Brown plays host to winless football

When the football team runs onto the field at Brown Stadium tomorrow, it will meet an evenly matched team and one of Princeton's few remaining chances to record a victory. The game will probably be decided at the line of scrimmage, where the teams match up well, and it is the match-up between the linemen which will set the tone for the game.

Princeton (0-4 overall, 0-1 Ivy League) showed little improvement last week in its demolition at the hands of Colgate, which now holds the longest winning streak in Division I-AA.

Despite taking the ball away from the Raiders four times, the defense was not impressive, yielding 421 total yards. The offense barely moved the ball the entire game and only recorded three points because of a turnover deep in Colgate territory.

Brown (1-3, 0-1), on the other hand, played a strong Fordham team down to the wire. After falling behind early, the Bears rumbled back, posting a 21-17 lead before finally succumbing, 24-21, after a fourth-quarter score.

The key to Brown's moderate success last week was its running game, not something Bears head coach Phil Estes has been known for establishing during his tenure.

Last year, he relied on the All-Ivy wide receiver Chas Gessner, but he has graduated. Now the Brown attack is based around the running of Nick Hartigan, who gained 214 yards against Fordham.

"We have got to be able to shut down Hartigan," Princeton head coach Roger Hughes said.

The Tigers have had trouble this year accounting for defensive duties that are not primary. The linebackers have stopped the run well at times (there is still some trouble getting past blockers), but teams have been able to move up and down the field throwing the ball in the curl zones and flats. Conversely, the young defensive backfield has been solid if not spectacular in its coverage duties but has not done much to help out on the run. This will be imperative when trying to stop Hartigan.

"We've got to get enough people around the ball. We've got to pursue, and we have to get off blocks," Hughes said. "Certainly the secondary has to fill."

Princeton's defensive line has been the most touted part of the team this year, but so far it has not lived up to its billing. Combined, the linemen only have five sacks and fifteen tackles for a loss in four games. The Tigers have relied on blitzing extra men to get into the other team's backfield.

"[The Bears] run quite a few different types of screens, draws, those type of plays that try to slow down your pass rush," Hughes said. "It certainly makes you concerned if you want to make a heavy blitz situation."

Brown uses this strategy to make up for an offensive line that Estes has described as "hot and cold" this year, though they have played some of the best teams in the country.

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Controlling the line of scrimmage usually means controlling the game, and the match-up of the Tiger offensive line and the Brown defensive line will be the key one in the game, according to Hughes.

"It will come down to how our front handles their defensive front," he said.

Estes seemed to have no problem with this. "I think our defensive line has played very very well," he said. "They've put pressure on the quarterback."

Focusing on this area as the fulcrum of the game should not bode well for the Tigers, who have not shown much promise of becoming dominating up front on offense.

The match-up has the potential to be a high scoring affair since both teams are willing to air it out with their strong-armed quarterbacks.

"There are times when [Princeton junior quarterback Matt Verbit] can throw that ball down field and make some big plays and get behind the defense," Estes said. "I think we need to put some pressure on the quarterback and maybe try to create some mistakes."

On the other hand, both quarterbacks have the tendency to turn the ball over. Verbit has thrown three interceptions, and Brown's Kyle Slager has thrown six. Verbit has had some fumbling problems this year as well.

Brown won only its first game of the year, and Princeton has yet to win. Both teams are hungry for the win and ready for a battle in the trenches that will dictate the outcome of the game.