Fireworks danced outside of Princeton Stadium on Saturday night as the Tigers (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) came storming back to erase an early Lafayette lead and beat the Leopards (1-2, 0-0 in-conference) 35-31 to open the 2016 season.
Princeton would strike first, with senior running back Joe Rhattigan breaking out for a 23-yard run to cap a nine-play scoring drive. However, Lafayette soon countered with a seven-play drive of their own, and followed that one up with a second successful series to take 14-7 lead with 0:05 remaining in the first. The Leopards' explosive offense was anchored by senior quarterback Drew Reed, who completed 28 out of 38 passes and amassed 356 yards over the course of the contest.
The teams would trade punches during the game’s second quarter. Junior quarterback John Lovett punched into the end zone to tie the game for Princeton with 8:25 remaining in the half, but Drew Reed engineered another pass-heavy drive to put Lafayette back on top, 21-14. However, with only two minutes remaining in the half, Princeton found time to put together another 11-play scoring drive that left the game tied at 21 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Tigers turned on the pressure. After Lafayette settled for a field goal in their first possession of the second half, Rhattigan capped off a 10-play Princeton drive to put the home team ahead, 28-24. Both teams would then suffer offensive hiccups, with Lafayette losing a fumble and senior quarterback Chad Kanoff getting picked off in the Tigers’ ensuing possession. Ultimately, the Princeton defense came out on top in the turnover battle, picking off Drew Reed on Lafayette’s next drive and setting off a second unanswered touchdown for the Tigers to give them a 35-24 advantage.
From there, Princeton found a way to hang on to their 11-point lead. The Tiger defense forced two punts before Drew Reed’s heroics resulted in a fourth Lafayette touchdown to pull the visitors within four. However, the Tigers never allowed the Leopards another chance at a score, running out the final two minutes to walk off with a 35-31 victory.
Offensively, the game was a highly successful outing for the Tigers, who put up 416 yards against a strong Lafayette defense. The Princeton defense also demonstrated its potential, picking Reed off twice and winning the turnover battle 3-1. The Tigers also stifled the visitor's run game, allowing only 60 yards rushing.
With this win, the Tigers start their season off on a strong note. They will continue non-conference play against Lehigh next week before facing Columbia in the Ivy League opener on Oct. 1.
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