Football looks to clinch share of Ivy League title in final contest

Though a cursory glance at the Ivy League standings will reveal that Princeton (7-2, 5-1 Ivy) should be considered the favorite against Dartmouth (4-5, 1-5 Ivy), the Tigers hope to avoid complacency as they prepare for their season finale at home this Saturday. Saturday’s game has massive implications for Princeton, as it finds itself in a three-way tie for first place with Penn and Harvard with a single game left to play. If all three teams manage to win their season finales, the Ivy League will have three-way-champs for the second year in a row. While it is impossible to downplay the magnitude of these stakes for a Princeton team that last won an Ivy League title in 2013, the team must not let the possibility of a conference championship distract it from executing against a Dartmouth team looking to play the role of spoiler.

Dartmouth may have struggled so far in Ivy League Conference play, but the team is certainly no slouch. Their high-octane offense is commanded by quarterback Jack Heneghan, who leads the Ivy League in yards and completions. He also leads the Ivy League in interceptions, a weakness the opportunistic Princeton defense will look to exploit. The defense will also need to contain running back Miles Smith, whose remarkable average of 5.8 yards per rush is the highest in the Ivy League. Given that four out of its five Ivy League losses have come in one-possession games, it is almost assured that Dartmouth will provide Princeton with a highly competitive matchup.

Princeton, which returns home after a resounding 31-3 road win against Yale, has achieved several statistical accomplishments of its own. Most notably, junior quarterback John Lovett sits one touchdown shy of the Princeton single-season rushing record of 19 touchdowns. The other half of the quarterback platoon, senior Chad Kanoff, has been remarkably efficient this season, having posted a 67.3% completion percentage in conference play. Continued dominance from this dynamic duo will be essential for offensive production against a Dartmouth defense that has allowed fewer points per game than any Ivy League team except Princeton itself. Defensively, Princeton will depend on junior Kurt Holuba, second in the Ivy League in sacks, and senior linebacker Luke Catarius, tenth in the conference in tackles.

The seniors playing their final games for Princeton will be honored in a ceremony on Saturday. These same seniors have not forgotten the end to the 2013 Ivy League season, in which Dartmouth upset Princeton and prevented them from winning the Ivy League title outright, nor have they forgotten the defeats suffered to Dartmouth in the past two seasons. It goes without saying, then, that revenge (and of course an Ivy League championship) would be an excellent way for these seniors to conclude their collegiate careers.