NOTEBOOK: Epperly Leads Princeton Over Football, Again

Many expected a shootout. But in all likelihood, they could not have predicted the offensive showcase that took place at Harvard Stadium on Saturday.

In a game that featured nearly 1,000 total yards of offense, Princeton quarterback Quinn Epperly had the last word and led his squad to a 51-48 victory over the Crimson—its second dramatic win in the matchup in as many years.

Epperly had a career day by any measure. The junior threw for 321 yards and a program-record six touchdowns, including the game-winning score to receiver Roman Wilson in triple overtime.

“I don’t think it’s quite hit me yet,” Epperly said. “As far as just the moment, that’s probably one of the greatest moments I’ve ever been a part of on a team. It’s just paid off for how hard we’ve worked.”

The Princeton offense established a rhythm early in the game, amassing 176 yards in just the first quarter. Epperly capped off two surgical drives with touchdown passes, the second coming on a leaping, fingertips catch by tight end Des Smith.

The Tigers seemed to keep the Harvard defense on its heels all game long. Employing a lightening-fast tempo, Epperly often received the snap with 30 seconds left on the play clock. Inventive formations and shovel passes out of the backfield took their toll, as well.

But Harvard would also have its fair share of participation in the offensive display. On a fourth down early in the second quarter, junior quarterback Conner Hempel lofted a pass to senior receiver Ricky Zorn, who came down with a 33-yard touchdown reception after the ball deflected off the Princeton cornerback. Zorn would finish with a career-high 168 receiving yards.

On the Crimson’s very next drive, sophomore running back Paul Stanton broke a tackle, scurried to the sideline, and flew sixty yards down the field for the score.

Hempel threw for four touchdowns, including three to senior tight end Tyler Ott. But in the end, the team’s 48 points would not be enough for a win.

“We did some good things today, but in the first half we weren’t executing,” Harvard captain Josh Boyd said. “It was a breakdown in fundamentals. Hats off to Princeton.”

A DRAMATIC FINISH

Things did not look good for Harvard with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Down a touchdown, the Crimson offense was struggling to move the football, and Princeton looked to run down the clock and ice the game.

But senior corner Brian Owusu made all that change in an instant. As Tiger running back DiAndre Atwater took the handoff up the middle, Owusu busted through and wrenched the ball loose. Senior defensive back Jaron Wilson scooped it up and ran all the way into the Princeton red zone.

It would take Harvard just three plays to tie the score, as Hempel found Ott for a ten-yard touchdown strike. Just when it seemed the game was over, the Crimson had found life once again.

The drama continued in overtime, as each team punched in a touchdown on its first possession. Harvard converted on another Ott touchdown reception and Princeton scored on a flashy reverse to Wilson.

After the Tigers settled for a field goal in the second overtime, the Crimson looked to extend the game with one of its own. Disaster seemed imminent after a low snap, but holder Michael Pruneau was able to get the ball down just in time for junior kicker Andrew Flesher to boot it through.

But the third period of overtime would prove to be decisive. Another Harvard field goal opened the door for Princeton, and Epperly made it count by faking the run and finding Wilson in the back right corner of the end zone for the six-yard score that ended the four-hour affair.

“You watch them on film, and with their ability to run the football along with their tempo and play-action stuff, it’s very challenging to defend every zone,” Crimson coach Tim Murphy said. “They certainly did a great job throwing the ball today and keeping it alive.”

LITTLE THINGS BECOME BIG THINGS

Plagued by penalties all game long, Harvard appeared to have trouble up front on both sides of the ball. The Crimson was flagged a total of eleven times; three of those flags came on offsides calls and four on false starts.

Those penalties hurt the most with less than a minute remaining in regulation. Hempel had just completed a 44-yard bomb to Zorn, and the Crimson seemed to be in position to steal a win with the ball on the Princeton 27.

But Harvard was called for two false starts on consecutive plays, pushing the Crimson back to the very edge of reasonable field goal range. Flesher’s 50-yard attempt, despite having the distance, flew wide left.

Along with the defeat came bad news for Harvard injury-wise. Senior center David Leopard suffered a broken ankle at the end of the third quarter and is out for the season. After Leopard’s exit, senior Nick Easton took over but had trouble delivering clean snaps.

Late in the second quarter, after returning a kickoff 44 yards, sophomore receiver Andrew Fischer was pushed out of bounds and came up hobbling. He suffered a torn hamstring on the play and, according to Murphy, is also likely done for the year.

—Staff writer David Steinbach can be reached at david.steinbach@thecrimson.com.