Princeton, Nov. 10--Although an early first period injury forced Princeton's leading ground gainer Hughes Agnew out of the game, the Tigers produced their strongest passing attack of the season today against a outclassed Crimson eleven at Palmer Stadium, 35 to 20. The aerial attack resulted in the most points scored against Harvard since 1952, as the Tigers retain their tie for the Ivy league lead with Yale, which defeated Pennsylvania today.
A strong wind and thirty degree temperature had every fan bundled up in blankets this afternoon for the Ivy League's coldest game so far this season. A bright sun lit up the field but left the shivering Princeton side still very, very cold.
The Tigers took an eight game wining streak into this contest, their last defeat coming last year to the Crimson at Harvard Stadium, 7 to 6. The overall record for the series is 27 wins for Princeton against 16 for the Crimson, with five ties.
The Tigers, rated at 14 point pre-game favorite jumped to a quick 21-0 lead in the first half then relaxed with two more touchdowns in the last two quarters. None of the Tiger scores required sustained marches. Three came on long, accurate passes from tailback Jim Mottley and the other two resulted from quick running plays deep in the Crimson territory.
Today's game was also the 78th anniversary of the inaugeration of the Big Three round-robin. Last year's victory by Harvard over the Tigers helped cause a stalemate in the H-Y-P series.
In the pre-game band serenades, the straw hatted, white bucked Princeton band snapped down the field in slightly better fashion than it put in last season at Harvard Stadium when a severe rainstrom reduced its members to 12 straggling trumpeteers in raincoats and black umbrellas.
Princeton's kick-off strategy paid off in the first period as the Tigers took a quick 7-0 lead after only four minutes of play. Princeton won the toss but elected to kick to Harvard with a strong wind at its back. The Tiger kick was bobbled at the goal line by Matt Botsford and in the opening series of plays, the Crimson, hindered by a 15-yard holding penalty, failed to move the ball past the 15.
Botsford kicked into the same wind that helped the Tigers two minutes before, and this time set up the game's first touchdown. Halfback Bill Danworth returned Botsford's 40-yard punt to the Crimson's six yard line. Hewes Agnew, the Ivy League's top offensive gainer, tried three successive wedge plays from the six, but the Crimson line would only give way for a yard and a half each time.
On fourth down, tailback Tom Morris bucked over off tackle for the score and Paul Nystrom converted.
Princeton again quickly regained possesion of the ball after its kickoff, but this time the Tigers' offensive cost them the services of Agnew, who was forced to retire with a knee injury
Not only did Princeton use the wing for their kick, but they also took advantage of the sun factor and opened up a strong passing attack that netted a total of 60 yards in the air in the first period. Only once, when John Simourian intercepted a 20-yard pass could the Crimson stop the Tigers' initial passing attack.
Second Period
The Crimson showed some offensive power at the beginning of the second quarter to augment Tony Gianelly's consistent 4-yard gains of the opening period. Jim Joslin and Nat Dodge moved the ball almost up to mid-field, before Joslin had to punt again. The kick sent the ball deep into the Tiger territory, but not for long.
Princeton Coach Charley Caldwell had evidently realized that with Agnew gone for the game, the Tigers could not expect to gain much from the charging Crimson line. And so he decided to stick to his strong first-period aerial attack. The idea resulted in Princeton's second first-half touchdown, just five minutes later. Two long passes, one for 60 yards and another for 20, from substitute tail-back Jim Mottley to end Bob Kent and quarterback John Sapoch made the score 14 to 0 at seven minutes of the second period.
The Crimson halted Princeton's passing temporarily at the goal-line two minutes later, when Joslin intercepted a toss from Tom Morris, but the Tigers were not long in taking over again.
This time, the Tigers faked their way to their third touchdown. A Statue of Liberty by Ray Empson from Mottley for seven yards brought the ball to the Crimson 20 yard-line, where Mottley, this time faked a long pass and then raced through center for Princeton's third score. Alan Manzler converted to increase the Tigers' margin to 21-0 an the half. During the first half Princeton had amassed exactly 150 yards in the air, completing six passes out of ten.
Third Period
A fumble by tailback Jim Joslin on Princeton's opening kickoff in the second half enabled the Tigers to score their fourth touchdown, this time on the ground, before the first minute of the second half was played. Two long runs by Morris and Manzler good for 23 yards and the touchdown at 0:58.
Manzler converted after scoring the touchdown and put Princeton beyond the Crimson's reach at 28-0.
A personal foul against Princeton netted the Crimson a 30-yard gain after the Tigers had kicked off, and the varsity used it to set up its first score. Consecutive runs by Dodge brought the ball to the Princeton seven, where Botsford, on a bootleg play tossed to Tom Hooper, clear in the end zone.
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