Photo-Blog: WHRB goes to Princeton, NJ

Here are some photos from WHRB's coverage of Harvard vs. Princeton

A metal tiger outside Princeton Stadium, showing more ferocity than the football team did Saturday.

Third Quarter action

That's Color Commentator Charlie Hobbs on the left and myself, Scott Reed, on the right

Halftime festivities

Postgame handshakes

The Princeton team and band after the game

The "security booth" we broadcasted from

Not even Dr. House could cure the Princeton football team of its ills Saturday (this is the Frist Student Center, used as the Princeton-Plainsboro hospital in the Fox series "House")

Thoughts from the Booth: Hatch, Winters Return as Harvard Runs Over Princeton

Sunny skies and mild temperatures welcomed the Crimson to Princeton, New Jersey on Saturday, and some familiar faces returned as Harvard put away a struggling Princeton team. The Crimson (4-2, 2-1 Ivy) racked up 583 yards in total offense, with 394 yards coming on the ground. Senior Gino Gordon had a career day, running for a career-high 204 yards on 20 carries. Each of the top three Crimson running backs recorded a score: Gordon had a 26-yard run in the first quarter, Treavor Scales had a 46-yard scamper in the second, and Rich Zajeski added a 9-yard touchdown run just before halftime.

On defense, Harvard displayed the pattern we've seen from them all season: tough against the run but soft against the pass. Princeton rushed 32 times for 88 yards, for only 2.8 yards per carry, with 32 of those yards coming on Jordan Culbreath's first quarter carry. For the most part, the Tigers were unable to consistently run the ball against Harvard. Against the pass, though, the Crimson showed signs of weakness. Princeton Quarterback Andrew Dixon, a backup with limited playing experience, completed 20 of 29 passes for 195 yards. Senior Tiger Wide Receiver Trey Peacock, the best pass-catcher the Ivy League has to offer, had another big day in hauling in 11 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown. The Crimson were able to pick off Dixon twice, both times when Princeton was inside the red zone and threatening to score.

The biggest story of the day for the Crimson, however, was the return of its top two quarterbacks in Collier Winters and Andrew Hatch. Hatch started the game but had a shaky first half, going 9-21 for 98 yards and two interceptions. It was a surprise to see Head Coach Tim Murphy pull Hatch at the break and go with the junior, Collier Winters. Winters tore his labrum in a preseason scrimmage and was not expected to return at all this season. Apparently, he has had a rather quick recovery and entered the game on Saturday, playing the entire second half. Winters had a stronger showing than Hatch, going 8-12 for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Although the coaching staff did not yet trust Winters to throw downfield much, he performed ably for his first start back.

Looking forward, the return of Hatch and Winters brightens Harvard's outlook for the remainder of the season. Injuries have severely hampered a Crimson team that, in this writer's opinion, had the potential to go undefeated if healthy. Harvard still has a shot at an Ivy title, however, provided they win out and the Brown Bears lose once (Brown defeated Harvard 29-14 back in September). It remains to be seen whether Hatch or Winters will be trusted with complete control of the offense, or whether Coach Murphy decides to use both quarterbacks in some capacity. Regardless, it is good news that both are healthy and will be available for the home stretch of the Ivy season. This weekend's game against the Dartmouth Big Green (1:30pm, WHRB 95.3FM) looms large. If Harvard can escape Hanover with a win, the table will be set for late-season showdowns with Penn and Yale.

Tune in to WHRB's coverage of Harvard vs. Princeton

Next for Harvard:

Opponent: Princeton Tigers

Date: Saturday, October 23rd

Time: 1pm

Where: Princeton Stadium, Princeton, NJ

Coverage: WHRB 95.3FM in greater Boston area (listeners outside the area may tune in to the online stream at whrb.org)

After a tough nonconference loss to Lehigh, Harvard hits the road and returns to Ivy play Saturday against the Princeton Tigers. The Crimson need to shake off any negative emotions from their loss last week, as they are still in the thick of the Ivy League race. Princeton has had a rough year so far, going 1-4 under first-year coach Bob Surace. The Tigers will likely be without starting quarterback Tommy Wornham, but they still possess the top receiver in the league in Trey Peacock. Peacock looks to wreak havoc on a Crimson defense that gave up big plays through the air a week ago.

As for Harvard, it remains to be seen which quarterback will start. Sophomore Colton Chapple has done a solid job, but the offense is not clicking as much as it might with Andrew Hatch or Collier Winters. Whoever the quarterback is, the Crimson should be able to take care of business on Saturday.

Be sure to tune in for the 1pm kickoff. Scott Reed and Charlie Hobbs will have the call live from Princeton, NJ. Our coverage will begin at 12:30 with the Harvard Pregame Show with Raafil Alidina and James Yoon. Go Crimson!

Ivy League Football Power Rankings (Week 6)

With the Crimson wrapping up their non-conference schedule with Lehigh, all teams in the Ivy-League are now entering conference play. How teams play for the next five weeks will separate the men from the boy scouts, and thus far, defending champion Penn has emerged as the clear leader of the pack. The best of the rest? Inconsistency has marred every other team. In addition, with key injuries piling up for all teams, there is no telling how the power ranking will change in the following weeks. The amazing race to the Ivy League championship begins now…

Penn (4-1, 2-0) – Can anyone stop this team? Columbia came in with huge momentum following two blowout wins, yet Penn remained unfazed to notch another methodical, mistake-free game. The Quaker defense stifled Sean Brackett all game, and TB Colavita came up big by recording the 1st 100 yd rushing game since October 2009. So far, no team has been able to solve mighty quakers from churning out wins. Now, riding high on a 10 game Ivy League winning streak, they visit the Bulldogs on what could be an interesting matchup. You can’t be that good, right?
NEXT GAME: vs. Yale

Brown (3-2, 2-0) – Providence, we have a problem. The loss of All-Ivy QB Kyle Newhall-Caballero to a season-ending wrist injury is already having an impact on the Ivy League championship race. Brown barely squeezed out a win against the lowly Princeton Tigers but coming back from a 13-0 deficit to win 17-13. Joe Springer is more than a capable QB, but you have to wonder if the offense will ever be the same. I feel like the Bears are always on the cusp of losing… or maybe that is just wishful thinking. In all seriousness, the Brown is the most curious team heading into Ivy League play.
NEXT GAME: vs. Cornell

Yale (4-1, 2-0) – When a team keeps winning, you can’t always blame it on the cha-cha-cha-chance. Yale pulled through over Fordham with a thrilling field goal block of Chris Dooley on what I like to call a “defensive shootout.” Yes, the offenses of both teams was inept much of the game, but you have to recognize that defense wins championships and the Bulldog defense looked like championship material. And they have depth! With Patrick Witt sidelined, Brook Hart stepped in to score the lone touchdown of the game. They are the next contenders on the Defeat Penn Challenge.
NEXT GAME: vs. Penn

Columbia (3-2, 1-1) – Columbia played admirably in a loss to Penn on Saturday. They didn’t get blown out and responded well to the Quaker’s vaunted defense. However, they could be a contender… next year. They have the pieces in play for a great team, but the inexperience definitely came out when the Lions fell behind, and the offense sputtered. Regardless, you can’t drop them for losing to well-oiled machinery that is Penn. They next face the “drop it like its hot” Dartmouth at home which should help the lions come out with the victory.
NEXT GAME: vs. Dartmouth

Harvard (3-2, 1-1) – The Crimson start their most important stretch of the season with a disappointing loss due to a blown call. With less than 2 minutes remaining, Colton and Co. drove down the field, converting several 4th downs to be within striking distance of the end zone, but a TD pass to Mike Cook was called back on out-of-bounds reception. Be that as it may, what was most troubling about Harvard was its inability to close out the game leading 17-0 at the half. Upset-minded Tigers are roaming on the shores of New Jersey to capitalize on The Situation. They almost upset Brown but couldn’t hold on for the win.
NEXT GAME: vs. Princeton

Dartmouth (3-2, 0-2) – The Big Green pulled out a thrilling victory over Holy Cross in game marred by turnovers from both teams. The Crusaders had 4 miscues in the 4th quarter alone, handing the game to Dartmouth on a gilded platter. But kudos to TB Nick Schwiegger who trampled over everyone with 169 yards of the ground. But the sign of a good team and a great team, I think, is the TO margin and Dartmouth is falling a little short in the category. The Big Green is on the very cusp of greatness and the first step begins with a tough road trip to Columbia.
NEXT GAME: vs. Columbia

Princeton (1-4, 0-2) – My sleeper pick of the year came up short against the vaunted Brown offense but there was a lot to like in the Tigers. They started strong and scored 13 unanswered points early in the game. The defense found an answer in stuffing up the pass and rush. For most of the game, the defense came up big time for the Tigers, but with Brown driving up the field in a pressure situation, it was the Bears who had the “eye of the tiger.” Maybe they can finally break through for a marquee win? Did I jump the gun on my sleeper pick sleeping?
NEXT GAME: vs. Harvard

Cornell (1-4, 0-2) – Cornell, again, gets a thumbs up in my book for having the best hospitality in the Ivy League. Besides that, there’s not much else to cheer for. Colgate spanked the Big Red 44-3 like it was the 1950s, with the Raiders rushing for almost 300 yards. Is the season already over in Ithaca? People might begin to question head coach Kent Austin’s decision to start a freshman QB in Jeff Matthews who has largely been ineffective. But the first cut is always the deepest, and graded on a learning curve, Cornell is not that bad. At least they have good hospitality?
NEXT GAME: vs. Brown

Till next time…