Football loses late lead at Colgate

Losing always hurts. But this was the kind of loss that makes for a long, silent bus ride home.

This Saturday in Hamilton, N.Y., the Princeton football squad (3-1 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) suffered a heartbreaking defeat, controlling the flow of the game and leading nearly the entire way before collapsing late in the fourth quarter.

With nine minutes, 17 seconds to play, a touchdown by senior co-captain and running back John Veach gave Princeton a 26-14 lead and seemingly a grasp on the jugular of the Colgate Raiders' (3-2). The visiting Tigers had ridden an aggressive, blitzing defense all game long, and as Colgate faced third and three on the 50-yard line with less than six minutes to go it seemed that just one more successful quarterback pressure was all Princeton would need to hold its 12-point lead and seal a victory.

On that crucial third down play, however, the Raiders finally found themselves a step ahead of the Tiger blitz. Quarterback Chris Brown threw a quick pass to wideout Mike Chrystie, who sprinted 49 yards to the Princeton one-yard line. One play later star running back Jamaal Branch scored his second touchdown of the day for Colgate, and the 12-point Princeton lead was pared to five.

The Tigers' offense could not sustain their subsequent drive, and when the Colgate offense took the field again, there was plenty of time remaining for Brown to engineer a game-winning drive. Princeton didn't help its cause by committing a personal foul that gave Colgate a first down at the Tiger 23-yard line. Still, after three more unsuccessful plays, the Raiders were down to their final chance, a fourth and six from the Princeton 19. The battle-tested Brown, who led Colgate to 2003 Division I-AA championship game, had one more clutch play left in his arm. He found senior wide receiver DeWayne Long cutting through the middle of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. Brown and Long hooked up again moments later for the two point conversion, giving the Raiders the final margin in their 29-26 victory.

For the second straight week, the Tigers took the ball down three points with under two minutes to play. This time, however, they couldn't mount a game-tying rally, as Verbit was picked off to end the game.

Strickland's hat trick

Despite the fourth-quarter heartbreak, there were highlights on the Princeton side. Sophomore safety Tim Strickland tied a school record with three interceptions, including a crucial pick in the second half that gave Princeton the ball on the Colgate 11-yard line. Strickland's feat was complemented by stellar efforts from many of his defensive teammates, including junior co-captain and linebacker Justin Stull, who recorded 13 tackles and a sack to top double digits in tackles for the 10th straight game.

Offensively the star for the Tigers was running back Branden Benson. The senior ran for a career-best 133 yards, including a thrilling 84-yard touchdown jaunt to open the second half. Benson took a handoff to the left and followed his blockers to the left sideline, where he turned on the jets to burn the Colgate secondary on his way to the end zone. A lone defensive back stood between Benson and a touchdown at the end of the run, and the senior showed his grit by barreling through the hapless Raider's tackle to find pay dirt.

Ultimately, however, Benson's effort was overshadowed by the fireworks from Colgate's premier runner, Jamaal Branch. The senior back showed why he was honored with the 2003 Walter Payton award, given to the top player in Division I-AA. He rushed for 179 yards and two scores against the Tigers.

But his most damaging run didn't even end up in the end zone. With 21 seconds left and Colgate trying to run out the clock, Princeton head coach Roger Hughes called time to force a punt. Instead, Branch plowed up the middle on third down and, finding no defenders in his path, lumbered 76 yards before junior defensive back Jay McCareins dragged him down at the 7-yard-line. Colgate punched it in on the next play, grabbing the momentum and a 14-10 lead heading into halftime.