perfect record at Princeton Stadium against Brown (5-0), the Tigers are now looking for their first victory over Harvard at the stadium. Since the first meeting in 1998, the Crimson have won four straight games at Princeton Stadium by an average margin of 11.8 points, including a 39-14 win over the Tigers in 2004.
Dawson's Creek • Harvard running back Clifton Dawson has averaged 195.7 rushing yards in three contests against Princeton. In those three games, he has scored three touchdowns twice and two touchdowns once.
Sweet Sixteen • Harvard is 16-1 when Clifton Dawson rushes for at least 100 yards. The one loss came last season when Princeton won 27-24 in Cambridge. Dawson ran for 203 yards in that game.
Dressed To The Nines • Princeton's 27-24 win over Harvard last season ended a nine-year losing streak to the Crimson. Since that game, Princeton has ended a nine-game losing streak to Penn and a seven-game losing streak to Lehigh.
More Nines • Since losing to Princeton, Harvard has won nine straight games. The Tigers have won eight of nine.
Practice Makes Perfect • Princeton and Harvard are two of the five teams in Division I-AA with perfect records this season. The other three are San Diego, which hasn't lost since Princeton won 20-17 against the Toreros last season, Hampton, which Princeton will play next season, and Charleston Southern.
Thirty-something • Harvard has scored more than 30 points in four of five games this season. Princeton has not allowed a team to score 30 points in 10 straight games.
Common Cold • Princeton and Harvard have three common opponents this season: Brown, Lafayette and Lehigh. Harvard averaged 32.3 points per game against those three teams, while Princeton averaged 19.0 points. The Tiger defense allowed an average of 9.0 points per game in those three contests, while Harvard allowed 20.3 points.
Offensive Notes • Week 6
Winning Foote-ball • Senior quarterback Jeff Terrell has a 12-3 record as a starter. The last Princeton starting quarterback who won at least 12 of his first 15 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 • Senior quarterback Jeff Terrell has thrown for 2,806 career yards, eighth-best all-time at Princeton. He needs 53 yards to tie Brent Woods for seventh place on the all-time list and 640 to tie Dave Splithoff for sixth place.
Total Recall • Jeff Terrell leads the Ivy League and is ranked eighth nationally with 250.0 total yards per game.
Seventh Heaven • Jeff Terrell has thrown eight touchdown passes to seven different receivers this season. Only Brendan Circle has more than one touchdown catch in 2006.
Rob-bery • Junior Rob Toresco has scored touchdowns in two straight games, including an 18-yard scoring reception in last week's victory over Brown. Toresco leads Princeton with three TDs in 2006.
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). He added a 40-yard touchdown reception last weekend against Brown and currently ranks fifth in the Ivy League with 69.8 receiving yards per game.
Fresh Faces • Princeton started two freshmen, Mark Paski and J.P. Makrai, on the offensive line against Brown. It was the first time that happened since the 1996 season, when Hamin Abdullah and Bernie Marczyk started together.
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 6
I'm Honored • Sophomore Tom Methvin was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after recording six tackles, three sacks and three pass breakups in Princeton's 17-3 victory over Brown.
With Honors • Tom Methvin is one of three Princeton defenders to win the award in the first five weeks of the season. Both Tim Strickland and J.J. Artis earned the award after recording multiple-interception games in September victories.
(End) Zoning Out • Princeton didn't allow Brown to score a touchdown for the first time in 105 games, including every game in the tenure of current head coach Phil Estes. Brown entered the game with the No. 2 scoring offense in the Ivy League.
Second Helpings • Princeton hasn't allowed a second-half point in either of its Ivy League games this season and in three of five games overall. It hasn't allowed any team to score more than once in the second half in the last six games.
Who's Got The Time? • Princeton ranks fifth nationally in time of possession; the Tigers hold the ball for an average of 33:17 per game. In two Ivy League games, Princeton has held the ball for an average of 36:51.
Point, Counterpoint • Princeton leads the Ivy League and ranks seventh nationally in scoring defense. The Tigers have allowed only 11.8 points per game this season. Harvard ranks first in the Ivy League and 12th nationally in scoring offense at 32.2 points per game.
Pure Artis-try • Senior J.J. Artis leads Princeton with three interceptions this season, each of which he has recorded at Princeton Stadium.
Tim-ber • Princeton junior linebacker Tim Boardman has the Tigers' only double-digit tackle game of the season (12 against Colgate).
No I In Team, Or Tackle • Despite having the No. 1 defense in the league, Princeton doesn't have a single player ranked in the Top 30 in the Ivy League in tackles. Tim Boardman is ranked 35th with 4.6 tackles, while Brig Walker is ranked 37th with 4.4 tackles.
Miscellaneous Notes • Week 6
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, in the 27-26 win over Colgate. 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 two weeks and his availability for Saturday could be a game-time decision.
Poll Position • Harvard was picked to finish first in the preseason media poll, while Princeton was picked to finish sixth. Princeton is looking to defeat its second preseason league favorite of the season. Two weeks ago, the Tigers defeated Patriot League preseason favorite Colgate 27-26 in
overtime. Princeton has defeated the No. 3 (Lehigh), No. 2 (Lafayette) and No. 1 teams in the Patriot League this season.
Flag Football • Princeton and Harvard are two of the most heavily penalized teams in the Ivy League. Princeton is sixth in the league with 29 penalties for an average of 48.8 yards lost per game, while Harvard ranks seventh with 31 penalties for 49.8 yards lost per game.
Return To Sender • Princeton hasn't returned a kick or punt for a score since Jay McCareins' 93-yard kickoff return last season at Harvard.
Working Overtime • Princeton has won three straight overtime contests, including two by the same 27-26 score. The only overtime contest between Harvard and Princeton was played in 2003 at Harvard Stadium, when the Crimson earned a 43-40 win.
The Crystal Ball • Princeton will travel to Cornell next week for a 1 p.m. showdown at Schoellkopf Field. The Tigers, who defeated the Big Red 20-17 in OT last season, have lost five of their last six games in Ithaca. Each of the last two losses have been by one point, and both had a Princeton PAT get blocked. The game can be heard live on WBUD 1260 AM and on www.GoPrincetonTigers.com.
The Last Time: Princeton 27, Harvard 24
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - In its finest team effort of the season, the Princeton football squad rallied in the fourth quarter and ended a nine-year drought against Harvard with a 27-24 victory in front of 12,023 at Harvard Stadium. The Class of 2006 led the way, especially in the 14 seconds of the fourth quarter that Princeton trailed.
A 52-yard touchdown pass from Liam O'Hagan to Ryan Tyler gave Harvard a 24-20 lead with 7:21 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was the first time Princeton trailed in the game, but it wouldn't last long. Senior Jay McCareins took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown. The first Princeton kickoff return for a touchdown since 1992, the play gave Princeton a lead that it would not relinquish to the defending Ivy League champion.
Harvard would have two possessions after McCareins' return. Princeton would get sacks on both possessions, neither of which would yield a first down. The Crimson punted to Princeton with 2:19 remaining in the hopes of getting a stop and one final chance.
It never happened. Rob Toresco, who led Princeton in rushing with 76 yards, converted on 3rd-and-7 and 3rd-and-1 to ice the clock and give Princeton its first win over Harvard since 1995.
The importance of McCareins' kickoff return and Princeton's ability to hold the lead couldn't be understated. A team that desperately needed to claim a hard-fought victory over either Harvard or Penn, the Tigers left Cambridge that day with both satisfaction in their efforts and confidence for their future.
It was a both exhilarating and exhausting contest by two determined squads. Princeton, which won its fourth straight game in which it scored first, wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Jeff Terrell, who completed 15 of 26 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, handed to senior wideout Derek Davis on a reverse. Davis avoided a loss by breaking a tackle in the backfield, found the right sideline and a pair of blockers and sprinted 72 yards for Princeton's longest touchdown run of the season.
The extra point failed, and Harvard cut its deficit in half on a 39-yard field goal by Matt Schindel. Princeton got the lead back to six points by going on a 14-play, 64-yard drive that ended in a 32-yard field goal by Derek Javarone. The kick was the 39th of Javarone's career, giving him the all-time mark at Princeton.