All might not be lost after all.
In a season characterized by devastating injuries and blowout losses, the football team (3-6 overall, 2-4 Ivy League) accomplished something it can hang its hat on: The Tigers defeated rival Yale (4-5, 2-4) by a score of 24-17.
“Any time you beat Yale, it’s a big deal at Princeton,” head coach Roger Hughes said. “It’s the second oldest rivalry in college football, and I think you guys saw a game that was indicative of the type of intensity of that from the opening play of the game.”
Inspired by a Friday speech from College Football Hall of Famer and captain of the undefeated 1964 Ivy League championship team Cosmo Iacavazzi ’65, the Tigers played with a steely resolve throughout. The game was vicious from the start, with a Yale player being ejected for repeatedly punching sophomore defensive end Mike Catapano in the head following the opening kickoff.
The Tigers took a 21-3 lead early in the third quarter, then held off a late Yale rally. Leading 21-17, Princeton drove deep into Bulldog territory, and junior running back Kenny Gunter appeared to score on a short run, but he was stripped of the ball just before crossing the goal line, and Yale regained possession.
It was Princeton’s fourth lost fumble of day, but the Tigers stood firm. Two plays later, on third-and-eight from his own 4-yard line, Yale quarterback Patrick Witt was intercepted by junior cornerback Glenn Wakam at the 14. Princeton only gained four yards on its next three plays, but senior kicker Ben Bologna converted the ensuing 27-yard field goal with four minutes, 36 seconds remaining on the clock. The teams then traded possessions twice, with Yale being stopped on fourth down twice, before time expired.
Early on, the game had the feel of a blowout. In Yale's first possession, Witt was intercepted by senior cornerback Cart Kelly, and the Tigers responded with a roar. Paced by powerful running from Gunter, Princeton drove 43 yards in seven plays before Gunter punched it in from the 3-yard line. Gunter finished the game with a career-high 23 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. It was Princeton’s first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
“We made the decision early in the week," Hughes said. "I told Kenny, ‘Kenny, you’re gonna get the ball, and it’s time to man up. Let’s go. We’ve got two games left, we’re going to give it to you, and let’s see what you can do.’ "
“He ran like a man today," Hughes added.
The Tigers drove deep into Yale territory again on their next drive, but they appeared to be in position to kick a field goal after Gunter was stopped at the 2-yard line on third-and-goal. Princeton opted to go for it on fourth down, and sophomore quarterback Tommy Wornham hurried the players to the line and snapped the ball quickly. He ran a play-action bootleg, and after a long rollout, he sprinted for the goal line and dove in for the score.
“That’s something we’ve worked on since day one,” Wornham said. “We’ve had it since I’ve been here, and this was the first time we got to use it. We ended up calling it, and I was stoked. I got outside, and I knew I wasn’t going to throw that ball if my life depended on it.”
“On fourth-and-three, I don’t know if the coaching staff was quite as stoked when the call came in, but it was just one of those things where we practice it all the time," Hughes said. "I didn’t think Yale would have time to adjust ... I just felt they’d never expect us to do something like that."
Yale responded with a field goal early in the second quarter. The Tigers appeared poised to go in for a third touchdown on their next drive, but sophomore wide receiver Harrison Daniels fumbled the ball on the Bulldogs’ 10 for the first of four Princeton fumbles on the day.
Yale was unable to capitalize on the Princeton miscue, and the teams traded possessions before Yale kicker Alex Barnes missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt to end the half.
Princeton started off with a bang in the third quarter. The Tigers orchestrated an eight-play, 76-yard drive capped by a 30-yard touchdown run by junior fullback Matt Zimmerman. The score put Princeton up, 21-3, but it also ignited a Bulldog rally.
After being forced to punt, Yale caught a break when a handoff to Gunter was mishandled. The Bulldogs recovered on their own 31 and struck just three plays later on a 33-yard pass from Witt to Balsam with 4:21 remaining in the quarter.
Yale then caught Princeton off guard with an onside kick. The kick did not actually go 10 yards, but it was touched by a Princeton player before being recovered by Yale. Princeton stopped the Bulldogs on third down five plays later, but the Bulldogs pulled out a trick again. Yale linebacker and captain Paul Rice ran a fake punt 13 yards for the first down. It appeared that the Bulldogs had Princeton on its heels, but on the next play senior safety Dan Kopolovich intercepted Witt at the Princeton 17-yard line.
“To tell you the truth, the guy sort of ran right by me,” Kopolovich said. “The guy started taking off down the field, and I got a little piece of him. I turned my head around, and the ball was right there.”
But the Tigers went three and out, and on its next drive, Yale put together an impressive 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive. Fullback Shane Bannon scored from one yard out to make the score 21-17. Princeton’s next drive ended with Gunter’s goal-line gaffe, but the Bulldogs were finally put to rest by Wakam’s interception and Bologna’s field goal.
Wornham finished 16-of-23 for 136 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions through the air, and he carried 14 times for 55 yards and a score. Zimmerman finished with four carries for 44 yards.
A trio of junior wide receivers led the Princeton passing game. Trey Peacock caught seven balls for 31 yards, and Andrew Kerr caught four passes for 46 yards. Jeb Heavenrich finished with three catches for 46 yards, and he also carried three times for 30 yards.
Defensively, the Tigers were led by Kopolovich, who finished with eight tackles and an interception. Junior inside linebacker Steve Cody added eight more tackles to his team-leading total of 86. Wakam, Kopolovich and Kelly finished with one interception apiece.
Witt, who spent two years at Nebraska before transferring to Yale, finished 23-of-45 for 290 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Running back Alex Thomas led the way for the Bulldogs on the ground with 14 carries for 55 yards, and wide receiver Peter Balsam finished with eight catches for 92 yards and a score. Yale was led defensively by linebacker Dan Walsh, who finished with 12 tackles and three tackles for loss.
The Tigers will end their season with an away game next Saturday against Dartmouth.
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