Football hosts Lafayette in season opener Saturday

While virtually every other college football team in the country has started its season, Princeton football has done nothing but work through 26 practices. On Saturday night, the Tigers return to action, a resumption eagerly awaited by players, coaches and fans alike.

A string of heartbreaking losses in 2003 whetted appetites for what could have been and for what, in 2004, Princetonians hope will be. Under the lights of Princeton Stadium and in the spotlight of collective expectations, the Princeton squad hosts Lafayette (2-0) in a mission to end a streak of five straight losses in season openers.

"The people on this team . . . have put in the hard work, and they want to see the rewards now instead of just going out on the field and playing and having a good time," senior defensive back Brandon Mueller said. "People want to win; they want to be successful."

The Leopard defensive unit is one of the best in the country. They are second in the nation in team total defense, allowing only 134.5 yards per game, and they are fourth in scoring defense, allowing a minute 6.5 points per game. Princeton needs accomplished and secure offensive-line play in order to give Verbit the opportunity to set up plays, run a diversified offensive scheme and keep the defense guessing.

"We have to be prepared for the blitz every play," head coach Roger Hughes said.

Although the Tigers' defense is widely touted as one of their major strengths, it will be tested severely by Leopard senior running back Joe McCourt. Having rushed for more than 100 yards 17 times in his career, he counts Princeton among his burn victims each of the last two years. Named as last week's Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week for his 104 rushing yards in Lafayette's 17-6 victory over Georgetown, he is a potent offensive force. Paramount is McCourt's field vision and his ability to exploit defensive holes en route to significant running gains. What makes him even more effective is his ability to morph into a dependable receiver who can turn short passes into long gains.

"One of the best things about him is he's one of those guys that brings his own blocker," Princeton linebacker coach Don Dobes said. "He will break tackles, so you have to gang tackle him. And he's also an added threat because he's one of their top receivers coming out of the backfield. So you have to be aware of where he is every time the ball is snapped."

Fortunately, the Tigers have a cadre of notable returning defensive standouts. After missing the 2003 season because of academic ineligibility, senior linebacker Zak Keasey, junior cornerback Jay McCareins and Mueller add veteran, battle-tested weapons to the defensive corps. They join junior linebacker Justin Stull, who was named first-team All-Ivy League and who topped the Ivies with 114 tackles last season. Keasey led Princeton in tackles during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. Paralleling the Tigers' job-sharing in the tailback position (seniors Jon Veach and Branden Benson), the Leopards have two quarterbacks capable of starting. Although sophomore Brad Maurer is normally the starter, junior Pat Davis led Lafayette to the comeback win against Georgetown last week. Alternating between the two allows the Leopards to use the hot hand or the one that works the most effectively against a given opponent. This complicates the preparation of Princeton's defensive schemes.

Learning from the past

Although the Tigers lead the all-time series against Lafayette, 33-7, the Leopards have won two of the team's last three meetings. In 2002, Princeton dominated the contest, winning by a comfortable 34-19 margin. In 2003, however, the Tigers emerged devoid of intensity, fell into a 28-0 deficit hole at halftime and were unable to crawl out, despite the 13 unanswered points they tallied in the second half. Senior quarterback Matt Verbit was a big component in that comeback, throwing for 253 yards, but he will need to put up numbers earlier in the game in order to surmount the Lafayette defense.

"[Lafayette] executed [last year]. On their first drive, we had them at 3rd-down situations a number of times, and just couldn't capitalize," Hughes said. "And when you look back, we were starting seven freshmen and sophomores on defense . . . We had a lot of mental errors offensively. We're a more veteran team than we have been. And with those two characteristics I think that gives you the opportunity to have that leadership, and that leadership translates itself to the types of things hopefully we'll see on gameday this year."

"Our ability to adjust to that early is going to be key to the game. Our offense's ability to have a great run game is going to be contingent on our wide receivers coming to block as well as catch balls so we can stretch the defense downfield. If we can't do that, we're going to [have to face] nine guys in the box, and that's going to take away from Veach and Benson."

Although Lafayette is a non-league opponent, a Tiger win could establish a positive rhythm for the season. A team playing its first game of the year against a team playing its third is at a disadvantage. Princeton hopes to overcome that disadvantage with sheer desire to get back in the game after the long layoff since last year's disappointing season.