Follow us on Instagram
Try our daily mini crossword
Play our latest news quiz
Download our new app on iOS/Android!

Tough defense awaits league-leading Tigers at Penn

20131027_FBvHarvard_ConorDube_7203
20131027_FBvHarvard_ConorDube_7203

Last season, the football team took the field against Penn trying to keep its hopes of an Ivy League title alive, only to have them dashed by the eventual champions. Though the Tigers (6-1 overall, 4-0 Ivy League) control their own destiny in the hunt for the championship this year, they will need to beat the Quakers (4-3, 3-1) Saturday to keep it that way.

ADVERTISEMENT

Unlike last year, when a loss to Cornell foreshadowed Princeton’s late-season collapse, the Tigers will be riding a six-game winning streak into Franklin Field. They have put up scores the likes of which Princeton has not seen in a century over that time, thanks to the leadership of junior quarterback Quinn Epperly, who has a streak of his own going: two straight weeks of appearing in the SportsCenter Top 10. More importantly, he went on a streak of 32 straight completions, completing his last three throws against Harvard two weeks ago and his first 29 attempts against Cornell last weekend, which set an FCS record.

“I’ve never seen anybody have this kind of run, just being as efficient as he is,” offensive coordinator James Perry said.

Princeton’s offense, which averages the most yards per game in the Ivy League, will meet one of its biggest challenges of the season in Penn’s defense, which leads the league in defending the pass.

The Tigers will look to spread the ball around and keep the Quakers off-balance, something which Epperly has done with great success thanks to a plethora of receiving options. Senior wideout Roman Wilson is averaging just under 100 yards per game, and junior receivers Seth DeValve and Matt Costello are also among the best in the Ancient Eight in yards per game. Each of those three, in addition to senior tight end Des Smith and others, has displayed impressive hands in recent weeks.

“If you’re a quarterback at Princeton, you develop that confidence to spread the ball around,” Perry said. “Because if you’re spreading the ball around in practice it gets caught.”

Still, it is likely that the Tigers will need help from their running game to overcome the Quaker defense. Epperly, who has 18 touchdown passes, has added 14 touchdowns on the ground and leads the offense in rushing yards, but he is not Princeton’s only reliable ballcarrier. Sophomore running backs DiAndre Atwater and Dre Nelson, combined with senior running back Brian Mills, average over 130 yards a game, and those are just the usual suspects. Perry has also run Wilson to great effect this season, and sophomore quarterback Kendric Bostic has broken several big runs. The Tigers also got a touchdown out of freshman running back Joe Rhattigan in his first collegiate score last weekend.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We’re running the ball very well, which makes throwing it much, much easier,” Perry said.

As Penn’s defense tries to deal with those threats, its offense will look to outdo its current average of under 20 points per game.

The Quakers have been led for some time by senior quarterback Billy Ragone, who did not play last weekend due to an injury but is likely to start Saturday. Despite missing a game he has thrown 896 yards and rushed for 117 more. Ragone is the starter, but backup Ryan Becker comes in during certain situations and has racked up 533 yards and three touchdowns through the air this season. The setup is similar to the way Epperly shares time with junior quarterback Connor Michelsen, who has played in all but one game this year.

Running backs Spencer Kulcsar and Kyle Wilcox will likely both see plenty of reps Saturday for the Quakers, as the two lead the team in rushing and combine for just under 100 yards per game. Each has seen success running off Penn’s tackles and will probably continue to do so rather than attempting to run up the middle towards senior nose tackle Caraun Reid. Reid and the defensive line are coming off of a game in which they sacked Cornell’s Jeff Mathews seven times and will be gunning for Ragone — how Penn’s offensive line stands up to this pressure could be the difference in this contest.

Subscribe
Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Penn is a game behind Princeton in the Ivy League standings, but a Quaker win would put it in a three-way tie for first along with the Tigers and Harvard. A Tiger win, on the other hand, would put Princeton two wins away from the Ivy title, at least a game above second-place Harvard. The action kicks off at noon Saturday in Philadelphia.