Tigers, Lions hope to roar

Fresh off an inspiring victory last week against San Diego, the football team will take on an equally energized Columbia team this Saturday at Palmer Stadium.

For the first time since 1996, the Lions (2-0 overall, 0-0 Ivy League) have an undefeated record after the first two games of their season. If precedent holds true, Columbia should enjoy a good season this year, as that 1996 team finished 8-2, second in the Ivy League behind Dartmouth. That fact may bode well for the Tigers, however — Dartmouth's offensive coordinator at the time was none other than Princeton head coach Roger Hughes.

But rather than rest on history, the Lions are looking to prove that they can start their Ivy League schedule strong. The Tigers (2-0, 0-0) and Columbia last met with matching undefeated records in 1972, a game from which both teams emerged undefeated after battling to a 0-0 tie.

Though a tie is unlikely this time around, there are no indications that this game will be anything but tightly fought. The past two times that the Tigers and Lions have met, the game has been decided on the final play.

Two seasons ago, Columbia stole the victory with a 49-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired. Last year, Princeton rallied to tie the game on a field goal with five seconds remaining and went on to win in overtime. In that game, then-junior cornerback Jay McCareins was the hero, picking up 42 yards receiving in the Tigers' game-tying fourth-quarter drive.

McCareins hasn't been shy with the heroics this year, either. He has returned interceptions for touchdowns in both of Princeton's games, the most recent a 99-yard game-sealing return against San Diego, his third of the game. For his performance last week, McCareins was named both the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week and "The Sport Network" National I-AA co-Defensive Player of the Week.

McCareins won't be the only star cornerback on the field this Saturday. The Lions' senior Prosper Nwokocha commands at least as much respect around the Ivy League as Princeton's talented back and, along with the rest of the secondary, will require special attention from the Tigers.

"[To attack their secondary], you have to try to isolate people and get matchups," Hughes said. "You have to be smart about where you're putting the ball and where their best players are. We're going to have to have awareness of where Prosper is at."

That awareness will be crucial for junior quarterback Jeff Terrell, who has already given up four interceptions this season, compared with only one thrown by Columbia's Joe Winters. Though he will likely start, Terrell will share quarterbacking duties with sophomore Bill Foran, who has seen time in both games this season.

Luckily for whoever is behind center, a number of receiving options have emerged that Princeton can choose from against the Lions' secondary. Senior tight end Jon Dekker leads the team in receiving yards and has also scored a touchdown, while sophomore fullback Rob Toresco and sophomore wide receiver Brendan Circle share the lead for receptions with Dekker at seven.

Circle's production has been a pleasant surprise for the Tigers, who missed senior wide receiver Greg Fields' offensive contributions last week when he sat out with an injured hamstring. Fields practiced this week, but it is still uncertain as to what his role will be against Columbia.

The Lions have shown an ability to finish games strong this season, something Princeton has struggled with. In its two games this season, Columbia amassed 43 of its 46 total points in the second half for come-from-behind victories. This second-half success is in stark contrast to the Tigers who, despite getting out to early leads, have barely held off second-half comebacks from their opponents in each of their two games.

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"We've got to find a way to come out of the locker room and execute better on both sides of the ball," Hughes said. "A full game is a 60-minute effort, and I think that that's been our battle cry this week."

Whatever rallying call is necessary to motivate Princeton, the Tigers must hope that the motivation carries on through the second half against a team with proven success late in the game.

Only one team in the past 14 years has lost its Ivy League opener and gone on to win the Ivy title, and the Tigers have no desire to reverse that history.