Tigers thump visiting Cornell in offensive showcase

Princeton’s offense fired on all cylinders, the defense stood firm, and the Tigers routed Cornellthis Saturday, 47-21.

The win over the Big Red (0-7 overall, 0-4 Ivy League) moves Princeton to 2-2 in the conference and 5-2 overall. Princeton has now emerged victorious in 16 out of the two teams’ last 17 matchups.

Although the Tigers finished on top, it was the Cornell offense that came hot out of the gate. The visitors launched four drives in the first quarter alone and dominated the yardage battle, 145-65. However, the Princeton defense remained all but impenetrable — the Big Red’s first three sorties ended in two missed field goals and a fourth down stop. On Cornell’s fourth attempt, quarterback Jake Jatis started the drive off with a 21-yard completion but was picked off by junior linebacker Luke Catarius three plays later.

With the score held to 0-0 after the first 15 minutes, the Tiger offense now made its first statement in the game. Senior quarterback Chad Kanoff fired a succession of quick passes to move Princeton 54 yards down the field, culminating in an eight-yard touchdown strike to junior tight end Scott Carpenter.

On Princeton’s next drive, with the Tigers still clinging to a 7-0 lead, junior running back Joe Rhattigan reasserted the strength of the Tiger rushing attack. Rhattigan, who had missed the Brown game due to injury, demonstrated his return to health by powering through a mob of Cornell defenders for a 43-yard run. Sophomore quarterback John Lovett concluded the drive by punching into the end zone to make it 14-0.

However, Cornell struck back. Quarterback Robert Somborn launched a series of passes, culminating in a 26-yard touchdown bomb that put Cornell on the scoreboard, 14-7, withless than a minuteleft in the half. A Tiger field goal, however, left the visitors heading into the locker rooms down by 10.

Princeton’s offense would continue to score through the third quarter, with another rushing touchdown by Lovett, a rushing touchdown from senior running back Dre Nelson, and continued strong play on the ground by Rhattigan. The defense continued to pester Cornell, too, as junior linebacker RJ Paige earned his second interception of the season by picking off Samborn in a second turnover for the Big Red.

But Cornell still found ways to respond, countering Princeton’s rush-dominated scoring with an aerial attack that produced two more touchdowns. The latter, a six-yard Somborn strike that opened the fourth quarter, cut Princeton’s lead to 34-21 and pulled the Big Red within 13 points. The game’s result was still far from certain.

On the ensuing kickoff, Dre Nelson announced his presence in the game with one of the most exciting plays of the season.

The senior took a deep Cornell kick in the end zone, where both sides assumed he would take a knee. However, Nelson proceeded to return the ball — picking his way through the initial mob of defenders, executing a magnificent cut to the center left of the field at the Princeton 40, and thundering into the open for the last 60 yards to find the end zone.

The 100-yard-run silenced the Big Red and handed the Tigers a game-sealing 19-point lead. Cornell would never score again, although Princeton found time to squeeze in one final scoring drive that saw Rhattigan rush for 43 yards and his first touchdown of the game.

Saturday’svictory can be attributed in a large part to the Tigers’ reinvigorated run game. After lackluster outings at Brown and Harvard — both losses — Princeton managed 261 yards on the ground. Rhattigan led the Tigers with 127 yards, with Lovett contributing 92 and Nelson 34, respectively. These 261 yards, coupled with 203 in the air, demonstrate the balanced offense that enabled the Tigers to start their season 4-0.