Scrambling, passing Splithoff impresses for football in loss

It wasn't all that an impressive stat line. Sophomore quarterback Dave Splithoff managed to complete 31 of 39 passes, but for just 228 yards while being intercepted twice. Princeton's field general bore the brunt of a fierce Lehigh pass rush, which managed to sack him twice. Splithoff had the most rushing attempts of any Tiger, getting 13 carries but only netting 21 yards.

Splithoff's contributions, however, went far beyond the stats.

The sophomore consistently turned broken plays into positive yardage for the Tigers. Although his longest completion on the day was just 25 yards, some of the three-yard dumpoffs to junior tight end Mike Chiusano kept drives alive. More than once, Splithoff eluded the pass rush and turned second-and-eight-type situations into easily convertible third-and-two-type downs.

Princeton scored its only touchdown of the game on one such play. From the Lehigh three-yard line, Splithoff ran to his right and back toward the ten-yard line, buying time for his receivers to get open. He ran toward the line of scrimmage and finally fired a pass to sophomore wide receiver Blair Morrison, who had found a seam in the Lehigh defense because of the time that Splithoff bought by scrambling.

The quarterback was not afraid to pull the ball down and run for extra yards. He converted three first downs with his feet and would have been the game's second leading rusher if it weren't for a 27-yard intentional grounding penalty.

In general, when Splithoff had a chance to make something happen, he moved the Tigers down the field. Princeton's longest drive of the first half included conversions of third and fourteen, third and ten, and third and seven, when Splithoff was allowed to throw the ball on medium-range routes.

Splithoff's effectiveness did not go unnoticed. When asked to compare this year's Princeton team to last year's, Lehigh head coach Pete Lembo said, "That quarterback is everything we were anticipating. He had good leadership, and the ability to make plays out of nothing."

Splithoff's ability to pick up yardage on third down either with his arm or his feet was impressive, as the Tigers converted a respectable eight of 17 opportunities. But the most impressive aspect of Splithoff's game was his leadership. He picked himself off the turf and kept on fighting, always remaining positive.

"I always think we can win every game, so I thought we should have won," Splithoff said.

"If he stays healthy, that team is going to be real competitive in the Ivy League," Lembo said.

Splithoff's health is a concern for the Princeton staff, especially because the sophomore took a number of bone-crushing hits Saturday afternoon.

Splithoff suffered some of the most brutal hits of the day while carrying it himself on the option or on holding the ball before pitching it to a tailback. The Tigers tried to establish the option early and came back to it occasionally, but lacked success in running it most of the game.

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For example, during a Princeton drive following junior cornerback Paul Simbi's interception deep inside Lehigh territory, the Tigers attempted to run the option. Splithoff ran to his right and held the ball for a few seconds, intending to toss the ball to a trailing running back. But Lehigh defensive end Mike Gregorek levelled the quarterback before he could make the pitch and the ball came loose. Splithoff crumbled to the ground and Lehigh linebacker Matt Taggart fell on the ball.

Splithoff showed all game why his health is so crucial to Princeton's success this season. The Lehigh defense dealt him some serious blows, and Princeton's coaching staff should attempt to shield the quarterback from the toughest and unncessary hits. He saw action in only three games last season because of injury, and this team's fortunes depend on its quarterback's health.