While the Penn-Villanova matchup came out just as the 99-year history would have indicated, there were some surprising results around the Ivy League this weekend.
Preseason favorite Harvard fell to Brown, 29-14, in the first-ever night game at Brown Stadium. The Bears’ defense shined, limiting a Harvard team that scored 36 points in its opener to just 112 yards on the night.
Bears’ senior linebacker Andrew Serrano was given the League’s defensive honors this week, tallying seven tackles and forcing a fumble.
The Bears’ defensive coordinator Michael Kelleher said his strategy was to try to limit the Crimson on the ground.
“Preparing for Harvard on the defensive side of the ball is always a challenge,” Kelleher said. “We weren’t perfect but for the most part we did a great job executing the game plan.”
The Bears are now 2-0, joining Yale atop the Ivy standings with one conference win each.
Princeton laughs last. Taking on Lafayette just a week after Penn beat the Leopards in regulation, Princeton brought it down to the wire to one up the rival Red and Blue with a double-overtime thriller on ESPN3.
After Lafayette got on the scoreboard with a field goal in extra minutes, the Tigers needed at least three points to keep the game going.
Princeton answered with six.
Senior running back Jordan Culbreath’s two-yard touchdown run sealed a 36-33 win.
“Fortunately, we were one play better than them in the end,” said Princeton coach Bob Surace.
Tigers quarterback Tommy Wornham earned Ivy Offensive Player of the Week with 263 total yards (49 rushing) and three touchdowns (one rushing).
“The bad news,” Surace said, “is we don’t have much time to celebrate because we have to move on to a Columbia team that beat us by 38 points last year.”
Big Green out for blood. Dartmouth has two consecutive wins for the first time in seven years after beating Sacred Heart 21-19.
New Hampshire’s finest won just two games in their last two seasons, which included a winless 2008.
“We’re a little bit more physical than we’ve been in the past — just simple maturity of our players that have had some experience,” Big Green coach Buddy Teevens said.
Dartmouth narrowly left its home opener with a win. With 44 seconds remaining, Sacred Heart missed a 38-yard field goal attempt that would have put the Pioneers ahead.
The Big Green look to extend their streak to three on Saturday when they travel to Penn.
Further into the Red. There were few surprises in Ithaca, N.Y., where Yale downed the Big Red 21-7, notching their second win and first in the conference.
Cornell slid to its 10th straight loss, dating back to the third week of last season when it upset Yale 14-12.
Senior running back Marcus Hendren, who was averaging 4.3 yards per carry on 10 attempts this year, went down with an apparent concussion on Cornell’s first drive of the game, spelling trouble for their offense.
“We just need some younger guys in other positions to step up,” said Cornell coach Kent Austin after his first Homecoming with the Big Red.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.