Football Wraps Up 2024 Season vs. Penn

Watch
Listen
Live Stats
Tickets
Game Notes

By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com

The Class of 2025 will play its final game on Powers Field this weekend, and none of the seniors could have imagined the journey they were about to embark on when they committed to the top university in the nation.

Some chose Princeton before COVID began its global takeover. They couldn't wait to make their way to Old Nassau and begin their careers in Orange and Black. It turns out they waited far longer than they could have imagined.

Others selected Princeton following Zoom recruiting sessions, remote senior years and no final season of high school football. Either way, it was a rough way to begin the journey, but they did so together, and they built the foundation of a bond that will last far beyond this weekend.

The journey, like most, had its highs and lows. Princeton won the 2021 Ivy League championship, and it was one play away from a repeat title the following fall. Injuries have robbed the current team from putting its best foot forward, but there is still something about this class that makes Princeton fans feel good about the future.

When seasons go the wrong way, locker rooms with bad culture fall apart. Look at the last three weeks — a 21-point rally against Cornell, pushing reigning champion Dartmouth throughout a mostly one-score game, and going toe-to-toe in a shootout against Yale — and you will see a team that hasn't lost an ounce of fight.

Head coach Bob Surace knows that is a legacy to celebrate.

"It's been an incredible journey for our seniors," he said. "They all had their first year at Princeton or senior year of high school disrupted by COVID, and they have shown tremendous resilience. We've shared many highs and lows on the field, including and most especially winning a championship. I'm excited for the opportunity to spend one last Saturday on the field with a great group of young men."

That opportunity will come this Saturday at 1 pm when Princeton welcomes Penn for a 1 pm showdown on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium (ESPN+). Penn is coming off a heartbreaker itself, as its upset bid against Harvard fell short on a late Crimson field goal. This remains one of the Ivy League's best rivalries, as at least one of these teams (and both in 2016) have won an Ivy League title six times in the last 11 seasons.

Neither team will leave the 2024 season with an Ivy League title, but one will get a final locker room celebration together. The Princeton players have battled through injury and adversity with the same tenacity you might expect from a team in a title race. They will demand the highest level from themselves and their teammates. That's the culture they joined, and they made sure it is the culture they will leave for future teams.

Their teammates would love nothing more than to celebrate them late Saturday afternoon.

Week 10 Game Notes
History Lesson • This will be the 115th meeting between Princeton and Penn in a series that dates back to Nov. 1, 1876. Princeton, which earned a 31-24 victory at Franklin Field last year owns a 70-43-1 advantage in the series and has won seven of the last 10 meetings.

Seventh Heaven • Princeton forced seven turnovers (four interceptions, three fumble recoveries) in last season's victory over Penn. All three of the players who recorded interceptions (Nasir Hill 2, Tahj Owens and Collin Taylor) will play for the Tigers this weekend.

King of the Hill • Current junior Nasir Hill had a career day in the 31-24 win over Penn. Hill recorded two interceptions, a fumble recovery and four pass breakups in the win, and he earned second-team All-Ivy League honors three days later. He will enter this weekend having averaged 10.5 tackles per game over the last two weeks.

Marco Polo • Junior linebacker Marco Scarano has been at his best in Ivy League games this season. He ranks third in the league in tackles per game (8.3) during conference play, and he has posted double-digit tackle performances against both Dartmouth (16) and Brown (14). He has also recorded at least one tackle for loss in eight of nine games this season, and he leads the league in tackles for loss in conference play (1.3 per game).

The Chase Is On • Sophomore Chase Christopher leads Princeton and ranks seventh in the Ivy League with 66 tackles on the season, including a career-best 12 against Dartmouth. Christopher has had at least seven tackles in six games this season, including each of the last three.

Watch Out • Freshman AJ Pigford, a two-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week this season, was named to the Stats Perform 2024 Jerry Rice Award Watch List, which honors the FCS Freshman Player of the Year. Pigford has 14 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks on the season; he had three tackles and a sack against Yale last week.

Ground Attack • Princeton has two running backs in the Ivy League Top 10 in yards per game this season. Senior John Volker ranks seventh in the league with 48 yards per game, while sophomore Ethan Clark ranks eighth in the league with 45.7 yards per game. Clark is coming off a 79-yard, two-touchdown performance against Yale last weekend.

The Barber Shop • Senior wide receiver AJ Barber had his best game of the season last weekend, recording seven catches for 108 yards and a touchdown against Yale. He is currently 16th all-time in program history with 107 career catches, and he would need 15 in the finale to tie Seth DeValve for 15th.

Cool Hand Luke • Luke Colella ranks eighth in the league in both receptions (4.8) and receiving yards (58.3) per Ivy game this season. He has caught at least four passes in every league game during his senior year, and he caught at least four in six of seven Ivy games last year.

Just For Kicks • Senior kicker Jeffrey Sexton hit the longest field goal kicked by a Princeton Tiger this century when he made a 51-yarder at Harvard during Week 6. The only other Princeton player to kick one at least 50 yards was Taylor Northrop, who did so during the 2000 season. Sexton, who is 4-for-4 on kicks beyond 40 yards this season, and teammate Sam Massick are a combined 8-of-8 on field goal attempts in 2024.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Next Event

Players Mentioned

AJ Barber

Chase Christopher

Ethan Clark

Luke Colella

Nasir Hill

Sam Massick

Tahj Owens

AJ Pigford

Marco Scarano

Jeffrey Sexton

Collin Taylor

John Volker

Princeton University Athletics

Upcoming Events

Recent Results