Zero and nine.
Those are two numbers that Princeton coach Roger Hughes will no doubt have on his mind as his Tigers enter Franklin Field tomorrow for perhaps their biggest Ivy League game in 10 years.
No Princeton squad has defeated the Quakers in Hughes' tenure -- or for quite a while beforehand. This will be Hughes' fifth try at breaking the string of futility, now up to nine consecutive losses.
Meanwhile, his counterpart -- Al Bagnoli -- is making his second attempt at his 100th win as the Quakers coach.
But it won't be easy as the Tigers (5-2, 3-1 Ivy) are dead even with the Quakers in the standings. And for a team with so many questions regarding offense at the season's start, this year's Princeton squad suddenly looks like the most dangerous one to come out of Old Nassau since the team responsible for the Tigers' last win over the Penn in 1995.
"They're finding creative ways to score," Bagnoli said. "If you look at the team, every week it's a different way they're winning games."
The Tigers have certainly shown they have a knack for winning dramatic contests this season.
Early in the year, a 99-yard interception return by All-Ivy cornerback Jay McCareins allowed Princeton to avoid an upset by San Diego.
Against Harvard, McCareins struck again, returning a kickoff 93 yards with seven minutes remaining to give Princeton its first win over the Crimson in nine years.
Last week, Derek Javarone came through with two clutch kicks -- one late in regulation and another in OT -- as the Tigers squeaked by a pesky Cornell team.
"They're getting people to step up, different people taking turns doing it, and it makes them dangerous," Bagnoli said.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about this year's Tigers squad, however, is that no one expected them to be doing well so late in the season.
They had a few returning skilled players, but other than McCareins and the do-it-all receiver Greg Fields, no one seemed to jump out.
In fact, Fields was both Princeton's leading receiver and leading rusher, since the Tigers failed to return anyone at the tailback position.
Out of the four players competing for the quarterback job, the one with the most game experience had more receptions (five) than attempted passes (zero).
And certainly no one expected the Tigers to be ranked second in the Ivies in scoring defense, currently tied with Penn with an average of 18.4 points allowed per game.
So how come the Tigers are overachieving after such a modest preseason prediction?
Penn senior linebacker Ric San Doval credited Jeff Terrell, Princeton's starting quarterback, with acclimating himself with Princeton's offense so well.
"They've got a collection of skill guys who are just tough," San Doval said. "Their quarterback ... 6-foot-2, 220, big kid, but he can run the ball."
San Doval's likening of the Tigers' junior quarterback to the former Harvard signal-caller who torched the Quakers for 31 points last season brings to light just how talented the Princeton offense really is.
One statistic that also stands out is that the Tigers offense has converted a blistering 24 of 26 opportunities inside their opponent's 20-yard line. Penn, by comparison, has an 86 percent red-zone conversion rate.
On the other side of the ball, the Tigers lead the Ivies in red-zone defense, holding opponents scoreless 13 out of 20 times.
"They're really experienced up front, their offensive line is much more cohesive than it's been," Bagnoli said. "In the past, they have been inconsistent with all aspects of the game, but now they are finding some continuity."
San Doval knows that the Quakers will have to eliminate the costly turnovers and team mistakes that plagued them in last week's loss to Brown.
"These weeks late in the season, you can't leave one of the facets of the game behind," he said. "You can't play good offensively and good defensively and leave special teams to the dogs."
"Playing together as a team is what we have to do this weekend," San Doval added.
After experiencing harsh conditions in Providence, R.I., last week, Penn should have momentum back on its side with good weather and the homecoming crowd.
But the stakes will definitely be much higher than last week's.
After tomorrow, one team will be well on its way to capturing at least a share of the Ivy League title, while the other will be virtually knocked out of the race with only two weeks left in the season.
