Despite turnovers, Foran's bold plays and Mroz's poise get it done

There are worse people to imitate than Randy Moss — at least on a football field. The problem with trying to do what Moss does, however, is that his results are either incredible or disastrous.

During the football team's wild 42-32 home win against Columbia on Saturday, senior quarterback Bill Foran briefly channeled the spirit of the controversial but spectacular New England wide receiver and transformed a busted play into a brilliant one.

Facing third and seven against the Lions, Foran rushed four yards before the defense swarmed around him. Running out of options, Foran absorbed a hit before tossing the ball to nearby junior wideout Will Thanheiser. Thanheiser then ran for 27 more yards before being dragged down by cornerback JoJo Smith.

Moss or Minnesota Vikings fans will surely recall the team's 2003 match-up against the Broncos. Moss, after catching a long pass and finding himself wrapped up by the defensive back, flipped the ball behind his back to a streaking Moe Williams. Williams ran it in for a touchdown, creating an instant "Sportscenter" sensation.

Unfortunately for Foran, someone should have told him that Moss' trick has only worked once in the mercurial star's 10-year NFL career.

On the first drive of the third quarter, with the Tigers down 24-21, Foran converted a third and nine with a sharp 12-yard pass to junior tailback R.C. Lagomarsino. On first and 10, however, Foran immediately ran into trouble. Columbia defensive end Lou Miller broke into the pocket and sacked Foran for a 12-yard loss.

Rather than concede the yardage, Foran tried to make something out of nothing and again attempted the lateral. This time, Miller's tackle disrupted his motion and the ball flew out of Foran's hands to be recovered by strong safety Andy Shalbrack.

Head coach Roger Hughes summed up the quandary posed by Foran's bold but risky decisions.

"You live by the sword; [you] die by the sword," Hughes said. "He has to understand when he's just got to take it."

Foran's overall play could best be described as inconsistent. At times, he seemed virtually untouchable — as his team-high 84 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, along with 236 yards through the air, amply demonstrate. Yet in the first half, Foran threw a costly pick that Shalbrack returned for a touchdown to reduce the Lions' deficit to four points and bring them back into the game. The first two drives of the second half also ended on turnovers by Foran, one being the fumble and the other an interception by cornerback Eugene Edwards.

After Edwards' pick, Hughes decided he needed to make a change at quarterback, inserting senior Greg Mroz into the lineup for the next offensive possession.

"I just felt like we needed a spark," Hughes said. "Greg can throw it around pretty good."

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Mroz validated his coach's belief on his first drive. The offense ran smoothly with its new signal-caller, rumbling forward for 80 yards and a touchdown to regain the lead, 28-24.

On the drive, Mroz completed several outstanding passes — including a 30-yard strike to senior tight end Jake Staser that converted on second and 17 — while also flashing his athleticism with several productive rushes.

Only one play later, after a fumble by Lions' running back Pete Stoll, Mroz had the ball back in his hands and a short field with which to play. The quarterback's legs were as crucial as his arm on this drive: on a second and long play, Mroz took the ball 18 yards to Columbia's four-yard line. Two plays later, he again targeted Staser for a one-yard touchdown pass that gave Princeton a decisive 35-24 advantage.

Overall, the Tiger offense seemed to work just as well with either veteran signal-caller.

"I don't feel like we lost a beat when Greg came in," senior fullback Rob Toresco said.

Unfortunately for Princeton, the team almost lost the service of one of its quarterbacks. On Mroz's third drive, he was hit in his right throwing hand by an opposing player's helmet. Mroz, apparently unable to get a feel for the ball, left the game. X-rays, though, came back normal. Mroz may miss some practice this week, but he is expected to be able to play by next weekend.

Regardless, the offense's versatility allowed it to bounce back. With Foran again at the helm, the team drove 57 yards for a game-sealing score. Foran was the key to the drive, completing a difficult 27-yard pass to senior wide receiver Brendan Circle on third and seven and later rushing eight yards for the touchdown.

At the end of the game, Princeton's offense compiled 570 total yards and 42 points behind the two-headed monster of Foran and Mroz.

"With the exceptions of the turnovers we had, I was very pleased with our offense," Hughes said.

If Mroz recovers as expected, Tigers fans should expect to see more of the combination of Foran and Mroz for the rest of the season. After all, as Randy Moss's newfound success with Tom Brady attests to, even the game-changing ability of a superstar needs to find a steady counterpart.