PRINCETON, N.J.–Good evening folks, David Bernstein here at Princeton Stadium for the 100th all-time matchup between Penn and Princeton. There’s a sizable Penn crowd tailgating in the parking lot, so hopefully the crowd really gets up for this one.
FINAL: Penn 14, Princeton 9
The Quakers were able to run down the clock and walk away with a victory that keeps them alive in the Ivy title race — if Brown falters.
1:50, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
Princeton burns its last timeout after a Kieffer keeper (sorry, I couldn’t resist). And on 3rd and 8, Garton makes a HUGE play and gets the first and stays in bounds. Now it’s Princeton vs. The Clock.
2:40, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
A DiMaggio run gives Penn some breathing room, but and Garton runs for a first down as the clock continues to tick down. On 3rd and 6, Garton executes a nice play fake and rolls right. His pass is a little underthrown, but tight end Josh Koontz comes back to get it. First and ten Penn on its own 40.
6:07, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
The Tigers can’t capitalize on the fortunate turn of events, and can’t move the ball after three incomplete passes. And yet again, the punter Coyle lofts a great kick, and pins the Quakers at their own three. It’s gotta be tough to operate with this kind of field position time and time again.
6:42, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
Anderson moves the chains on first down with a pass to Culbreath (who makes a nice catch on a ball thrown behind him) after nearly being taken down near the goal line. On the ensuing play, Culbreath takes it outside for about ten yards, but the real dagger is the flag on the play. A personal foul on Marc Washington moves the Tigers up to their own 44, 1st and 10.
7:24, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
A three-and-out by the Quakers (stuffed run, batted down pass and completion to FB Jason Miran) leads to another punt by Belasco, a beauty (finally) that goes for 42 yards net. First down Princeton on the 9.
9:11, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
On 3rd and 11, Ertman makes a nice open-field tackle on Berry, but the refs are extremely generous with the spot, and give Princeton a first down.
And on the very next play, Anderson airs it out to a double-covered Thanheiser, who hauls in a ridiculous catch. Powers and Jonathan Moore got beat, with Powers actually almost committing P.I. on the play. That put the Tigers on the goal line, and Culbreath banged it in for the score. Anderson misfired on a 2-pt. conversion, but this is a ball game now.
11:10, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
Anderson beautifully sells a reverse handoff and takes a page from Garton’s book, running for 15 yards and a first down. On the next play a reverse to Berry is executed beautifully, but is called back due to holding (as Penn SID Mike Mahoney said, “That’s unfortunate.”)
12:51, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
A DiMaggio run for two yards is followed by a Penn timeout, and the Quakers can’t get the first. Bagnoli chooses to punt it away on 4th and 1, and punter Scooter Belasco (replacing an injured Kyle Olson) gets off an ugly kick that nets 22 net yards unreturned.
Random observation: the Tigers’ uniforms are horrendous looking (sorry I haven’t mentioned this before, but they’re a blinding electric orange.
End of Third Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
After a Penn false start, a block-in-the-back call on a screen to Blackmon pushed the Quakers to their own 12 to deal with a 2nd and 18.
Shortly after, the Red and Blue convert a ridiculous 3rd and 12 on a 28-yard Garton run to the Penn 46. Garton absolutely refused to go down, getting almost 15 yards after contact and really firing up the Penn student section. That had to be energizing.
2:56, Third Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
Anderson threw up a lob to Andrew Kerr in the end zone, with Wynn on him like a center boxing out. But in flies Josh Powers, laying a hit on Kerr and breaking up the pass on 3rd and 11. The Tigers are forced to punt it away, and the special teams nearly makes an acrobatic save from the end zone on the punt.
On a side note, cornerback and captain Tyson Maugle will not return with an undisclosed injury. He had broken his nose earlier in the season, but it has not seemed to affect him the past couple of weeks.
3:30, Third Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
Will Thanheiser comes up with a 20-yard catch as Anderson scrambles left. Cornerback Chris Wynn was right there, but the pass was underthrown, so he got a little bit turned around. It’s 1st and 15 from the Penn 42 after a false start. The Tigers go to the option once again, for a gain of four.
6:46, Third Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
A Penn false start and a Garton rush for no gain put Penn in a 3rd and goal situation, which Garton converts to wideout Matt Appenfelder, a ten-yard score. The first career touchdown pass and catch for those two, and a Samson PAT puts the lead at 11.
8:18, Third Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 3
Garton moves the chains again on a 3rd-and-3 run, and nearly completes a beautiful pass to Lawrence in the end zone, a fade route. But Lawrence was bobbling it as he went out of bounds.
On the next play, the Tigers sniff out an option pitch to DiMaggio, who was slow to get up. The silver lining is a 15-yard face mask on Princeton’s Pete Buchignani, so it’s 1st and 10 from the ten yardline.
10:18, Third Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 3
After a couple of hard-nosed runs by DiMaggio to start the half, Garton reverses field on a designed rush, and barrels into a Princeton defender (didn’t catch who). Really nice athleticism and vision on the ground from the newcomer.
Shortly after, he hits Derham for a first down at the Tigers 29. On first down, Garton runs it again, for 7 yards. This kid really doesn’t like to go down. Gotta love that toughness, you just hope he doesn’t get banged up.
First- Half Stats
Mike DiMaggio: 7 rushes for 41 yards
Keiffer Garton: 8-11 passing for 71 yards, 6 rushes for 19 yards and a TD
Bradford Blackmon: 3 catches for 24 yards
Princeton’s Brian Anderson has gone 8-12 for 92 yards, with Jordan Culbreath as his main target (3 catches for 37 yards)
Halftime Penn 7-Princeton 3
On 3rd and 5, linebacker Jay Colabella sacks Anderson for a loss of five. The Tigers hit the field goal this time, a 32-yarder right down the middle (Bologna’s career-long). That completes a 7-play, 62-yard drive.
Princeton squibs it on the ensuing kickoff, and Garton will take a knee to end the half.
1:45, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Well, I guess Princeton is trying to keep pace in the defensive-backs-on-offense category. Meko McCray, a career DB, is now in the Tigers backfield, and runs it for four yards down to the Penn 11. Meanwhile, the Quakers burn their final timeout of the half.
2:33, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
The Princeton pass protection holds up nicely, and Anderson has ample time to hit Adam Barry near the left sideline for a big gain down to the Penn 32. On the subsequent first down, Anderson runs it for 17 down to the 15 yardline and another first.
4:13, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Now for the second “What the?” moment of the night. We see the fourth quarterback of the season as Brendan McNally (who had been converted into a safety during the preseason and logged an interception against Yale) comes out for first and second down (both running plays), before Garton reenters. A holding penalty on second down pushes Penn back, and the Quakers go three-and-out again. Princeton first down at its own 22.
6:26, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Penn gets the ball and promptly goes three-and-out with Garton back at the helm (good to see Bagnoli is showing at least a modicum of faith in the kid after a bad interception).
Princeton ball, and on the first play fullback Matt Zimmerman limps off the field after a catch for a loss.
And on 3rd down we have our first “What the?” moment of the game, a long Culbreath reception turns into a fumble and Penn recovery. Culbreath looked to be down (and the Penn defense’s body language suggests as much), but Penn DB Tony Moses absolutely crushed him. The replays are inconclusive, but it very well could’ve been ground-caused.
Culbreath actually went down and stayed down, but after some medical attention he got up under his own power.
9:22, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
A couple of Culbreath runs, along with a short reception on an Anderson shovel pass take the Tigers down inside the 15.
Facing a third and nine, the Tigers are stuffed, with a blitzing Britton Ertman getting to Anderson. Call it a coverage sack.
And then, kicker Ben Bologna (barely) misses a 35-yarder, wide left. Quakers ball on the 20.
13:10, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Jordan Culbreath squeaks through the Penn line for the first down, and on second down Anderson hits Karr cutting toward the right sideline. A third-down Culbreath rush to the right gives the Tigers another first down.
15:00, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Spoke to soon. The Quakers go play action again, but this time Garton’s pass is WAY underthrown, and Tigers DB Barry Newell comes up with it. Now, an Anderson rush, a short pass to Culbreath and some technical difficulties later, it’s 3rd and 1 at the Princeton 42 for the Tigers.
1:30, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
A nice play-action on second and five results in a 13-yard reception to Marcus Lawrence on the right sideline. Lawrence really sold the fly route, but Garton threw a nice ball to him on the hitch.
2:39, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
With their backs to the wall, the Quakers respond with a pair of runs (Garton, then DiMaggio), and then a rolling Garton finds Derham once more for a first down. Side note, Blackmon is habitually splitting out wide, something that coach Al Bagnoli has been having him do often this year.
4:31, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
A screen pass to wideout Andrew Karr is incomplete after Penn cornerback gets to him a little early. Tigers coach Roger Hughes wasn’t happy, but he was one play later, when punter Ryan Coyle pinned the Quakers at the one on an absolutely beautiful punt.
5:00, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
A three-yard rush by Anderson on a fake handoff is followed by an option right to Culbreath. It’s now 3rd and 6.
6:10, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Looks like the Tigers watched some game tape this week. They try a reverse on the kick return, but the Quakers succeed where they failed last week, sniffing it out.
On first down on the 26, Culbreath runs for 5–he’s a pretty shifty back out there, and despite underwhelming size, he looks pretty tough to bring down.
On second down, Will Thanheiser makes a 16-yard catch at midfield to move the chains.
7:15, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Princeton linebacker Steven Cody sniffs out an option to the left on first down, but on second down Garton gets into the end zone (the first of his career), this time on an option keeper to the right. He found a seam inside, and got in untouched. Andrew Samson’s extra point is barely good after it’s tipped by a Tiger on the line.
That was 84 yards in 13 plays for the Red and Blue in 7:45.
7:56, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
A 6-yard DiMaggio run takes the Quakers to the Princeton 3, and the Quakers take a timeout. It’ll be first and goal when we get back underway.
8:10, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
Derham, sitting in a pocket in the Tigers zone on the left side, is found (a little late) by Garton, but it’s another first down regardless after Derham gets some yardage after the catch. Garton is looking pretty competent right now, evading the rush and making some decent reads.
9:20, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
Garton’s pass to Derham is thrown behind Kyle Derham on second down, and on third and nine, the sophomore signal-caller scrambles to his right and finds Blackmon sitting right at the first down marker at midfield.
Not long after, DiMaggio rumbles for about 12 yards, moving the chains again.
11:00, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
Penn calls running back Mike DiMaggio’s number on 1st and 2nd downs, good for a first down at the 28.
Garton–operating out of the shotgun–hands it off to Bradford Blackmon (who runs completely laterally) on first down, and pulls it down for a first down to the Tigers 39 on the next play.
13:04, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
After a Dave Kuncio kickoff, the Tigers started out at the 30 yardline, and got off to a nice start with a 13-yard run from Jordan Culbreath, the offense’s go-to guy. An incomplete pass by Brian Anderson on first down and a Culbreath run for a loss, Princeton almost converts a 4th-and-11, but the receiver couldn’t get a foot in.
It’s going to be Penn ball at the 16, with Keiffer Garton (!) at quarterback after a RYan Coyle punt.