Strong performance this weekend as Princeton dominates Cornell and Penn

Over fall break, the Princeton football team scored two crucial victories to keep themselves firmly in the chase for the Ivy League title. The Tigers (6-2, 4-1 Ivy) routed Cornell before shutting out powerhouse Penn in a pair of huge games.

Princeton took on Cornell on the heels of a heartbreaking overtime loss to Harvard, but the Tigers didn’t let the previous week’s defeat faze them. Princeton scored early and often. Junior quarterback John Lovett rushed for one touchdown and passed for another to put the Tigers up 14-0 by the end of the first quarter. He continued to serve as the engine for the Princeton offense by tacking on two more through the air and a second on the ground in the second. The Big Red were absolutely stifled by the Tiger defense, and by the time Princeton went up 35-0 at the half the contest was all but over. However, the Tigers would tack on three more touchdowns in the second half — including a 95-yard bomb from Lovett to senior wide receiver Isaiah Barnes. The final result of the drubbing was Princeton 56, Cornell 7.

Although Lovett either passed for, rushed, or caught seven of Princeton’s eight touchdowns, he was far from the only notable performer on the Tiger offense. Senior quarterback Chad Kanoff went 17-for-23 for 198 yards and one touchdown pass of his own, while freshman running back Ryan Quigley led the Tigers on the ground with 102 yards on nine carries.

Fresh off this commanding victory, Princeton hosted then-undefeated Penn (5-3, 4-1 Ivy). The Quakers had won their last 10 Ivy League games coming into the matchup, but the Tigers would end their dominance with a decisive performance.

Princeton struck right off the bat. A blocked punt on Penn’s first possession was picked up by freshman returner Jeremiah Tyler, who took it back 14 yards for the Tiger’s first touchdown. Meanwhile, the Princeton defense had another huge game — senior defensive back Dorian Williams and senior defensive lineman Henry Schlossberg both had eight tackles, and the Tigers as a unit forced two turnovers and held Penn to just 6-for-13 on third down conversions. Offensively, the Tigers also performed to perfection: Lovett rushed for Princeton’s second touchdown midway through the second quarter and passed to senior wide receiver James Frusciante for Princeton’s third score, while senior running back Joe Rhattigan tacked on the Tigers’ final touchdown with a 12-yard run. Penn found no way to respond, and the game ended with an emphatic 28-0 Princeton victory in the Tigers’ first shutout in over four years.

With this dominant pair of wins, the Tigers now stand in second place in the Ivy League behind only undefeated Harvard. Princeton will look to continue their hunt for the title next week as they travel to Yale.