Football: 10 Great Moments From The 2021 Ivy Title Run

There's a lot to look back on 2021.

The season started with a shutout at Lehigh.

Then another shutout.

Princeton kept winning in every way.

Tough runs

A game-winning kick

An offensive shootout

An overtime win (X5!)

A nationally televised victory

Unfortunately, the Tigers fell to Dartmouth, but the dream of an Ivy League title was still alive. They just had to win their final two games vs. Yale and Penn.

And they did, of course, in memorable fashion.

A 90-minute delay before clinching the bonfire with a victory over Yale.

A 28-point quarter vs. Penn.

9-1 and an Ivy League title.

There were many moments from the season that was the fourth Ivy crown in eight seasons for Princeton. Here are some that standout …

1. Jeremiah Tyler's pass break up vs. Lehigh.
It was literally the first defensive play of the season. The senior captain rushed through the offensive line unblocked, jumped in the air, and knocked down Lehigh's Cross Wilkinson's pass.

Why is this play significant or memorable? It just goes to show the dominance of Tyler through the entire season. It set the tone for the defense that would go on to finish sixth overall in the NCAA FCS in total defense (274.1 yards) and scoring (17.4 points).

2. Andrei Iosivas' 41-yard touchdown vs. Stetson
Iosivas showed he was not just a track star at Princeton, he's a multi-sport star. The junior broke out with 41 catches for 703 yards and five touchdowns in 2021. This touchdown showed the chemistry with him and wide receiver counterparts. Dylan Classi ran to him, shook his hand, dabbed him up and stuck one leg out as the rest of offense joined them in celebration.

3. Collin Eaddy's 17-yard touchdown run vs. Columbia.
This wasn't just any kind of touchdown run. Eaddy, who should have been tackled for a loss, broke free from a defenders' grab and jaunted 17-yards to the house. It put the Tigers in front, 24-7, and put the exclamation point on the home team's first Ivy victory of the season.

A How It Started vs. How It Ended production featuring @presidenteaddy.

What a run! #NA22AUBound pic.twitter.com/LT6wkquf07
— Princeton Football (@PrincetonFTBL) October 3, 2021

4. Jeffrey Sexton's 35-yard game-winning field goal vs. No. 25 Monmouth.
In any other season, this would be the most memorable game by a mile, (lol, the Harvard game), but this one was still a thriller!

Trailing by seven, Monmouth's Anthony Budd picked off a pass and returned it to the end zone from 22-yards out with 2:53 left. The Tigers responded with a 13-play drive that featured not one, but two fourth-down conversions including one on their own 34-yard line. This set up Sexton's 35-yarder with 10 seconds to go.

What isn't there to talk about in this game? The 15-point rally? Winning on the road vs. a ranked opponent? Princeton's version of "The Drive?" A freshman kicker knocking in a game-winner?

It was one of the most thrilling non-conference wins in recent memory highlighted by the team's run to an Ivy League crown.

5. Andrei Iosivas' 34-yard touchdown vs. Brown
You could pick a lot of things from Princeton's 56-42 victory over Brown, but this one stood out from the rest. Here's a picture version of Iosivas' touchdown …

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Iosivias leaped in the air, grabbed the ball, and fell into the end zone for the touchdown. It was remarkable display of athleticism for the wide out who went on to shatter career marks in every statistical category.

6. Jacob Birmelin's two-point catch in the fifth overtime vs. No. 16 Harvard.
This is arguably the greatest catch by any Princeton football player in the 21st century. Needing a two-point play to begin the fifth overtime, who else would you turn to than the sure-handed Birmelin. The senior was an unanimous All-Ivy selection as he paced the league in receptions (64), seven more than second place. He was second in receiving yards (78.4) and fifth in all-purpose yards (89.4) per game.

7. Trevor Forbes' pass breakup in the fifth overtime vs. No. 16 Harvard
Harvard's quarterback Jake Smith stepped back and looked to his right.

He needed this two-point try to extend the game.

Trevor Forbes had other ideas.

Forbes' pass breakup sealed the Tigers' win over No. 16 Harvard and sent Princeton Stadium into a frenzy. Fans rushed the field as Princeton remained in first place by itself in the Ivy League. It was the Tigers' first overtime victory in eight years.

8. Jeremiah Tyler's 36-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown vs. Cornell
"I was just trying to run to the ball and one of teammates made a play," said Tyler about the fumble recovery. "I wasn't sure if the ball came out or not, but I saw an object just scurrying along, I caught it and took off."

That made it a 14-0 game. The Tigers led 27-10 at the break and were never threatened. Tyler would go on to win the Bushnell Cup for Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and Second-Team Stats Perform FCS All-America honor. He produced a team-high 58 tackles, adding seven for a loss this year. The senior captain also had two sacks, a fumble recovery for a touchdown and six pass breakups.

9. John Volker's 64-yard touchdown catch vs. Yale.
Trailing 14-7 halfway through the second quarter, the Tigers needed a spark. Princeton dialed up a play that saw Volker go untouched into the end zone, tying the game at 14-all. The Tigers would go on to outscore the Bulldogs, 21-6, en route to a 35-20 decision. It clinched a bonfire for Princeton.

10. Matthew Winston's 34-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Penn.
It was 10-7 Princeton, but Penn was hanging around. Needing a win to keep serve with Dartmouth for the Ivy title, Winston timed it perfectly, stepped in front of the pass from Penn's Aidan Sayin and saw nothing in front of him other than the championship that he and the rest of the Princeton football seniors came back to make happen.

The Quakers were never close again. Princeton went on to a 34-14 win, securing the Ivy title.

There's a lot to look back on in 2021.

Here are 10 great moments from the Ivy League Championship season ... ??????#NA22AUBound ???? pic.twitter.com/2Ek4RCOQM1
— Princeton Football (@PrincetonFTBL) December 31, 2021

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