Overtime win puts title in sight

When the Tigers are in need of a one-yard gain, head coach Roger Hughes calls upon junior running back Rob Toresco, who generally produces. But with the game and championship dreams on the line against Penn, senior quarterback Jeff Terrell decided he would rather have the ball back in his own hands.

On fourth down in double overtime, Toresco was flailing in vain against the Quaker defensive line for the third play in a row, so Terrell started calling for the ball.

"I knew I had a free way into the end zone, and from my point of view it didn't look like Rob was going to get in there," Terrell said. "There were about seven or eight guys right on him so I just screamed to him."

Toresco heard Terrell yelling, enough to have the presence of mind to flip the ball to his captain, who dodged around the defensive line and ran unobstructed into the endzone, setting up the subsequent extra point by sophomore Conner Louden that would prove to be game-winning after Penn botched its own extra point attempt.

Toresco joked that they practice that play, which was the top play on ESPN's Sportscenter Saturday night, all the time, but in reality it was just the Tigers (7-1 Overall, 4-1 Ivy League) once again willing their way to the win, with a little backyard football thrown in.

For the Quakers, the third time was not the charm, as their NCAA Division 1 record third straight overtime game ended in a third straight loss after Penn failed to force triple overtime, leading to a 31-30 Princeton victory.

"[The players] have gotten themselves in position for a title game next week," Hughes said. "We didn't play our best game but we found a way to win. You couldn't have scripted it for a movie any better."

The script was far from kind to the Quakers, who have struggled with their kicking game all season. After overtime misses by their original starting kicker Derek Zoch cost Penn its last two games, he did not even dress, as duties were taken over by Peter Stine, a sprint football player, who went out injured after a successful extra point in the second quarter, and subsequently wide receiver Braden Lepisto, who tallied a field goal and two extra points.

Lepisto was perfect on kicks attempted, but in overtime the Quakers couldn't even set up an opportunity for him to kick, which kept them from the win.

"It's the tale of this whole season, our kicking game," Penn head coach Al Bagnoli said. "First we get a perfect snap we drop it. The second time we don't get a good snap and we can't put it down."

In the first extra period the Quakers managed to block a Louden field goal attempt to force the second overtime after their own field goal attempt was aborted.

In the second overtime, the Princeton offense was assessed a 10-yard penalty, but a pass to senior wide receiver Brian Brigham for a 32-yard gain set up the creativity by Toresco and Terrell. Penn responded immediately, as quarter back Rob Irvin threw a perfect pass to wide receiver Matt Carre for a touchdown on the first play. After the bad snap on the conversion attempt, holder Matt Reinert was forced to try to rush for the win but was tackled to end the game.

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

Princeton jumped to the lead from the start, largely due to rushing heroics by junior backup quarterback Bill Foran, playing at wide receiver in a new package the team practiced over break.

A poor punt by Penn followed by an 18-yard run by Foran put Terrell in position to throw a touchdown pass to his favorite receiver, junior Brendan Circle.

After a Penn touchdown in the second quarter, Foran responded with three runs — the longest of which he took the snap himself and rushed for 20 yards down the right sideline, dodging Penn defenders and even attempting a spin move before he was downed. This again put Terrell in position to throw a touchdown pass, this time to junior tight end Jake Staser, who caught the ball with a Quaker at his back and fell into the endzone to put the Tigers ahead — a lead they would not relinquish until the final minute of the contest.

"Bill came in and did some great things and made [the package] more successful than I dreamed of," Hughes said. "We're going to expand that package next week."

Foran, who also sprints for the track team, displayed his speed and dodging ability as he rushed for 84 yards, the second highest rushing total of any Princeton player this season despite the fact that he has never played at wide receiver.

"I've always been a running quarterback, running the football is pretty natural," Foran said. "The game's more fun when you're touching the ball."

By the third period the teams had traded field goals and Penn had adjusted to Foran's rushing antics, but Foran found another way to be useful. In the third he downed a McDonough punt at the Penn two-yard line, setting up good field position for the Tigers' next successful drive, which culminated in another Circle catch for a touchdown at the start of the final period.

Penn would respond with two touchdowns, carried by running back Joe Sandberg who tallied 173 rushing yards and seemed to slip effortlessly around, over and through Princeton defenders.

"I'm not happy with [our run defense]," Hughes said. "I think [Sandberg] played his best game that we've seen so far. I credit Penn with a great plan and a great scheme and taking it right to us."

On its final drive in regulation, Penn traveled 69 yards in 1:40, culminating in a 16-yard pass to Carre to tie the score at 24, leaving Princeton with just 28 seconds on the clock.

While the Tigers have won other games based on their defense, this was perhaps the one game where the offense had to take the brunt of the pressure.

"The defense has had our backs all year, [after the end of regulation] I told [the offense] we're going to win this game," Toresco said. "If you can't get yourself up for overtime you shouldn't be playing the football game."