Princeton Takes Down Cornell 35-9, Is Now Lone Ivy Unbeaten

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September 27, 3PM

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October 3, 7PM

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Princeton, N.J.

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October 18, 12PM

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October 25, 12PM

vs Harvard

Princeton, N.J.

There are figurative hurdles that need clearing each week for teams that are hoping to win Ivy League football championships. Matthew Jester took that literally Saturday afternoon on Powers Field, when he turned in the biggest play on Homecoming Day.

Jester took a deflected pass on a Cornell two-point attempt late in the third quarter and took it back 105 yards or so for two points of his own. He had about 95 yards to go when he leapt over a Cornell defender, a move that drew gasp from the crowd — and pretty much ended any chance the Big Red had.

The final score would be Princeton 35, Cornell 9, a win that improved the Tigers to 7-0 for the fourth straight season and left them as the lone Ivy unbeaten, after Brown handed Penn its first loss 34-31.

The game on Powers Field was hardly one-sided, though. In fact, Princeton was outgained 433-288 and allowed 148 rushing yards, but the day was mostly notable for the sight of Princeton defenders who were running long distances with the football.

Jester's return came after Cornell had completed a 15-play, 81-yard third quarter march to make cut the Princeton lead to 10 at 19-9. A successful two-point conversion would have made it an eight-point, one-possession game and given the Big Red momentum, but instead Jameson Wang's pass was tipped in the end zone by Liam Johnson, right to Jester.

When the big man reached the end zone, it was 21-9 Princeton instead of 19-11, and Cornell's momentum was gone in that 105-yard flash.

So good, you have to see it twice. @NCAA_FCS // #SCTop10 #JUICE24 ???? pic.twitter.com/I1fxcQJ8rt
— Princeton Football (@PrincetonFTBL) October 29, 2022

As for the rest of the defense, Princeton picked off Wang four times, first when Michael Ruttlen Jr. snagged one in the back of the end zone to deny the Big Red after a 10-play, 67-yard drive threatened to result in the first points of the day.

Speaking of the first points of the day, they came courtesy of 15-yard pass from Blake Stenstrom to Andrei Iosivas early in the second quarter to make it 6-0 after the extra point was blocked. That drive was set up by C.J. Wall's 37-yard return of an interception after Cornell once again had threatened.

Stenstrom and Iosivas then hooked up for a second TD when Iosivas, who finished with 10 catches for 155 yards, sprinted past everyone and caught a perfectly thrown 36-yard strike.

It was 12-3 at the half after Princeton's two-point try failed and Cornell kicked a field goal on the final play of the second quarter.

Dawson De Iuliis made the first of his two huge plays when he recovered a fumbled punt on the Big Red nine, and Stenstrom ran it in from the three two plays later.

Once Jester did his thing, Princeton broke it open when Ryan Butler set the Princeton freshman record with his 10^th rushing touchdown on a drive that De Iullis set up with a 26-yard interception return and then Johnson, who led the Tigers with eight tackles, intercepted a pass and returned it 89 yards for a touchdown of his own. Johnson's play didn't include a hurdle, though it did include some nice balance to keep his feet about 20 yards into his return. That play came after the drama was gone. It was Jester's play that took care of that.

Princeton 35, Cornell 9 | 5:43 4th@LiamJohnson43 makes an 89-yard house call!

?? - https://t.co/10QqyTiZzJ #JUICE24 ???? pic.twitter.com/COyPrcFe9r
— Princeton Football (@PrincetonFTBL) October 29, 2022

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