Records Abound; Snaps Astray in Harvard Win

Sophomore placekicker Mike Giampaolo set a personal record with his game winning 43-yard field goal breaking his previous long of 41.

He had an outstanding game connecting on a perfect four field goals on four attempts which accounted for 12 of Harvard's 14 points. Those four field goals in one game fell one shy of tying the school record set in 1890 against Cornell, and duplicated a mark set in 1913 against Yale.

"At halftime, I realized that field goals would decide this game," said Head Coach Time Murphy, "I had complete confidence in Mike. He has a strong leg and can handle the pressure."

However, Giampaolo almost did not get the opportunity to win the game. On what would prove to be his final field goal attempt, sophomore Nathan Dean snapped the ball too high. The holder, senior Jared Chupaila, was forced to reach out for the ball, and then quickly place it down upon the turf for Giampaolo to knock it through the uprights.

"When I saw the snap come in high," Giampaolo said. "I just hoped Jared would get it down in time. He did."

Giampaolo also exhibited the strength of his leg on his previous field goal. Although on paper it appeared to be merely a chip shot from 22 yards, a Tiger player managed to get a hand on the kick.

The force of the kick was still great enough to just barely make it over the crossbar.

"Someone was on our side today," Giampaolo said.

Can anybody snap?

The high snap on the 43-yard field goal was not the only poor hike of the game. Snapping problems plagued both teams.

Both safeties occurred on remarkably similar plays and both as a result of a bad snap.

In the first quarter, Harvard lined up to punt from its own 39. The snap by Dean sailed clear over Giampaolo's head. He hustled to recover the ball, but he turned and saw an onrush of Tiger players. Unable to punt the ball, he darted for the back of the end zone.

"I simply did not think I had enough time to punt the ball," Giampaolo said. "So I took the safety."

Princeton's safety was not quite so melodramatic. In the third quarter, punting from its own 19, sophomore Todd Helfrich sent the snap over his punter, junior Mike Evan, and straight into the back of the end zone.

Snapping woes did not end there.

On an attempted punt in the middle of the second quarter, Dean hit the upback with his snap. Giampaolo recovered the ball on the Crimson 32-yard line.

The drive that led to the game winning field goal was set up by a fumbled exchange. Princeton quarterback Harry Nakienly could not handle the snap and sophomore linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski recovered the ball.

Another Record for Menick

Sophomore tailback Chris Menick broke a school record for most rushing attempts in a game. He carried the ball an exhausting 42 times for 132 yards. Eion Hu '97 set the record last year with 40 carries against Yale.

"I knew I'd be running the ball a lot," Menick said. "Though it was exhausting, I just kept pushing."

No other running back touched the ball during the game.

Murphy defended this unusual strategy, however.

"This was obviously not an ideal situation. However, with Troy Jones out and in the bad weather I didn't want to give the ball to freshman Chuck Nwokocha," he said.

Passing Woes

Princeton had virtually no passing attack for the majority of the game. Before Nakielny connected on a 65 yard bomb in the fourth quarter, for the game's only touchdown, he had completed just two passes for four yards. The first went for minus-one yard and the second completion resulted in a fumble immediately after the catch.

First INT for Snowden

Senior free safety Jay Snowden's interception in the third quarter was the first of his college career.

He returned it to the Tiger 26, nearly breaking through for a touchdown. The ensuing drive led to the second Crimson field goal.

"I just read the quarterback's eyes and came across." Snowden said, "He didn't see me."