Tigers win first season opener since '98

You win a few, and you lose a few. For Princeton football, Saturday night's season-opening victory in dominant fashion against Lafayette was marred by the loss of a key wide receiver. Still, the momentum gained from the 35-18 win demonstrates that this season's team is one of the most talented and dangerous in recent years.

"This win is huge," senior middle linebacker Zak Keasey said. "That's what we've been working for all year, and I think the guys who have put in the work during the off-season certainly found that it's paid off. It's the first time that we've been 1-0 since I've been here. We're just hoping to carry this momentum, and I think we can."

After Princeton and the Leopards traded drives to start the first quarter, the Tigers drew first blood. Junior wide receiver Greg Fields set up Princeton's second drive with a 27-yard punt return. Four plays and 42 yards later, Fields ended the drive on an end-around from senior quarterback Matt Verbit and ran easily past the Lafayette defenders for the score.

Although the Leopards' next drive threatened to knot the game, the 65-yard foray through the Tiger defense came up short. Lafayette quarterback Brad Maurer focused on wide receiver Justin Lauver, who was double-teamed as he broke for the goal line. Junior linebacker Abi Fadeyi placed himself in perfect position to intercept the underthrown ball and keep the Leopards out of the endzone.

Princeton continued its offensive surge as the team upped its lead to 14 points just over a minute into the second quarter. On a third and two from Lafayette's four-yard line, Verbit threw a cross-field pass to senior fullback Joel Mancl to cap an 80-yard Tiger drive. Junior placekicker Derek Javarone converted his second of five extra points on the night to give Princeton the 14-0 lead.

Although the Tiger defense had been effective in controlling the dangerous Leopard offense, they gave Lafayette an opening with just under four minutes remaining in the first half. On fourth and inches at the Princeton six-yard line, the Leopards abandoned a field goal attempt in favor of a quarterback sneak. The gamble paid off as Maurer powered his way to the first down. Two plays later, Maurer faked a handoff to dangerous running back Joe McCourt, kept the ball and sprinted to the right for the score. The subsequent two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.

As the second quarter's final minutes ticked off, Princeton parlayed senior tailback Brandon Benson's and Fields' rushes with clean Verbit passes to move the ball steadily up the field. With just over 20 seconds remaining, Verbit threw to Wu on the sideline. As Wu came down with the ball, he landed awkwardly and crumpled to the field.

"[Clint is] probably done for the season," head coach Roger Hughes said. "He was playing so well, and he just pivoted on his foot. He heard [his ACL] pop when he caught the pass, and it's sad because Clint had worked so hard in the off-season to get where he's at now. So we're just going to have to step it up. And again, that's a position where we can't afford to lose anyone."

In this season's debut, Wu had been outstanding, amassing 108 yards on seven catches, two more than he had all of last season. He showed veteran leadership, stepping up in a position that was widely considered to be the biggest question mark in Princeton's game.

After the lengthy injury timeout and with time about to expire, Verbit found his end zone receivers blanketed. Seizing the opportunity, he ran towards an opening on the left side of the field and darted in for the Tigers' third and decisive touchdown, for a 21-6 advantage.

After a third quarter in which the Princeton defense consistently thwarted Lafayette's comeback attempts, the Tiger offense delivered a crushing blow in the form of a four-yard touchdown run from senior tailback Jon Veach. Although the Tigers showcased their passing proficiency during the first half, they demonstrated a potent and time-consuming ground game in the second half. On that touchdown drive, each of the nine plays were courtesy of the run.

Princeton's final score came on a one-play, 50-yard drive seconds into the fourth quarter. Verbit aired out a perfect spiral pass to sophomore wide receiver Eric Walz who waltzed into the end zone.

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Lafayette's replacement quarterback, Pat Davis, tested the Tiger secondary more than starter Maurer, but the two touchdowns he piloted were not enough to pull the Leopards back into the hunt.

The player of the game was undeniably Fields.

"We knew that he could be a big player, we just had to get him more incorporated into the offense," Verbit said. "And he came in tonight, had a lot of good touches, and made a lot of great plays."

Fields picked up 230 all-purpose yards, many of which came on kickoff returns that provided the Tigers with superb field position to start scoring drives.

"Everyone has been stepping up, working hard, encouraging everybody around them to get the job done and work hard," Fields said. "We're all capable of making plays and getting the job done. We all know our assignments and what we have to do out there. We just have to step up and get the job done."