The football team dominated Columbia last week, winning 44-11 in its most complete game since Roger Hughes took over as head coach last season. Princeton excelled in all phases of the game, and the team's overall performance nearly brought Hughes to tears during the postgame press conference.
Tomorrow at 1 p.m., the Tigers (1-1 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) face another team from New York state — Colgate — at Princeton Stadium. The Red Raiders (2-2 overall, 1-0 Patriot League) may be from the same state as the Lions, but they are a much stronger team. Colgate whipped Princeton 34-6 last season in Hamilton, N.Y. and has won ten straight against Ivy teams.
"Colgate is a very good team," Hughes said. "While they're not as experienced on defense as last year, their athleticism takes over for that. They have a very good running back who ran for 222 yards last week, a big offensive line, and a quarterback who is playing well. They're going to be a great challenge for us and they'll give us a great barometer of where we're at right now."
The Red Raider tailback who ran wild last week was Nate Thomas, and containing him on the ground will be one of the major challenges for the Tigers. Princeton's defense will also need to contain Colgate quarterback Tom McCune, who threw for 294 yards and a pair of scores two weeks ago. The Red Raiders have averaged a staggering 485 yards per game over the last two weeks, leading to wins over Fordham and Cornell.
Princeton's defense, after holding Columbia to 11 points, is ready to try to slow down Colgate's high-powered attack.
"It's a big game for the defense," sophomore defensive lineman Tim Kirby said. "Colgate's coming out looking to play some smashmouth football. They have some plays where they just put their offensive linemen against our defensive linemen and go and see who wins. It's a good test for the defense, our strength and intensity."
On the other side of the ball, the Tigers must continue to utilize their talent at the skill positions. Sophomore quarterback David Splithoff has passed for over 200 yards in both of Princeton's games this season. Junior running back Cameron Atkinson returned from an injury last week to rumble for 115 yards. Junior wideout Chisom Opara has over 200 receiving yards this season, including a 78-yard touchdown pass from Splithoff last week.
"I think Princeton's a championship-caliber Ivy League team," Colgate head coach Dick Biddle said. "They've got skill players as good as anyone as we play this year. Their offensive line has developed after the first few games."
The Tiger offensive line had a rough beginning to the season at Lehigh. Splithoff was constantly under pressure from the Mountain Hawk pass rush and Princeton never managed to establish the run.
Against Columbia, however, the Tigers moved the ball down the field with ease, largely thanks to the offensive line's ability to create gaping holes for tailbacks to sprint through and a secure pocket for Splithoff to pass from. This week, the line must continue to give Princeton's skill players a chance to make big plays.
"It's a big game for us, speaking as an offensive lineman," junior right tackle John Holownia said. "We've been watching their defensive linemen go to the ball real well."
The Tigers had history on their side against the Lions — Columbia hasn't won at Princeton since 1945. Colgate hasn't fared well in New Jersey, either — the Raiders haven't beaten the Tigers in Princeton Stadium's history.
"Princeton is a pretty good rival and we haven't played particularly well down there. Colgate hasn't won there since 1987," Biddle said.
The Tigers are also excited because they have a chance to prove that last week's rout of Columbia was not a fluke.
"The challenge right now for our team is to handle success," Hughes said. "We have yet to put two good back-to-back games together."
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