No. 14 Harvard Football Aims to Stay Hot in Tough Road Test at Princeton

When No. 14 Harvard travels to Princeton this Saturday, Andrew Aurich will coach at Powers Field for the first time in six years, though for the first time in his career, he will be fighting on the visitors’ sideline.

“I basically removed myself from the Princeton world,” said Aurich. “Whoever we’re playing, they are trying to take food out of my children's mouths, and because of that, they are my enemy, regardless of any long-lasting relationship I have.”

Aurich — the second year head coach for the Crimson — was a part of the Tigers coaching staff for eight years across two separate stints after playing as an offensive lineman and graduating at Princeton in 2006. As he returns to the field where he grew both his playing and coaching careers, however, the mission remains the same: staying undefeated.

Harvard (5-0, 2-0 Ivy) has positioned itself as the clear favorite to win the Ivy League, garnering national attention with their climbing rankings in both the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and the Stats Perform FCS Media Poll. The Crimson tops the league in total offense, offensive points per game, total defense, and defensive points allowed, separating itself as a powerhouse on both sides of the football halfway through the season.

The Tigers (3-2, 2-0) pose a balanced attack, taking advantage of depth on both sides of the football as well as capitalizing on strong performances from some newcomers. Freshman receiver Josh Robinson has won three straight Ivy Rookie of the Week honors, totaling 18 catches for 224 yards and a score over his past three contests.

Princeton currently shares a three-way tie atop the Ivy League with both Harvard and Penn, and depending on how matchups play out this weekend, there could be a sole leader atop the conference by Saturday evening.

Regardless of the ramifications of the results, the Crimson will keep a steady stream of mind.

“The motivation is still to be 1-0,” said Aurich. “The mindset can’t change.”

While Aurich returning to his alma mater is one of the most apparent team connections to New Jersey, he isn’t the only person with history in the Garden State.

Harvard’s star senior quarterback, Jaden Craig, hails from Montclair, NJ, about a 75-minute drive from Princeton. For him, this is not just an opportunity to go close to home, but also a chance to play in front of a plethora of friends, family, and fans.

“It’s definitely gonna be fun,” said Craig. “I’ve got so many people, family, friends and everything coming to the game, so I’m really excited for it.”

While his completion percentage has dropped slightly over the past two weeks thanks to some tight man defense from Cornell and Merrimack, Craig continues to shine in his final season, leading the league in passing yards (1315) and TD-INT ratio (11-2).

One factor in his strong season has been his recent connection with sophomore receiver Brady Blackburn.

While the emerging wideout did not record a catch in the season opener, he recently has emerged as Craig’s top target, surpassing 100 receiving yards in three straight contests and leading the team in yards per game and total receiving scores.

Head Coach Andrew Aurich is returning to his alma mater for the first time this weekend. By Nicholas T. Jacobsson

“I think definitely we’re at a spot where we’re connecting the most we have since he’s been here,” said Craig. “I’m excited to see what the next five games have in store.”

Besides the Jersey connections, the game is an opportunity for the Crimson to capitalize on its highest ranking (14th in media poll) since 2015 as it battles against a Princeton squad that won six straight meetings between the teams from 2017 to 2023.

Last season, Harvard secured a 45-13 win at home against the Tigers behind a four-touchdown, 345 yard performance from Craig, snapping that six-game losing streak.

A win this season would mean that the Crimson would move to 6-0 for the first time since 2015, when the Tim Murphy-led team went on to finish 9-1 and secure its third straight league title, something that could be echoed later this year.

For now, however, the group is focused on each week as a single effort, a mantra repeated throughout the locker room since Aurich took the reins of the team.

“I’m not really focused on a record,” said Craig. “I’m still thinking we’re 0-0, that’s my mentality.”

– Staff writer Connor Castañeda can be reached at connor.castaneda@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @castanedasports.