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Saturday, September 28
Princeton, N.J.
3:00 PM
Princeton University
30
vs
13
Howard
Mason Armstead is congratulated by Carson Irons after his first quarter interception.
Princeton Rushes Past Howard 30-13 In Home Opener
September 28, 2024 | Football
The Princeton football team that got onto the buses in Bethlehem after its opening loss to Lehigh was not the same team that ran through the Princeton Stadium tunnel onto Powers Field to play Howard in its home opener Saturday afternoon.
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This Princeton team moved the ball on the ground, made sure to get points out of its opportunities, turned the field over on its punts and kept the visitors off the scoreboard for the first three quarters. Much of what plagued Princeton against Lehigh was cleaned up, resulting in a much cleaner result as well.
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Princeton dominated for the first three quarters and then withstood a Howard attempt to make it a close game en route to a 30-13 win to square its record at 1-1. Next up is the Ivy League opener at Columbia this coming Saturday at noon.
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The opening loss to Lehigh came by a 35-20 score. This time, Princeton put up 20 points in the first half alone and led 23-0 into the fourth before the Bison scored.
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More than just a different result was how Princeton got there. Last week's rushing yards? Minus-7. Last week's punting average? 28.7 yards. Last week's halftime score? Down 21-7.
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Those numbers against Howard were much different. Most impressively, Princeton rushed for 195 yards, led by John Volker's 86 and 50 more from quarterback Blaine McAllister, a senior who made his first start.
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Punter Brady Clark boomed four punts for a 47.3-yard average — with a long of 70. Princeton allowed 346 yards to Lehigh; that number was 226 against Howard.
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Princeton jumped out quickly, taking the opening kickoff and finishing the drive on a 37-yard touchdown strike from McAllister to Luke Colella, making it a quick 7-0 Tiger lead just 1:46 into the game. The lead grew to 10-0 on a 27-yard Sam Massick field goal set up by a 30-yard Mason Armstead interception return.
McAllister made it a 17-0 game when he scored on a seven-yard TD run early in the second. That drive began after a bad snap on a Howard punt set the Tigers up on the five-yard line. The halftime score was 20-0 after Jeffrey Sexton hit a 41-yard field goal with 16 seconds to go in the half and then 23-0 after a 44-yard Sexton field goal early in the third quarter.
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Howard scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, making it 23-13 midway through the fourth. Would the end be dramatic? No. Any chance of a comeback ended with a beautiful eight play, 75-yard Tiger march that turned into points when Dareion Murphy bolted 22 yards for the TD, making it 30-13 with five minutes to go.
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Payton Tally led Princeton with nine tackles, while Chase Christopher and Jackson Ford had eight each. Collin Taylor had 1.5 sacks for the Tigers. Â
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The game was the first meeting between the two schools.
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This Princeton team moved the ball on the ground, made sure to get points out of its opportunities, turned the field over on its punts and kept the visitors off the scoreboard for the first three quarters. Much of what plagued Princeton against Lehigh was cleaned up, resulting in a much cleaner result as well.
Â
Princeton dominated for the first three quarters and then withstood a Howard attempt to make it a close game en route to a 30-13 win to square its record at 1-1. Next up is the Ivy League opener at Columbia this coming Saturday at noon.
Â
The opening loss to Lehigh came by a 35-20 score. This time, Princeton put up 20 points in the first half alone and led 23-0 into the fourth before the Bison scored.
Â
More than just a different result was how Princeton got there. Last week's rushing yards? Minus-7. Last week's punting average? 28.7 yards. Last week's halftime score? Down 21-7.
Â
Those numbers against Howard were much different. Most impressively, Princeton rushed for 195 yards, led by John Volker's 86 and 50 more from quarterback Blaine McAllister, a senior who made his first start.
Â
Punter Brady Clark boomed four punts for a 47.3-yard average — with a long of 70. Princeton allowed 346 yards to Lehigh; that number was 226 against Howard.
Â
Princeton jumped out quickly, taking the opening kickoff and finishing the drive on a 37-yard touchdown strike from McAllister to Luke Colella, making it a quick 7-0 Tiger lead just 1:46 into the game. The lead grew to 10-0 on a 27-yard Sam Massick field goal set up by a 30-yard Mason Armstead interception return.
ÂOne hand, two hands, it don't matter.@LukeColella2 is gonna score. #JUICE ???? pic.twitter.com/bDbYaxm3fV
— Princeton Football (@PrincetonFTBL) September 28, 2024
McAllister made it a 17-0 game when he scored on a seven-yard TD run early in the second. That drive began after a bad snap on a Howard punt set the Tigers up on the five-yard line. The halftime score was 20-0 after Jeffrey Sexton hit a 41-yard field goal with 16 seconds to go in the half and then 23-0 after a 44-yard Sexton field goal early in the third quarter.
Â
Howard scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, making it 23-13 midway through the fourth. Would the end be dramatic? No. Any chance of a comeback ended with a beautiful eight play, 75-yard Tiger march that turned into points when Dareion Murphy bolted 22 yards for the TD, making it 30-13 with five minutes to go.
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Payton Tally led Princeton with nine tackles, while Chase Christopher and Jackson Ford had eight each. Collin Taylor had 1.5 sacks for the Tigers. Â
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The game was the first meeting between the two schools.
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Players Mentioned
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K
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RB
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