PU football wins first title since 1995
By: Justin Feil
Rob Toresco was coming to Princeton University football games long before he ever dreamed of actually helping the Tigers win an Ivy League championship.
"I used to come to a couple games when I was little," said the Hunterdon Central High graduate. "I remember coming to old Palmer Stadium. When college came around, my dream wasn’t always to go to an Ivy League school. I really didn’t consider Princeton until late. I tore my knee up and some things weren’t working out at other schools. I was forced to make a decision about whether I wanted to try to play Division I football or make sure you can go and be successful and also get a great education. I’m very glad and fortunate that I made that decision."
Toresco’s dreams always included winning, and winning a title, even when it looked like a remote possibility. The Tigers had not won an Ivy crown since 1995.
"Fortunately, we didn’t listen to critics," Toresco said. "And hopefully we were able to prove some of them wrong this season."
He arrived at Princeton as the Tigers looked to put a 2-8 season behind them three years ago. In his first two seasons, the Tigers distanced themselves, climbing to fourth place in 2004 and to a second-place tie last fall despite being picked to finish sixth in the preseason media poll. Picked again to finish sixth, the Tigers tied Yale for the Ivy crown with a 27-17 win over Dartmouth at Princeton Stadium on Saturday.
"I’ve been a part of winning programs," said Toresco, the junior fullback whose 3-yard touchdown run with 1:03 left sealed Saturday’s victory. "I consider myself a winner. Whether I’m a crazy, ridiculous optimist, I’m always going to keep my eye on the prize. I think to be a winner you have to always know you can get it done. It just takes a little extra work from everybody and coming together and we can get it done. Anything in this world is possible. If you come with a positive attitude, I think you can get it done."
The Tigers got it done with a fitting fourth-quarter in which they dominated Dartmouth to finish 9-1 overall, 6-1 in Ivy play. Princeton has owned opponents in the final 15 minutes to the tune of a 56-24 scoring edge. The Tigers outscored the Big Green, 10-0, after Dartmouth tied the game late in the third quarter. Freshman Matt Lichtenstein’s first career field goal on his first career attempt gave the Tigers the game-winning points and a 20-17 lead before Toresco’s score iced the Tigers first Ivy championship since 1995 and their first nine-win year since 1964.
"We just know everyone’s going to get the job done," Toresco said. "We’re so fortunate and we’re just so happy."
Princeton jumped out to a 14-0 first-half lead. Jeff Terrell found Jordan Munde for a short touchdown reception and handed off to Toresco for the other score. After the teams traded field goals, Dartmouth fought back to close within 17-10 at the half.
"It is hard, not to stay focused, but to not get too excited," Toresco said. "I think we came out well. We got up 14 and I think we let up a little in the second quarter, but we’re a championship team. We did what we had to do to win."
Even after Dartmouth tied it with a third-quarter touchdown and blocked a Princeton field goal, the Tigers’ confidence did not wane. Princeton just turned to the fourth quarter that had been so good to them all year.
"Somehow I knew we were going to have to work for this one just like we had to work for every one this year," said Terrell, who finished 29 for 46 for 257 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 30 yards. "They weren’t going to lay down for us. We did get up early. They’re a good team. They’re going to fight back. We were able to keep our confidence, keep our poise and finish the game."
Terrell again spread the ball, though primarily sticking with top targets Brian Brigham, Brendan Circle, R.C. Lagomarsino and Toresco. Terrell threw the ball 30 times in the first half. Princeton also had success rushing the ball with 154 yards on the ground by the end of the game.
"This team was about chemistry," said Princeton head coach Roger Hughes. "It was about team. I’m speechless frankly. You work so hard to get to this point, you come close and you don’t get it. You wonder if it’s ever going to happen. These student-athletes made it happen."
They did so after coming painfully close last year to winning before a loss to Yale in the next to last game sealed a cruel fate. This year, the Tigers slipped up once, on the road at Cornell, but could not be beaten otherwise.
"It’s been a wonderful ride," Toresco said. "We gave our fans a couple heart attacks and excitement throughout the year. To see all that pay off, someone was looking down at us from above. The pitch, the last-minute drives and plays. It makes it all the sweeter, but it really hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m just so happy for all the seniors. It hasn’t hit me yet. We’re going to go see our families and celebrate and soak it in a little bit."
The tie for the league crown between Princeton and Yale is the first since 1999 when Yale and Brown shared the Ivy crown. The championship is Princeton’s ninth in the 50 years of Ivy football. It caps the careers of the 18 seniors who own the distinction of being the first class to improve by at least two wins every year in their careers.
The Princeton seniors are: Rob Anderson, J.J. Artis, Brett Barrie, Brigham, Joe Dolan, Chris Gueits, Cleo Kirkland, Joe Kovba, Chris Lee, Jake Marshall, Colin McDonough, Mike Meehan, Brian Shields, co-captain Luke Steckel, Tim Strickland, Terrell, Kyle Vellutato and Brig Walker.
"The championship means everything because these kids deserve it," Hughes said. "To come back from the devastating loss that we had to Yale last year when we were so close, and to still put out the same kind of effort. That was my main concern coming from last year. They worked so hard and still came up short. Would they put that same kind of effort in? When you talk about what Jeff and Luke do for this team, that’s exactly what they did. They wouldn’t let them not do that. The senior class did a great job."
It’s why they were celebrating with fans, alumni and students on the Princeton Stadium turf Saturday. The Tigers never stopped believing they would get to that point, even as the outside prognosticators couldn’t see Princeton’s potential.
"I felt we were going to have a pretty good defense if our linebackers would come on," Hughes said. "I thought our front would be one of the better in the league and I thought our secondary had a chance to be the best in the league. I thought we had a great punter and that gives us a chance. I thought we had good enough skill on offense to be pretty good at some point if we could get our line to come along. Did I dream we’d be 9-1? No. But I felt like if we could just hang in there, if our defense could hold us in there the first few weeks, and our offense kind of gelled together and got some chemistry, maybe we could do some things. They’ve exceeded all my expectations as well."
But not those hopes and dreams of Toresco. He always felt a championship was on the way. He promised one.
"Before coming here," Toresco said, "I accepted an award for scholar-athlete of New Jersey. Coach was in the crowd and we were at the Hyatt and I promised to bring an Ivy League championship. It wasn’t just me. It was Jeff and Luke and the rest of the 110 guys we have, but it makes it all the sweeter."

