Colgate next test for football

After swamping Columbia with a wave of Orange and Black last weekend, the football team (3-0 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) will surge toward its next two Ivy League games with an attempt to sink non-conference foe Colgate (2-2).

The Tigers' 3-0 start has far exceeded expectations — beyond simply being undefeated, Princeton has knocked off three previously undefeated squads without trailing even once.

But though the Tigers' confidence has grown as a result of their strong start, the team's attitude remains restrained.

"We just keep harping on the fact that if you remain humble and don't get too full of yourselves, good things are going to happen," head coach Roger Hughes said.

Colgate will bring Princeton a few specific challenges that have the potential to shake the Tigers. In particular, the Raiders' defense is fast, strong and aggressive. Their secondary has proven especially dangerous, intercepting 10 passes and returning them a total of 161 yards in four games.

Since Colgate's two losses this season have been the result of weak starts, the Raiders will attempt to contain Princeton's offense early in the game — a goal each of the Tigers' opponents has failed to achieve so far this fall. Yet it is entirely conceivable that Princeton might have to play from behind for the first time this year, creating a true test for the Tigers.

"Clearly, when you're ahead in the game or when you're not a long ways behind," Hughes said, "you can stay with your game plan. I'm anxious to see how we respond if the tables are turned [on us] and we're not ahead — that's one thing this team hasn't faced, some adversity like that."

Even if Princeton is able to jump out to an early lead against Colgate, though, that will not necessarily ensure a victory. Last season against the Raiders, the Tigers led for nearly the entire game and held a 26-14 edge midway through the fourth quarter, but Colgate rallied for a 29-26 win.

Room for improvement

If Princeton hopes to avoid a repeat, not only will the Tigers need to make sure they continue starting games strong, but they will also will need to avoid several key mistakes that have marred an otherwise strong start to this year's season.

One is penalties. The Tigers have been penalized 24 times this season, losing a total of 247 yards. That's more than twice the number of yards Colgate has lost to the referees, despite the fact that Princeton has played one less game.

"We just can't have the penalties, especially in the red zone," Hughes said. "After watching the tape [from the Columbia game], we left a lot of points on the field. Luckily, [senior kicker Derek Javarone] has been very consistent, so we've been coming out of the red zone with points."

While Princeton has scored on every red zone possession it's had so far this year, going 14-14 in sight of the goal line, many of those scores have been field goals that could have been touchdowns.

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That might come back to bite the Tigers in a close game, a likely outcome on Saturday. With the exception of last week's 14-point win against Cornell, all of Colgate's games have been decided by five points or less.

Still, Princeton has the clear edge. The Raiders have been somewhat inconsistent on offense and, most importantly, have struggled with turnovers this season. Colgate has fumbled the ball seven times this year, resulting in five turnovers, and has thrown eight interceptions.

Those statistics should leave Princeton's defenders chomping at the bit — none more so, perhaps, than senior cornerback Jay McCareins, who has already intercepted four passes and returned two for touchdowns.

Setting the tone

While Saturday's game might not be as critical as an Ivy League contest, it is still plenty important. With road games against Brown and Harvard — perhaps Princeton's two toughest matchups of the season — on the horizon the following two weeks, the Tigers can't afford a letdown now.

"Coming off a loss in a non-league game into your league schedule wouldn't give you nearly the momentum you need to go through the rest of it," senior defensive back David Ochotorena said. "I feel like winning this game is just as important as winning an Ivy League game."

The Tigers are in a good position to carry their momentum through this game, and with the parity in the Ivy League this year, they'll certainly need it.

"There's a lot of pride on our team," Hughes said. "They don't expect to play badly, and they don't want to have anything ruined."

For the Tigers, nothing's been ruined so far, but this weekend's game has the potential to determine whether they enter key Ivy League contests as a trickle or a torrent.