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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Football Friday: Surace Discusses Brown Win, Red Zone D & Previews Harvard
October 24, 2014 | Football
In ther sixth installment of the weekly Football Friday interview series, head coach Bob Surace reflects on the victory over Brown, including standout efforts by seniors Matt Costello and Connor Michelsen. He also talks about the efficiency of Princeton's red zone defense and looks ahead to Saturday's first place showdown with Harvard, including some thoughts on the dynamic Harvard defensive lineman, Zack Hodges.
The full game preview can be found below. Saturday's game will air live nationally on ESPN3.
It's Alumni Weekend. It's for first place.
It's Harvard. It's Princeton.
Enough said.
| #21 Harvard Crimson (5-0, 2-0 Ivy) at Princeton Tigers (3-2, 2-0 Ivy) |
| Game Time/Location | 1 pm • Powers Field at Princeton Stadium |
| Game Coverage |
ESPN3/WatchESPN l WPRB 103.3 FM l Live Stats l @PUTigers_Live |
| All-Time Series | Princeton leads 54-45-7 |
| Last Year |
Princeton 51, HARVARD 48 (3 OT) |
| Last At Site | PRINCETON 39, Harvard 34 (2012) |
| Last Five Years |
Harvard 3-2 |
| Current Streak |
Princeton 2 |
| Princeton Links |
Game Notes l Roster l Schedule l Stats |
| Harvard Links |
Game Notes l Roster l Schedule l Stats |
| Ivy League Links | Standings l League Leaders l Weekly Release |
| Next Week |
Nov. 1, 12:30 pm • Princeton at Cornell (FOX College Sports) • Tickets |
Follow Along …
Princeton will host Harvard in a showdown of Ivy League unbeatens Saturday at 1 pm on ESPN3/WatchESPN. Dave Leno and Pete Najarian will call the action on the free, live national stream, which you can access on your computer or mobile device. This will be the first of two live games on ESPN3, along with the Princeton season finale against Dartmouth.
You can also listen to the game either on the radio (WPRB 103.3 FM) or online at WPRB.com.
Home Sweet Home
Princeton has won six straight home games dating back to last season, including four when it scored at least 50 points. This season, Princeton has outscored its opponents 39-3 in the first quarter en route to wins of 56-17 over Davidson and 27-16 over Brown.
The last time Princeton won at least seven straight home games was between 1993-94, when the Tigers earned nine straight home wins at Palmer Stadium, which opened 100 years ago Friday.
First And Goal
Three teams entered the weekend in a tie for first place in the Ivy League, and at least one is assured to be there following today's game. Both Princeton and Harvard are 2-0 in the Ivy League, as is Dartmouth, which plays at Columbia today.
In each of the last two seasons, Princeton and Harvard have both entered Week 6 unbeaten in the Ivy League. In case you've forgotten how those games ended …
Rallying Cry
Harvard led the 2012 meeting 34-10 with less than 12 minutes remaining, but Princeton rallied with three touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions to cut the deficit to 34-32 with 2:27 remaining. The Tigers forced a three-and-out by inches, and drove 90 yards in 1:44 to stun Harvard for a 39-34 win.
Connor Michelsen, last weekend's starter in the win over Brown, was named Ivy Player of the Week after throwing for 237 yards and three touchdowns, but it was Quinn Epperly who launched the 36-yard game-winning pass to Roman Wilson just inside the left side of the end zone with 13 seconds remaining. It was Princeton's first victory over Harvard since the 2006 Ivy title season.
Working Overtime
You could have assumed it would have been decades before another Princeton-Harvard meeting matched the 2012 drama, but it actually only took 52 weeks. Last season's rematch in Boston featured 970 total yards, 99 points and three overtimes, and Princeton again came up with a dramatic win.
Epperly broke both the Princeton single-game completions (37) and passing touchdowns (six) records on the final play of the game, a six-yard toss to the back right corner of the end zone, where Wilson again broke the Crimson hearts. Wilson, who evened the game on a nine-yard run in the first overtime session, caught the winning touchdown in a 51-48 victory that eventually catapulted Princeton to the Ivy League title.
Poll Position
Both of today's opponents on Powers Field picked up all 17 first-place votes in the annual preseason media poll. Princeton was picked as the Ivy League favorite for the first time since 1992 with nine of the votes, while Harvard was picked second with the other eight first-place votes. In all 17 polls, either Princeton or Harvard was picked second to the other team.
Princeton would love to break a recent trend in the voting, as no preseason favorite has won the outright Ivy League title in a decade.
Grounded
Princeton currently leads the FCS in rushing defense, allowing only 61.0 rushing yards per game this season. The Tigers added to that total last weekend, holding Brown to minus-7 yards on the ground.
Today will feature a pair of the nation's best run defenses, as Harvard enters the game ranked fifth nationally. The Crimson allow only 83.2 rushing yards per game
Tackling The Issue
Senior co-captain Mike Zeuli, who leads the Ivy League with 1.8 tackles for loss per game this season, had one of his best performances last season at Harvard. He recorded a team-high 13 tackles and added two sacks in the triple overtime win in Boston. One year earlier, it was his ankle tackle of future NFL draft pick Kyle Juszczyk that forced Harvard's final punt of the game and gave Princeton the chance for its winning touchdown.
Zeuli currently ranks 10th in the Ivy League in tackles with 6.8 per game.
Hylton Express
Sophomore Rohan Hylton ranks third in the Ivy League with 9.2 tackles per game. He has averaged more than 10 per game over the last three weeks, and he ranks in the top three of the league in both tackles for loss and sacks
Margin Of Success
Princeton had its first positive margin in the turnover department last week, as both Khamal Brown and Andrew Frisby recorded interceptions to help the Tigers finish as +1.
Welcome Matt
Senior Matt Costello moved to sixth on the all-time Princeton receptions list last weekend during a career day aginst Brown. He caught eight passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns; he now has 133 career catches, and he needs four more to tie Judd Garrett for fifth on the all-time Princeton list.
Where There's A Will …
Senior running back Will Powers has rushed for touchdowns in each of the Tigers' last four games. Last weekend against Brown, when starter DiAndre Atwater missed the game with an injury, Powers rushed 13 times for 69 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Armed And Dangerous
Senior Connor Michelsen made the most of his first start of the season last weekend, completing 33 of 45 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-16 win over Brown. He helped the Tigers race out to a 24-0 lead by completing 18 of his first 23 passes for 222 yards and both scores.
Return To Sender
Junior Dré Nelson made history two weeks ago when he returned the opening kickoff a Princeton-record 100 yards in the 31-30 loss at Colgate. Nelson has now returned the opening kickoff for touchdowns in two of the last four weeks (Davidson was the other game), and he is the only player in the entire FCS with multiple kick returns for touchdowns this season.
A Perfect Year
Nolan Bieck missed four of his first seven field goal attempts last season. Beginning with an overtime conversion at Harvard, Bieck has now made each of his last 12 kicks, including at least one in every game the team has played since. He made two kicks last week against Brown, and he made 40-yarders against both Davidson and Columbia.
In The Red
The Princeton offense has been perfect in the red zone this season, outside of a kneel-down to end last weekend's win over Brown. In 21 trips to the red zone, the Tigers have scored 16 touchdowns — including 13 on the ground — and kicked five field goals.
30 For 30
Through the Columbia game, Princeton had gone 14 straight games where it won every game it scored 30 or more points (10-0) and lost every game it scored 29 or fewer (0-4). In the last two games, Princeton scored at Colgate and lost, and then it scored 27 against Brown and won. The 27 points last weekend was the fewest Princeton scored in a victory since a 19-0 home win over Brown two seasons earlier.
I'm Honored
Freshman offensive lineman Richard Bush was named one of the five recipients of the 2014 NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Awards, which was announced by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame. Bush was an all-state lineman at Plant HS in Tampa, Fla.
Though the NFF only hands out five national Scholar-Athlete Awards per year, Bush is the third member of this Princeton team to have earned the honor. The other two are senior Matt Costello and sophomore Nick Peabody.
On The Mike
Senior offensive lineman Mike Ramos was one of two players in the Ivy League to be nominated for the 2014 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team. The 182 nominees throughout all divisions of college football represent those who stand out both on and off the field.
The Crystal Ball
Princeton will head to Ithaca, N.Y., next weekend for a 12:30 matchup against Cornell on Schoellkopf Field. The game will be shown live on FOX College Sports. In the last meeting between the two teams, Quinn Epperly threw 29 straight completions — an NCAA record — to help Princeton post a 53-20 home win.
Princeton has lost two straight at Cornell, with both coming by two points apiece. The last nine
Princeton-Cornell games in Ithaca have been decided by seven points or fewer.
Princeton will return to Powers Field the following weekend for a 3:30 home game against Penn. The game will be shown live on the NBC Sports Network. Tickets are available by calling 609-258-4TIX.
Welcome Back
Princeton will honor the members of the undefeated 1964 Ivy League championship team at halftime of Saturday's game. That squad, led by College Football Hall of Fame inductee Cosmo Iacavazzi '65, is the last Princeton team to go undefeated in either the league or overall season.