The Princeton Tigers will continue their Ivy League schedule over the next two weeks, facing Cornell (3-3, 1-2 Ivy) this Saturday and Penn (4-2, 3-0 Ivy) on Saturday, Nov. 5.
Princeton hopes to rebound from last Saturday’s painful home loss against Harvard, in which the Tigers battled back from a 14-0 deficit to force overtime in dramatic fashion, only to fall after Harvard quarterback Joseph Viviano scrambled for a short touchdown run in overtime. The loss will provide a serious barrier to Princeton’s hopes of earning this year’s Ivy League title, but the team’s next two games against conference foes still carry serious stakes.
This weekend, Princeton will go on the road to face the Cornell Big Red, which will look to put an end to its three-game losing skid. Last Saturday, Cornell was defeated by Brown, a team that Princeton recently trounced 31-7, in a fiercely competitive double overtime matchup. In its most recent three games, Cornell has struggled to contain the run, allowing an average of 208 yards. Princeton’s leading rushers, senior Joe Rhattigan and sophomore Charlie Volker, both running backs, and junior quarterback John Lovett, will look to capitalize on this weakness. Offensively, Cornell is commanded by quarterback Dalton Banks, who leads the Ivy League in both yards passing (1,495) and touchdowns (12). For Princeton, which has at times struggled defending the pass this season, limiting Banks’ impact will be crucial to victory. Banks also leads the Ivy League in interceptions, a trend the Princeton defense will undoubtedly hope to continue.
The following week, Princeton will return home to face the rival Penn Quakers, who boast an undefeated record in Ivy League play. As a result, a win against Penn will be essential for Princeton to move up in the conference standings. Penn’s offense is anchored by quarterback Alek Torgersen, who has thrown 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions, and receiver Justin Watson, who leads the Ivy League in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, no small feat. The matchup to watch, then, will be between Penn’s high-powered offense, which has averaged 408.7 yards per game and Princeton’s stout defense, which has held its opponents to 335.7 yards per game. Princeton will also be looking to avenge last year’s overtime loss at the hands of Penn.
While most students enjoy a relaxing fall break, Princeton football will play two important matchups against Ivy League opponents, with position within the conference standings on the line.
