Princeton’s rivalry with Cornell has been an exciting one over the past decade. Nine of their 10 annual games have been decided by seven points or fewer.
Cornell was the only team to defeat Princeton during its 2006 Ivy League championship campaign, but Princeton has won all three contests between the teams since then.
Last season, the game was notable in that it marked the return of senior running back Jordan Culbreath to the sidelines. Having spent extended time in the hospital suffering from aplastic anemia, Culbreath returned to the team in street clothes and helped inspire a 17-14 victory. At the time, Princeton was 1-5. The victory began a sequence of three wins in four games.
This season, the situation is similar. The Tigers have suffered more significant injuries than any Princeton athletic team in recent memory and have struggled to a 1-5 start.
A weak defense, particularly against the run, and an offense that sometimes struggles to finish drives have been the main culprits.
Despite all their issues, the Tigers might well be the better team heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Big Red.
Like Princeton, Cornell is under the direction of a new head coach this season. The Big Red has struggled on both sides of the ball. Cornell has been outgained by opponents by an average of 469.8 to 239.7.
While registering six sacks of its own, the Big Red has surrendered 32.
And in its two home games, Cornell has been outscored 65-10. Cornell’s only win came over 1-6 Bucknell. Since that 21-12 victory, the Big Red has lost three consecutive games.
Defensive improvements will be key for Princeton this week.
The Tigers will need to start by stopping the run. Princeton has surrendered more than 300 yards on the ground in two of its last three games.
Cornell’s rushing attack, led by junior tailback Nick Booker-Tandy, will be looking to continue the trend. Booker-Tandy has totaled 199 yards and one touchdown on the ground this season. As a team, the Big Red averages 74.0 yards a game, well under the league average.
The return of standout defensive tackle Caraun Reid, who has been out with a leg injury since week 1, could help make this the game that Princeton truly clamps down on the run.
Cornell’s passing game is led by wide receiver Shane Savage, who leads the team with 28 receptions for 339 yards. Cornell quarterbacks have thrown four touchdowns and six interceptions on the season.
Princeton’s pass defense has been led by senior cornerback Weston Palmer.
Primarily a nickelback in the past, Palmer responded with his insertion into the starting lineup last week with his team-leading second interception of the season.
Like Princeton, Cornell struggles to stop the run, and the Tigers might be best served attacking the Big Red on the ground.
Cornell surrenders an average of 258.7 rushing yards per game.
The Tigers average a shade under 110 yards a game on the ground this season, but the figure is depressed by the fact that Princeton is often playing from behind and is forced to pass.
Culbreath leads the team with 284 yards on the ground and a very solid 5.0 yards per carry average. In 2007 against Cornell, Culbreath had the breakout game of his career as he rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in a game televised live on ESPNU. Now in his final season, the senior could be primed for another such performance.
With Junior quarterback Wornham still out, senior Andrew Dixon will take the field for his second consecutive start. Dixon has performed admirably considering his lack of experience thus far.
He has benefited from the presence of senior wide receiver Trey Peacock, who — despite the uncertainty at the quarterback position — has continued to put up enormous numbers. Peacock has amassed 683 receiving yards through six games and is on pace for one of the best seasons a Princeton wideout has ever had.
He will likely match up with Emani Fenton, Cornell’s top cornerback. A three-year starter, Fenton leads the Big Red with three interceptions on the season. Fenton is a bit undersized at 5 feet 9 inches, 171 pounds.
At 6 feet 3 inches, 210 pounds, Peacock will look to use his size to his advantage.
Perhaps most important this week will be Princeton’s ability to forget its problems and focus on the task at hand.
The season is clearly lost, with any hopes of an Ivy League title gone and hopes of a non-losing season on the ropes.
But if the Tigers are able to look past their injuries and take the field with confidence, the game will certainly be theirs for the taking.
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