When the quarterback passes long, the football hangs in the air and for a palpable moment the fans don't know whether to cheer or sigh, that's exciting football. And at 7 p.m. tonight, in front of a national television audience on ESPNU, the Ivy League's top two passers will match up at Princeton Stadium.
Senior quarterback Jeff Terrell leads the No. 22 Tigers (4-0 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) against Joe DiGiacomo and the defending Ivy League champion Brown Bears (1-3, 0-1). DiGiacomo is ranked fourth nationally with 272.2 yards per game and is coming off a career-high 401 yards and three touchdowns in Brown's 30-35 loss to Holy Cross.
Terrell is also coming off a career weekend. In Saturday's overtime win over Colgate, Terrell tallied 293 passing yards, moving up on Princeton's all-time list to tenth and jumping over three former Tigers including 1951 Heisman Trophy winner Dick Kazmaier '51 .
Against Brown, Terrell and the rest of the Tiger offense will face a stiff challenge in Zak DeOssie, the leading tackler in Division I-AA. DeOssie averages eight solo tackles per game.
"He's a big physical kid that can run, and they certainly like to put him at the point of attack as much as possible," head coach Roger Hughes said. "We run the option, and every chance he gets to hit the quarterback he doesn't waste the opportunity to let you know that he's physical and he's there."
Junior fullback Rob Toresco will be one of the players charged with protecting the passer, but the Tiger whose football brains led Hughes to call him "a coach on the field," is ready for the test.
"[DeOssie]'s definitely going to be a presence out on the field that we're going to have to stop," Toresco said, "but I look forward to the challenge, and I welcome it. I'll be just as physical and just as vocal as he is."
The Tigers are coming off their first 3-0 Patriot League sweep since the 1997 season, and the victories have come against those ranked as the League's top three teams. Princeton's offense this season has thrived on its depth and ability to maintain possession.
"We have a lot of threats. It's a lot easier on Jeff, myself, and the other guys," Toresco said. "Jeff feels confident he can pass to anyone down the field."
It was Princeton's defense that saved the day against Colgate (2-3), as sophomore defensive lineman Tom Methvin tackled the quarterback to prevent Colgate's two-point conversion attempt in overtime and preserve the one point lead.
Princeton boasts the best third-down defense in the country, and the Tigers are currently allowing just 14.0 points per game, ranking them second in the Ivy League and 15th nationally in scoring defense. Junior linebacker Tim Boardman, who racked up 12 tackles against Colgate, feels the defense just needs to keep up the trend.
"We have to shut down the runner early, force them to pass and let our veteran group of D-backs make plays on the ball," Boardman said. "We're going to intimidate them with our overall team speed."

Offensively, Brown presents weapons in wide receivers Lonnie Hill and Paul Raymond. Hill ranks fourth nationally in receiving yards with 110.5 yards per game, and Raymond is known for his formidable speed and athleticism. Running back Akin Oyalowo is Brown's top rusher.
Brown has allowed 30.5 points per game in the face of stiff competition. The team suffered losses to No. 15 Harvard (4-0, 2-0) and non-league opponents Holy Cross (4-2) and Rhode Island (2-3), both of which Hughes commended for their high-powered offenses.
In addition to DeOssie, Brown's defense will present a change because the Bears use a four-man front as opposed to the five-man format the Tigers have seen over the last few weeks.
Since the game is Friday, Princeton has had one day less to prepare for Brown's arrival. Though Hughes wishes he had the extra day, his players are ready to go.
"We're looking forward to the opportunity to play on Friday night; it gives us the opportunity to showcase the league in front of a national audience," Hughes said. "The players are excited to get back to the Ivy League games — every week now becomes championship week."