Last year Princeton football scored more points than it has in nearly a decade. That was good enough for second-worst in the Ivy League.
High-flying offenses with accurate passers and athletic wide receivers have become a prerequisite for success in the Ancient Eight.
Princeton has two choices: beat them or join them. This season, the Tigers will try to do both.
Sophomore quarterback David Splithoff and a strong receiving corps will try to put points on the scoreboard, but meanwhile, the Princeton defense will have to face the more difficult task of deflecting the Ivies' weaponry. Here are some ideas on what to watch for as they make that effort.
The Gameplan
By studying teams before gameday, Princeton knows what defenses will and will not work against the opposition.
"The most challenging thing on defense is the preparation before the game," Kirby said. "You have to learn certain keys and tendencies that the offense has which tips you off to what they're doing."
Senior linebacker Bob Farrell describes the defensive package for any given game: "Typically we will utilize about 60 percent of our total available package versus an opponent as certain defensive schemes are more effective than others depending on the opposing team's offensive scheme."
The defense also adjusts for the offensive weapons of a particular team by scouting and studying a team prior to the game. They then tailor their coverage according to their opponents.
"We will run certain coverages against certain [offensive] personnel," sophomore conerback Blake Perry said. "These coverages are designed to stop what we think the offense will try to do."
The Tigers run a seven-man front, which means that they put seven players in the primary line of defense. Their basic set up is a 4-3, four down linemen with three linebackers. This leaves four players in the secondary — two cornerbacks, a free safety, and a strong safety. And this season, in an attempt to help a passing defense that ranked second to last in the league, occasionally Princeton will only play three in the secondary — a strategy that seems counterintuitive without explanation.
The Defensive Front
Pursuit is what most people think of when they think of defense, especially on the defensive front. A defender finds the man with the ball, pursues him, and flattens him. And while pursuit is at the heart of a successful defensive line, it is far from the only responsibility of the men in the trenches.
The defensive front, made up of the linemen and linebackers, also has an important role to play in controlling the line of scrimmage. Their primary responsibility is to defend against the run, and they accomplish this by plugging the gaps or holes that the offensive line creates.
In order to control the line of scrimmage, each defender must take care of his gap responsibility. But with the offense trying to keep them from plugging the holes, it is imperative for a defender to be strong enough and quick enough to drive the opposition back while still covering his gap before the running back breaks through the line.
"Being a down linemen makes it easier for me to get an initial burst off the line, so that the offensive linemen doesn't push you back," sophomore defensive end Tim Kirby said.
While linebackers have their own gap responsibilities, they also must be prepared to assist if a running back is able to breach the line of scrimmage.
This year, in order to lend extra support to the run defense, and to increase the Tigers' pass rush, Princeton may occasionally bring the strong safety forward from the secondary, giving the Tigers an eight-man front in a 4-4 style (four down linemen with four linebackers).
In a base defense, gaps are assigned and they remain the same unless the coaches call a stunt or a blitz. In a stunt, gap assignments are switched so that the offense does not know whom to block.
"We'd prefer to get a quality rush from four defensive linemen," Farrell said. "A number of defensive line stunts have been introduced this fall to that end."
In a blitz, instead of simply controlling the gaps, the defensive front fires through them in an attempt to surprise the offense. Blitzes are most effective in passing situations, because they help quicken the pass rush of the defense. If a defensive front can provide an effective pass rush and hurry or sack the quarterback, it can make the secondary's job that much easier — an attractive option in today's pass-happy Ivy League.
"We are more than capable of bringing additional linebackers and defensive backs on blitzes to increase the pressure on the quarterback," Farrell said. "In addition, we also have the ability to show blitz and play zone."
The Secondary
With only four players to cover a vast majority of the field, the secondary's job can be very difficult. With coaching strategy, though, the defensive backs can still have an advantage over the offense.
"The coverage calls are really important and are dictated by our coaches," sophomore cornerback Blake Perry said. "They do a great job game planning each week to give us as much an advantage as possible."
Pass coverages range from man-to-man (with each player guarding a particular receiver), to 3 deep (a zone defense with the field being split into thirds), to 2 deep (a zone defense with the field being split into halves), or stunts called robber coverage (a mixture of man-to-man and zone). With the other Ivy League teams sticking to a run-and-gun offense, fans will see Princeton in a lot more zone coverage than man-to-man, so that the secondary can support run coverage while avoiding the possibility of a long pass.
"Every coverage has a weakness and a strength," Perry said. "Because of this, we mix things up a lot and try to fool the offense."
Read More
Senior Coulter Mackesy, Pace Billings ’24, and Sam English ’23 drafted to Premier Lacrosse League
Hayk YengibaryanThe PLL, founded in 2018 by brothers Mike and Paul Rabil, is North America’s professional lacrosse league. The league currently features eight teams that compete in a tour-based format, traveling to different cities each weekend throughout the summer season.
The PLL, founded in 2018 by brothers Mike and Paul Rabil, is North America’s professional lacrosse league. The league currently features eight teams that compete in a tour-based format, traveling to different cities each weekend throughout the summer season.
Preview: No. 3 men’s lacrosse hosts No. 14 Towson in first round of NCAA tournament
Hayk YengibaryanShould the Tigers win on Saturday, they will face the winner of No. 5 Syracuse and No. 13 Harvard in the NCAA quarterfinals the following weekend in Hempstead, New York.
Should the Tigers win on Saturday, they will face the winner of No. 5 Syracuse and No. 13 Harvard in the NCAA quarterfinals the following weekend in Hempstead, New York.
Baseball wins series at Cornell to keep season alive
Joseph UglialoroAfter dropping the first game of a series against Cornell, the baseball team rallied back to win the next two games and keep their season alive.
After dropping the first game of a series against Cornell, the baseball team rallied back to win the next two games and keep their season alive.