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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Friday Night Football Returns To Princeton Stadium Oct. 26 On ESPNU
May 22, 2007 | Football
For the second straight season, the Princeton football team will play a home Friday night game to be televised on ESPNU. Last season, Princeton knocked off Brown 17-3 en route to the 2006 Ivy League title. This season, Princeton will resume its wild rivalry with Cornell on Friday night, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. in front of a national audience.
"We're excited to be back on ESPNU," head coach Roger Hughes said. "This is a great way to promote the Ivy League, and obviously it is great for our kids to have a chance to play in this type of atmosphere. We're looking forward to another exciting game with Cornell."
Princeton made its debut on ESPNU an impressive one last season, defeating 2005 Ivy League champion Brown 17-3. The Tiger defense kept Brown out of the end zone for the first time in more than 100 games for the explosive Bear offense, while rising seniors Brendan Circle and Rob Toresco both caught third-quarter touchdown passes to lead the Tigers to a win and a 5-0 start. The defensive charge was led by lineman Tom Methvin, who recorded three sacks and three pass breakups, while eventual first-team All-Ivy defensive back J.J. Artis recorded one of the plays of the season, a diving interception on a deep post.
This season's contest could be another in a long line of wild Princeton-Cornell affairs. Here is a sampling of past efforts between the two Ivy rivals:
2000 ? CORNELL 25, Princeton 24: Tiger quarterback Brian Danielewicz completed a last-minute drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Chisom Opara with 11 seconds remaining on the clock, but kicker Taylor Northrop slipped on the slick Schoellkopf turf and missed the extra point. Patrick Schottel recovered the ensuing onsides kick, only to have the referees rule that the kick went only nine of the necessary 10 yards.
2001 ? Cornell 10, PRINCETON 7: Speaking of kicks falling just short, Princeton missed a chance to tie the score with Cornell by inches, not yards. Northrop, who would go on to earn All-America honors, was sent in to try a fourth-quarter field goal attempt from 57 yards. The kick went 56 yards, two feet and several inches, but it bounced off the crossbar, up in the air and ultimately short of the goalposts in a 10-7 loss.
2002 ? Princeton 32, CORNELL 25 (ot): Trailing 25-10 entering the fourth quarter on a snow-covered Schoellkopf Field, quarterback Matt Verbit engineered a 15-point fourth quarter rally to even the score. Cornell's final chance in regulation ended when Joe Weiss tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage that Jay McCareins intercepted in the final seconds of regulation. An 11-yard touchdown pass to Blair Morrison put Princeton ahead, and a final defensive stand gave the Tigers a victory.
2003 ? PRINCETON 28, Cornell 6: The only rout this decade went Princeton's way, as Verbit threw three touchdown passes and the Tiger defense limited Cornell to only 28 yards rushing in a home victory. Linebacker Justin Stull led the defense with 10 tackles, while fellow co-captain Jon Veach scored two touchdowns.
2004 ? CORNELL 21, Princeton 20: In a stunning replay of the 2000 loss, Princeton left Cornell with a missed extra point leading to a one-point loss. A game that featured three touchdowns of more than 50 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to then-freshman and potential 2007 starting quarterback Bill Foran ended when Derek Javarone's fourth-quarter point-after attempt was deflected at the line of scrimmage.
2005 ? PRINCETON 20, Cornell 17 (ot): Javarone avenged his 2004 miss with a record-setting performance in 2005. Princeton quarterback Jeff Terrell led an 18-play fourth-quarter drive that ended with Javarone hitting a 32-yard field goal to force overtime. Following a Tim Strickland interception on Cornell's first drive, Javarone set the Ivy League career record with his 42nd field goal, this one coming from 35 yards and giving Princeton the overtime victory.
2006 ? CORNELL 14, Princeton 7: In what would be Princeton's only loss of its Ivy League championship season, Cornell would return an interception to the 1-yard line and pick off a late attempt to end the final Tiger drive in a hard-fought 14-7 Big Red win.
All times for Princeton's 2007 football schedule will be posted on GoPrincetonTigers.com when it is available. Princeton, which was picked in the Top 30 of the preseason AnyGivenSaturday.com (AGS) Poll of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, will open the season Sept. 15 at home against Lehigh.
ESPNU is available on DirecTV, channel 609.