The Penn-Princeton sprint football game to be played under the Friday night lights of Franklin Field can be seen as the beginning and the ending of many things.
Although tonight's matchup is the first home game of the season for the Quakers, for the seniors of the Penn sprint football team it will be the last time they will ever play against Princeton on their home field.
There is no doubt that this will be a very emotional game for both teams. After beating Cornell by a score of 13-6 in their first game of the season, the Quakers roll into this game with confidence. This is in part because the Tigers lost their first game of the season last week to Army, 77-0.
Coming out of a bye week, Penn coach Bill Wagner said he believes that the Penn offense has strengthened since beating Cornell. He also said that the defense and special teams are very strong.
Wagner specifically noted three freshmen who are starting on defense -- defensive tackle Christian Corrigan, cornerback Peter Stevens and defensive end Kyle Kekesien.
Those young players will have to be ready for a physical game, according to Penn senior offensive lineman and team captain Duncan Pelly.
"They always come out strong," Pelly said of the Tigers. "As long as we set the tone in the beginning we'll be fine."
The Quakers see this game as a barometer in comparison to the rest of the league, especially Army and Navy. By defeating Princeton, Penn hopes to show what it is capable of on the way to a potential Collegiate Sprint Football League title.
Although Penn has not lost to Princeton in its last 16 matchups, there is still a healthy rivalry between the teams.
"This is Princeton -- anytime we play them, it's for the whole school," said senior captain and defensive lineman Hank Watson . "No one wants to lose to them from sprint football, basketball, any sport. Any time we beat Princeton is good for everyone at Penn."
This urgency to win is particularly strong for the seniors on the team.
"It's a really big game, and very important to me -- as I'm sure it is for all the seniors -- to go out and win this game," senior captain Ben Drane said. "It's the last time playing on Franklin Field against our biggest rival."
