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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Football Looks For Season-Closing Win Streak Saturday At Dartmouth
November 18, 2009 | Football
With two goals in mind -- sending its senior class out with two straight wins and entering the offseason with legitimate momentum -- the Princeton football team will head to Dartmouth for a showdown with the Big Green at noon on Memorial Field.
Princeton (3-6, 2-4) vs. Dartmouth (2-7, 2-4)
Date/Time Nov. 21/12:30 p.m.
Field Memorial Field
Location Hanover, N.H.
TV none
Radio 103.3 FM/GoPrincetonTigers.com
All-Time Series Tied 42-42-4
Last Year PRINCETON 28, Dartmouth 10
Last At Site Princeton 17, DARTMOUTH 14 (ot)
Last Five Years Princeton 5-0
Current Streak Princeton 5
Game Notes • Week 10
Fit To Be Tied • For the first time since 1989, the all-time series between Princeton and Dartmouth is tied (42-42-4). Since a 23-6 win for Dartmouth in 1990, the Big Green has held at least a one-win advantage and, in 2000, a six-win advantage.
Five Alive • Princeton has won five straight games over Dartmouth, the second-longest win streak for the Tigers in the series. Princeton won six straight over Dartmouth from 1914 through 1935 (no games were played between the two from 1917 through 1932).
Go Fourth • The winner of the Princeton-Dartmouth game is guaranteed at least a share of fourth place, and could finish alone in fourth if both Yale and Columbia lose. Both Princeton (fifth) and Dartmouth (eighth) were picked to finish in the bottom half of the league this season.
Class Acts • The Princeton Class of 2010 will play its final game Saturday and will look to finish with a career winning record. Through the first 39 games of their time at Princeton, the senior class is 20-19. Princeton is also 14-13 in the Ivy League over that stretch.
On Your Horse • For the sixth straight season, the winner between the Tigers and the Big Green will be awarded the “1917 Sawhorse Dollar.” This dollar was originally the payment made by Dartmouth alum T.J. Rodgers, Class of 1970, to Princeton's Tad LaFountain '72 after the business associates wagered $1 on the 2002 game, won by Princeton 38-30. Since this was introduced into the rivalry, Princeton is 5-0 against Dartmouth.
Working Overtime • Princeton's last trip to Memorial Field ended with a 17-14 overtime victory for the Tigers to end the 2007 season. Since then, Princeton has only played one overtime game, the double-OT loss to Colgate earlier this season.
Working Overtime II • While Princeton has only played one overtime game in the last two seasons, Dartmouth has played back-to-back overtime games in the last two weeks. The Big Green defeated Cornell 20-17 in double-OT two weeks ago before falling 14-7 in overtime last week at Brown.
Not Working Overtime • In 1995, Princeton tied Dartmouth 10-10 in the final regular season game played without overtimes. That game earned the Tigers outright possession of the Ivy League title that season.
Rolling Along • Following its win last weekend over Yale, Princeton will now look for consecutive wins for the first time since September, 2008 (home vs. Lehigh, at Columbia).
Ground Attack • Prior to last weekend, Princeton hadn't gotten a single rushing touchdown from a running back this season, nor did it score multiple rushing touchdowns in a single game. In the 24-17 win over Yale, Princeton got rushing touchdowns from both RBs Kenny Gunter and Matt Zimmerman and ran for a total of three touchdowns.
Top Gun-ter • Senior Kenny Gunter ran for 119 yards and one touchdown last weekend against Yale. He became the first Princeton running back to run for more than 100 yards in a game this season.
History Lesson • Prior to Kenny Gunter last weekend, the last Princeton running back to run for 100 yards in a single game was Jordan Culbreath, and he did it with plenty to spare. In the 2008 season finale against Dartmouth, Culbreath ran for 276 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-10 Tiger win.
The Jordan Rules • Senior Jordan Culbreath has missed the last eight games of the season after being diagnosed with aplastic anemia, but he was honored on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium during Senior Day last weekend. His story was profiled by Pat Forde on ESPN.com.
Tommy Boy • Sophomore quarterback Tommy Wornham had the best game of his young career against Yale. He completed 16-of-23 passes for 136 yards and no turnovers and ran the ball 14 times for 55 yards and a touchdown in the 24-17 victory.
Tackling The Issue • Junior Steven Cody currently leads the Ivy League and ranks fifth nationally with 11.8 stops per game. He has recorded five games with double-digit tackles and three games with at least 15 tackles.
Dan The Man • Senior Dan Kopolovich tied for the team lead with nine tackles last weekend and added both an interception and drive-ending plays on Yale's final two possession. On Yale's second-to-last drive, he had a pass breakup on fourth down, similar to what he did on Lehigh's final drive in September. On Yale's final possession, his tackle on a hook-and-ladder left Yale three yards short on a fourth down.
Sack Exchange • Senior Joel Karacozoff recorded six tackles and two pass breakups in the win over Yale, but his final stop at home was his biggest; his 13-yard sack on Yale's final possession all but clinched a 24-17 Tiger win.
Reid It And Weep • Freshman Caraun Reid continued his strong rookie season last weekend with six tackles, including one for loss, and a pass breakup. After recording five tackles once in his first five games, he has recorded at least five in each of the last four.
Head Of The Class • Two Princeton players earned first-team honors on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team. Junior fullback Matt Zimmerman and senior defensive back Dan Kopolovich both earned the honor; Kopolovich was also a semifinalist for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), an academic honor given by the National Football Foundation.
The Crystal Ball • Princeton will open its 2010 season on September 18 at Lehigh, where the Tigers earned a 17-14 victory earlier this season. The home opener will come one week later, when Princeton resumes its rivalry with Lafayette. Princeton will host six games next season, including ones against Ivy rivals Brown, Harvard, Penn and Dartmouth.
Last Year: Princeton 28, Dartmouth 10
Jordan Culbreath entered the 2008 season finale needing 70 rushing yards to record the eighth 1,000-yard rushing season in the 140-year history of Princeton football. He made it with 206 yards to spare. Culbreath rushed for 276 yards, the second-most in a single game in Prince-ton history, and scored two touchdowns to lead Princeton to a 28-10 victory over Dartmouth on a frigid November day on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium. And he did so with Princeton's greatest running back ever, Keith Elias, cheering him every step of the way.
Princeton outrushed Dartmouth 343-(-11) and converted on 10 of 16 third-down attempts to close its season with the win. While the Tiger offense was averaging 6.4 yards per rush, the Princeton defense stopped Dartmouth on 10 of 11 third downs, recorded four sacks and didn't allow a single touchdown in the win. Dartmouth's lone score came on an 85-yard kickoff return by Peter Pidermann in the third quarter.
Entering the game, most eyes were on Culbreath's run at the 1,000-yard barrier, which hadn't been broken at Princeton since 2002, when Cameron Atkinson did it. The drama was all but gone after one run, as Culbreath took his first carry 58 yards for a touchdown; he slithered out of a mass of players, broke one tackle attempt and found daylight as he went from the middle of the field to the home sidelines. By the end of the first quarter, Culbreath had his 1,000-yard mark, and then he started moving past players on the single-season rushing total. Culbreath added a five-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to put the game away.
It was a collective effort for the Princeton defense, although the strong inside linebacker duo of Scott Britton and Steve Cody once again led the way. Britton recorded five tackles and a sack, while Cody had four unassisted tackles. Collin McCarthy, Pete Buchignani and Matt Koch each recorded either a half- or full-sack in their final collegiate games, while junior Joel Karacozoff also added a half-sack.