Princeton routs Penn for outright Ivy championship
PRINCETON >> When Princeton head coach Bob Surace came into the locker room after the Tigers captured an outright Ivy League title for the first time in 23 years, he wasn’t greeted by bottles of champagne being popped, but instead pieces of cheese being thrown across the room.
It was a fitting celebration to go with the team’s don’t take the cheese motto.
Jesper Horsted scored four touchdowns on a day he broke the program’s record for career receptions and the most pro- lific offense in the Ivy League history carried Princeton to a 42-14 victory over Penn and an undefeated season for the first time since 1964 on Saturday afternoon.
“We took (our motto) seriously,” said senior quarterback John Lovett, who threw for 255 yards and ran for 123. “If anybody slipped up once, like when you’re 6-7 or 8-0 and wouldn’t it be cool to go 10-0, then 15-20 guys are like now you’re taking the cheese.”
Now the Tigers (10-0, 7-0) can take the cheese.
With its 42 points on Saturday, the offense accumulated 470 total points for an average of 47 per game, the highest total by any Ivy League team in history. Horsted hauled in eight passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns to give him 196 career receptions and break Kevin Guthrie’s mark of 193.
“It’s cool,” said the senior Horsted, who also has the career receiving touchdowns record with 28. “I’ll look back and be more excited and brag about that when I’m older. I’m excited about going 10-0 because that was my goal and not breaking the record.”
Lovett finished with three touchdowns through the air and one on the ground. When he bulled his way in with 10:45 left in the fourth quarter to give Princeton a 35-14 lead and cap an 11-play, 84-yard drive it was his 20th consecutive game with a rushing touchdown.
“We really played as a unit,” Surace said. “We have a really good defense and they couldn’t stop this offense in training camp. (Defensive coordinator) Steve Verbit is like I don’t know who you take away. If you take away our outside receivers, that leaves a (Charlie) Volker, (Collin) Eaddy and Lovett carrying the ball. If you’re taking away the runs, then you see Horsted and (Stephen) Carlson having more opportunities.”
Princeton sprinted out to a 21-0 lead as Horsted grabbed two touchdown passes and ran in another, but Penn (6-4, 3-4) battled back to make it a onescore game after Tyler Herrick took a short pass 69 yards to the end zone on the opening series of the third quarter.
The Tigers pushed the lead back to two scores when Lovett found Horsted in the corner of the end zone on a 20-yard pass and wrapped up the game with that 84-yard drive after Quakers coach Ray Priore elected to punt on a fourth-and-one from around midfield down two scores.
“We didn’t think it was going to be a cakewalk coming in here today,” senior linebacker Tom Johnson said. “We knew there was going to be some adversity at some point and we band together. I think it shows how strong this class has been. It’s been awesome and I’m so happy we got to end up on top.”