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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Football Looks To Play Spoiler At Ivy Unbeaten Penn
November 03, 2009 | Football
Coming off a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback win over Cornell, the Princeton football team is heading to Penn with a new ally: momentum. The Tigers will need a top-notch effort Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on Franklin Field against the Ivy League's hottest team. The game will be available locally on The Comcast Network.
Princeton (2-5, 1-3 Ivy) at Penn (5-2, 4-0 Ivy)
Date/Time Nov. 7/3:30 p.m.
Field Franklin Field
Location Philadelphia, Pa.
TV The Comcast Network
Radio 103.3 FM/GoPrincetonTigers.com
All-Time Series Princeton leads 63-36-1
Last Year Penn 14, PRINCETON 9
Last At Site PENN 7, Princeton 0
Last Five Years Penn 3-2
Current Streak Penn 2
Game Notes • Week 8
Lights, Camera, Action • Saturday's 101st meeting between Penn and Princeton will be televised live on The Comcast Network at 3:30 p.m. Scott Graham will do the play by play and Kevin Reilly will serve as the color analyst. The Comcast Network is available only in the Philadelphia area to Comcast subscribers.
Are You SIRIUS? • For the third time this season, a Princeton football game can be heard live on Sirius Satellite Radio. Saturday's game can be heard live Saturday on channel 130.
The Best Of Times, The Worst Of Times • Princeton has experienced far different offensive performances in its last two trips to Franklin Field. In 2005, the Tigers scored 30 points, its best output in Philadelphia since 1989. Two seasons ago, Princeton was shut out for the first time at Franklin Field since 1945.
What's The Point • Princeton's last game at Franklin Field was a 7-0 loss to Penn in 2007; it stands as the lowest-scoring game of the Roger Hughes Era and the lowest-scoring Princeton game since the Princeton Stadium opener in 1998, a 6-0 win over Cornell.
Rallying Cry • Princeton defeated Cornell last weekend 17-13 with a 78-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. It was Princeton's first fourth-quarter comeback win in the span of 14 games; in both cases, the winning touchdown came on a long touchdown reception by Trey Peacock (52 vs. Columbia, 2008; 78 vs. Cornell, last week).
Dynamic Duo • Junior wide receiver Trey Peacock caught touchdown passes of 17 and 78 yards last weekend in the win over Cornell. He became the first Princeton player with two touchdown catches since Will Thanheiser caught two touchdowns one season earlier against the Big Red.
From Way Downtown • Trey Peacock's 78-yard touchdown reception from Tommy Wornham brought up another historical comparison with Cornell. The play was Princeton's longest pass play since Matt Verbit hit Bill Foran for an 80-yard touchdown pass at Cornell in 2004.
Tommy Boy • In the first three quarters last weekend against Cornell, sophomore quarterback Tommy Wornham was 11 for 20 for 93 yards and one touchdown. In the final quarter, he was 5 for 7 for 105 yards, including the game-winning touchdown.
Yard Marker • Tommy Wornham currently ranks third in the Ivy League in total offense with 195.6 yards per game. He leads all Ivy League quarterbacks in rushing with 39.0 yards per game and ranks fourth in passing yardage with 156.6 yards per game.
Run To Glory • Princeton, which hasn't produced a 100-yard rusher this season, faces a stiff challenge this weekend. Penn's rush defense is ranked second nationally and allows only 66.0 rushing yards per game.
Five Alive • Junior tight end Harry Flaherty, the nephew of Princeton's legendary Garrett brothers, caught a career-best five passes two weeks ago at Harvard. A first-year starter, he has caught at least one pass in every game this season and has multiple catches in each of the last two games.
Home Schooled • The Princeton offense is averaging 4.7 yards per play at home and only 3.5 yards per play on the road. The Tigers also have three second-half touchdowns at home and none on the road.
Tackling The Issue • Junior Steven Cody currently leads the Ivy League and ranks second nationally with 12.8 stops per game. He has five games with at least 10 tackles and three games with at least 15 stops. He recorded 15 tackles last weekend in a 17-13 win over Cornell and added his second interception of the season.
Great Britton • Princeton senior captain Scott Britton tore his ACL at Brown and will miss the rest of the season. Britton ranks fourth in the Ivy League with 11.2 tackles per game, despite playing less than one half at Brown. In his last home game, he also made 16 tackles in a double-overtime loss to nationally ranked Colgate and was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week.
Twice As Nice • After overcoming a torn ACL that cost him his entire 2008 season, senior linebacker John Callahan is playing some of the best football of his career. He has recorded interceptions in back-to-back games and made a season-best 10 tackles last weekend against Cornell.
Welcome Matt • Sophomore lineman Matt Boyer, one of Princeton's most highly touted recruits of 2008, recorded a career-high nine tackles in Princeton's win over Cornell. He was moved from nose tackle to defensive end during the season and has flourished, and he now leads the Princeton defensive linemen with 33 tackles.
Head Of The Class • Senior defensive back Dan Kopolovich was recently named a semifinalist for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy), an honor given by the National Football Foundation to honor the best both on the field and in the classroom in college football. Kopolovich, a four-year starter who played quarterback during part of the 2008 season, has averaged 10 tackles over the last two games and had two pass breakups at Harvard.
Big Ben • After early-season struggles, senior kicker Ben Bologna has made his last three field goals, including a 40-yard kick last weekend against Cornell. That is tied for Princeton's longest field goal since Oct. 1, 2005.
Time's Up • Princeton's two victories this season have come with its highest amount of time of possession (Cornell, 29:14) and it lowest time of possession (Lehigh, 23:57).
Run Away • Princeton is averaging 146.8 rushing yards per game at home and 68.3 rushing yards per game on the road.
Oh Captain, Our Captain • Senior captain Jordan Culbreath, the 2008 Ivy League rushing champion, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia following Princeton's Week 2 game at Lehigh and has missed the rest of the season. He was able to attend his first football game last weekend and was given the game ball after Princeton's 17-13 victory over Cornell.
Spinning A Web • The official Princeton athletics web site, www.GoPrincetonTigers.com, has a new look and a new partner, www.GoPrincetonTigers.tv. Princeton football fans will be able to find pre- and post-game stories, as well as features, videos, live and replayed games, game highlights, audio interviews, statistics, future schedules and much more. You can also listen live to Ed Benkin and Dan Loney broadcast each game on either GoPrincetonTigers.com or on WPRB 103.3 FM.
The Crystal Ball • Princeton will return to Powers Field at Princeton Stadium for Senior Day on Nov. 14 against Yale. That game, part of Alumni Weekend, will be the 132nd playing of the Yale-Princeton game; it is the longest active rivalry in the Ivy League and the second-longest in the nation, behind only Lehigh-Lafayette.
Ticket To Ride • Tickets are still available for the Nov. 14 Yale game, as well as all basketball and ice hockey games. They can be purchased online at www.GoPrincetonTigers.com/tickets or by calling 609-258-4TIX (4849).
Last Year: Penn 14, Princeton 9
The opportunities were there for the Princeton football team, but the Tigers simply didn't capitalize in an ESPNU-televised showdown with local rival Penn. Despite another touchdown from Jordan Culbreath and a 10-tackle effort from Scott Britton, Princeton's inability to convert on third downs, both offensively and defensively, cost the team in a 14-9 Friday night loss on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium.
Jordan Culbreath scored his ninth touchdown of the season and led Princeton with 109 all-purpose yards (57 rushing, 52 receiving), despite missing much of the second quarter with a leg injury. Will Thanheiser, among the league leaders in receiving yards, caught four passes for 86 yards, including a highlight reel catch of 46 yards to set up Culbreath's 1-yard score. Senior quarterback Brian Anderson completed 15 of 25 passes for 204 yards and added 31 yards rushing on seven carries.
Britton, who entered the weekend ranked eighth in the Ivy League in tackles, led the Tigers with 10 stops and one tackle for loss. Steven Cody, who was fourth in the league in tackles, added nine tackles, including one for loss, and Barry Newell recorded his first career interception.
Penn took its first possession 84 yards on 13 plays and scored on a 6-yard touchdown run by Keiffer Garton; the Penn quarterback was the offensive star of the game, rushing 15 times for 89 yards and completing 16 of 21 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.
Trailing 14-3, the Tigers scored their first touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Following a pair of catches by Berry, Anderson launched a deep post to Thanheiser, who was double-covered on the play. The pass was slightly underthrown, which allowed Thanheiser to come back for the ball. Somehow, in the middle of two defenders draped all over him, he pulled in the pass at the 1-yard-line. One play later, Culbreath went in to cut the score to 14-9. The 2-point conversion failed, and Princeton wasn't able to score again.