Tigers rout Crimson 52–17 in third straight 50-point victory

In a nationally televised Friday night game, Princeton football routed Harvard 52–17 on the road, showing the wide audience present why the team deserves to be taken seriously. Senior quarterback Chad Kanoff was highly efficient, not throwing an incompletion until the third quarter, and the defense kept Harvard off the scoreboard for much of the game.

From the first possession onwards, it was clear that Princeton was the dominant team in Friday’s game. On its first drive, the offense marched 89 yards down the field and scored on a 20-yard Kanoff strike to junior Jesper Horsted. Princeton had to settle for a field goal on its next possession, which ended up being its least productive of the first half, as the team went on to score touchdowns on each of its final three possessions of the half. Junior Charlie Volker later punched the ball in with a 2-yard run to extend the score to 17–0, and Horsted scored a 66-yard touchdown on a play in which he received a quick slant, made a defender miss, and outraced the secondary into the end zone. Volker also scored again on a 14-yard run with 0:31 left in the quarter, sending the game into halftime with Princeton leading 31–10.

Harvard was unable to mount a serious comeback in the second half, and Princeton ultimately only extended its lead. Volker scored again to open the third quarter (his seventh touchdown in 2 games), and junior Stephen Carlson and freshman Collin Eaddy also added scores.

Breaking the 50-point barrier for the second consecutive game, Princeton’s offense was nearly unstoppable. Much of the credit for Princeton’s offensive firepower can be attributed to Chad Kanoff, who coach Bob Surace ’90 has referred to as “the Tom Brady of the Ivy League.” Kanoff proved himself worthy of that nickname on Friday, completing 31-35 passes for 421 yards and two touchdowns while picking apart the Harvard defense. Kanoff has in fact completed a remarkable 76 percent of his passes on the season. His success is owed in part to a stout offensive line, which gave him copious time in the pocket Friday to find open receivers, and a talented receiving corps, led by Jesper Horsted, that hauled in 246 yards receiving in Friday’s game.

“That’s a really good defense,” said Surace about the team's offensive performance. “To do it against [Harvard] makes it even more special.”

“Everyone was open, and the O-Line played spectacularly… Quarterback’s a very dependent position at times, and when everybody does their jobs I’ve just got to throw the ball accurately,” Kanoff added.

With the win, Princeton improved to 5–1 in the season and 2–1 in Ivy League play. The Tigers are, however, still trailing the Columbia Lions, who defeated Dartmouth Saturday to continue their undefeated season.