.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Football Resumes Fierce Rivalry With #12 Yale On Senior Day; Powers Field Dedication Ceremony To Be Held At Halftime
November 07, 2007 | Football
It is the second-longest running rivalry in college football, and yet
it would be difficult to find a better two-year run of Princeton-Yale
games than the ones played over the last two seasons. The road team won
both, and each game held Ivy League championship implications. While
only Yale remains in the championship hunt this season, Princeton will
look to play spoiler and send its senior class out with a fourth
straight winning record at home.
Game Specifics ? Week 9
Date/Time: Nov. 10/1 p.m.
Field: Powers Field at Princeton Stadium
Location: Princeton, N.J.
TV: YES Network, DirecTV 622
Radio: 103.3 FM, GoPrincetonTigers.com
All-Time Series: Yale leads 70-49-10
Last Year: Princeton 34, YALE 31
Last At Site: Yale 21, PRINCETON 14
Last Five Years: Yale leads 4-1
Current Streak: Princeton 1
Princeton Notes: click here.
Yale Stats: click here.
Projected Weather: click here.
Game Notes ? Week 9
Just Say YES ? Saturday's contest between Princeton and Yale will be televised by the YES Network and is available on DirecTV Channel 622. Chris Shearn and former Princeton lineman Ross Tucker '01 will handle play-by-play and color commentary, respectively. This is Princeton's sixth consecutive televised game; the Tigers have played two games on Comcast CN8, two on NESN, one on ESPNU and one on the YES Network.
Head Of The Class ? Today is the final home game for the Princeton Class of 2008. The senior class is currently 24-14, and it can still be the first class to have four straight seasons of .500 records or better since the Class of 1996. Princeton will need to win its final two games this year to finish 5-5.
Home Sweet Home ? Princeton has recorded winning home records every year since 2004 and can do it again this season with a victory over Yale. Princeton went 3-2 in 2004 and 2005, 5-0 in 2006 and is currently 2-2 this season.
History Lesson ? This is the 130th meeting between Princeton and Yale. The only active rivalry that has been played more is Lafayette-Lehigh, which will be played for the 143rd time last week.
History Lesson II ? Princeton and Yale were both listed in the Top 10 of the Street & Smith Greatest College Football Programs publication last year.
Rallying Cry ? The team that has scored first in each of the last two Yale-Princeton games has lost the game. Both times the winning team trailed with eight minutes remaining in regulation.
Learning To Share ? Princeton and Yale were the 2006 Ivy League co-champions. The last time co-champions met the following season, Yale lost at Brown 28-14 in 2000.
Working Overtime ? Princeton has won four straight overtime contests. Its last overtime loss was a 27-24 home defeat against Yale in 2003.
Top Of The Line ? Princeton tailback Jordan Culbreath recorded SportsCenter's “Top Play” Friday night when he scored the winning touchdown on a 58-yard option run against Cornell. It was Princeton's second time as the “Top Play” in the span of a year; the first was a fourth down pitch from Rob Toresco to Jeff Terrell to score the winning TD in a 31-30 double-overtime win against Penn in 2006.
I'm Honored ? Jordan Culbreath was named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the 34-31 win against Cornell. He is Princeton's first Offensive Player of the Week since Jeff Terrell won the honor after the 34-31 win at Yale in 2006. Culbreath is Princeton's second Ivy honoree this year (Ryan Coyle, special teams).
Who's Your Draddy ? Senior WR Brendan Circle is one of 153 national semifinalists for the Draddy Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. Circle was a first-team All-Ivy selection in 2006.
Four Score ? Princeton avoided its first four-game losing streak since late in the 2004 season with the 34-31 win over Cornell. Following that fourth loss, a 21-9 loss at Yale, the Tigers went on to win 17 of its next 21 games and claimed the 2006 Ivy League title.
Offensive Notes ? Week 9
Grounded ? Yale and Princeton rank 1-2 in rushing in the Ivy League. Yale leads the league with 306.9 rushing yards per game, nearly 140 full yards more than Princeton's average of 168.9 yards per game.
Triple Threat ? In Princeton's last home game, Jordan Culbreath rushed for 145 yards in a win over Cornell. He was Princeton's first 100-yard rusher since Rob Toresco ran for 119 yards at Dartmouth in 2005.
Deep (Cul)breath ? Jordan Culbreath recorded the fifth-highest single-game rushing total in Roger Hughes' tenure at Princeton with his 145-yard effort against Cornell. It was the most since Jon Veach '05 ran for 205 yards in an overtime contest at Harvard in 2003.
Ground Attack ? When Princeton has had a 100-yard rusher under Roger Hughes, the team has gone 12-5. Of the five losses, two came in overtime, another came on a last-second Hail Mary and a fourth was lost by three points. The margin of victory in the 12 wins is 16.9 points per game.
Circle Pattern ? Brendan Circle became the seventh Princeton player with at least 100 career receptions when he caught Greg Mroz' first pass against Cornell. He is sixth on the all-time receptions list with 105 catches, one spot ahead of Blair Morrison '04.
Highway Rob-bery ? Senior fullback Rob Toresco leads Princeton with 34 receptions this season. He has 94 receptions in his career, tenth most in Princeton history. The only running back with more career receptions than Toresco is Judd Garrett, who caught 137 passes from 1987-89.
Fresh Faces ? Due to injuries last weekend, freshman wideouts Trey Peacock and Matt Ransom played the entire second half. Peacock caught one pass for four yards, while Ransom has been a steady force in the kick return game for the last two weeks.
Give And Take ? Princeton is +5 in turnovers in victories and -11 in losses. Two weeks ago, Princeton recorded six takeaways against Cornell.
Defensive Notes ? Week 9
D+ ? The Princeton defense allowed only seven points to Penn last weekend, the fewest points Princeton has allowed in a game this season.
Tackling The Issue ? Senior Tim Boardman ranks fourth in the Ivies with 8.8 tackles per game in 2007. He has 70 stops this season, 18 more than he had all of last year when he led Princeton with 52 stops. The last player to lead Princeton in tackles twice in his career was Justin Stull.
Passed Out ? Sophomore Dan Kopolovich ranks second in the Ivy League with 1.62 passes defensed per game (11 pass breakups, two interceptions).
McCarthyism ? Junior Collin McCarthy has 28 tackles in the last two weeks. He recorded a career-high 14 tackles in the win over Cornell and matched that effort last weekend at Penn.
Lost Cause ? Sophomore John Callahan, who leads all Princeton underclassmen with 52 tackles this season, is the team leader with seven tackles for loss.
Miscellaneous Notes ? Week 9
Un-Coyled ? Junior punter Ryan Coyle ranks fourth nationally and first in the Ivy League with a 43.1 yard-per-punt average this season.
Louden Clear ? Junior kicker Connor Louden is a perfect 46-for-46 on extra-point attempts in his career. The Princeton record is 59, set by Robert Goodwin from 1985-1987.
Listen Up ? All Princeton games can be heard live on WPRB 103.3 FM and on GoPrincetonTigers.com. Ed Benkin returns for his seventh year as the play-by-play man, while former Tiger and NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker '01 will serve as the color man on seven games.
The Powers That Be ? At halftime of the Yale game, Powers Field, named for alumnus William C. Powers '79, will be officially dedicated. Powers, a former Tiger punter, made a $10 million gift to the football program, the largest donation ever to Princeton athletics.
Crystal Ball ? Princeton will head to Hanover, N.H., next weekend for the 2007 season finale against Dartmouth. The Big Green, projected to finish eighth in the Ivy League this season, has won three Ivy games already and scored 59 points in a win over Cornell last week.
Coming Home ? Princeton's next game on Powers Field will be Sept. 27, 2008 against Lehigh. The Tigers' home schedule next season will be: Oct. 18 vs. Brown, Oct. 25 vs. Harvard, Nov. 8 vs. Penn and Nov. 22 vs. Dartmouth. Times will be announced next summer.
Golden Anniversary ? This is the 50th anniversary of Princeton's first Ivy League championship team (1957). The team, which was led by captain Jack Sapoch and eventual first-team All-Ivy selections Bob Casciola and Dan Sachs, was the first in the 12-year tenure of head coach Dick Colman. Colman replaced Princeton legend and College Football Hall of Famer Charles Caldwell, who was diagnosed with cancer and died during the season. Caldwell led Princeton to its last national championship season (1950) and coached Princeton's only Heisman Trophy winner (Dick Kazmaier, 1951). Colman, who would also be voted into the College Football Hall of Fame, posted winning records in 10 of 12 seasons.