Skill players need line to learn fast on offense

Last year, Princeton football fans salivated over a heated quarterback controversy as the season drew near. This year, fans and the media have a far less sexy dilemma to dissect, yet one equally important: a brand-spanking-new offensive line.

Though senior quarterback Jeff Terrell settled the first question with standout performances to lead his team to a strong season last year, the men of the offensive line have yet to prove themselves. How they do could easily determine the course of the football team's season.

"We have some juniors in the offensive line that just haven't played," head coach Roger Hughes said. "We have to make sure [our guys] understand that, 'Hey it's on me now and I have to make the play, I can't stand around and wait for someone else to do it.' "

O-line is light but quick

Senior tackle Kyle Vellutato will help lead the Tigers in the trenches, along with senior lineman Brett Barrie, whom Hughes moved from defense. Barrie, so far, has had more than 20 practices at his new position after opening last season as the starting nose guard. Junior linemen Robert Bruesewitz, Brendan Swisher and Matt Murphy will also mix it up, deepening a highly capable corps of linemen that even includes a freshman, Mark Paski.

"I think it's going to be a situation on the offensive line where you may see us roll seven to eight guys in there trying to figure out what the best combination is," Hughes said.

Lest Princeton fans despair that this year's line may be a weak point, coaches and players alike are quick to point out that inexperience does not mean lack of skill when it comes to the O-line.

"One of the things I think is better is that we're much more athletic. We're not as big or as strong but we're much more athletic and we're trying to take advantage of that," Hughes said.

Though this year's line doesn't have the size of last year's all-senior line that included All-Ivy selections Ben Brielmaier '06 and Dave Szelingowski '06, the scouting report is that virtually all the players are faster than their predecessors — which, if true, could make for some interesting opportunities for change.

Toresco to bear burden

Junior running back Rob Toresco, for whom the line's performance is crucial, agreed that the line is faster and didn't seem concerned about this year's situation.

"I'd say at positions we are more athletic," Toresco said. "We have some different stuff that allow our linemen to get on some blocks that our linemen last year couldn't get to. [The faster linemen can] get on second level defenders — now we have linemen blocking linebackers in the secondary."

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That could be good news for Toresco, the Tigers' power running back who will lead a very deep Princeton ground game. Reserve tailbacks will include senior Cleo Kirkland, junior Derek Brooks, and sophomores Pete Ploszek and R.C. Lagomarsino

While all of those backs should receive carries, Toresco and Kirkland are by far the most experienced. The two averaged 4.3 and 4.2 yards per carry, respectively.

An even deeper field of players will compete for time at the wide receiver position. Senior Brian Shields, the hands-down fastest player on the team, could actually serve as a back up — a testament to the weapons at Terrell's disposal. Junior Brendan Circle will probably be key again this year as a possession receiver. He is expected to start alongside senior Brian Brigham. Aerial assault likely

The Tigers' predicament of a smaller offensive line — coupled with their talented receivers — means that the offense will look to the sidelines a bit more this year.

"We're trying to get the ball outside more – we have a lot of skill. Our receivers are maybe the deepest [part of] this team," Terrell said.

Terrell, though, isn't worried about having to take extra shots this year; he noted that he played under similar circumstances his senior year of high school.

Counting all the cards, it looks as though the Tigers will have strength in the skill positions and a speedy line that will create different opportunities this season.

"With an athletic line you can do some things," Hughes said. "For example, our tackles are able to get to safeties and block them. Our tackles are able to get wider on the screen plays so you can modify who you're screening the ball to. They're a little bit lighter so we may not run [isolation] 100 times a game — we may have to finesse things a little bit more."

Considering that the linemen might often be outweighed by 20 or 30 pounds, Hughes and his staff will definitely have to change things a bit if Princeton's offense is to get off the ground. Until Saturday's matchup against Lehigh, how the O-line situation will resolve itself will remain a potent question.