Introduction of ground game opens up offense

Fifty-seven rushing attempts and one broken nose later, there was little doubt that the football team had played the kind of quintessential smash-mouth football that would have made even Knute Rockne proud.

One week after a stinging 32-21 loss to Lehigh (2-1 overall), Princeton (1-1) got back to basics — avoiding the mistakes that plagued both the offense and special teams against the Mountain Hawks — and earned a physical 20-14 win against Lafayette (3-1) by running the ball consistently.

Just a week ago, the Tiger offense failed to mount an effective ground game against Lehigh's young front seven. Junior tailback R.C. Lagomarsino fumbled on the game's opening play, one of a series of critical miscues that gave Lehigh a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. When all was said and done, Princeton had rushed 29 times for only 83 yards while gaining only three first downs on the ground.

Against the Leopards — currently Division I-AA's top defense — the Tigers commanded the trenches and executed in nearly every facet of the running game. With senior fullback Rob Toresco pounding the ball between the tackles, Princeton emptied a bag of tricks that included extensive misdirection plays and outside tosses.

"The offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage," head coach Roger Hughes said, "[And] when that happens, you run the ball."

Hughes stressed that running the ball as frequently as Princeton did against Lafayette was a better indicator of his team's offensive philosophy than the pass-happy performance of a week ago.

Particularly given that senior quarterback Bill Foran is an exceptional athlete and a running threat outside the pocket, the 2007 iteration of the Tigers can be expected to lean heavily on their running game. Hughes noted that early stretch plays and sweeps to the perimeter allowed the offense to exploit the Leopards' vulnerability up the middle.

Princeton's running backs enthusiastically embraced their newfound prominence in the offense. Lagomarsino rushed for 59 yards and a third-quarter touchdown on 15 attempts, many of which came after a hard hit left him with a broken nose in the opening stanza. The injury limited Lagomarsino's touches during the game, and as a result other Tigers were forced to fill the void.

Sophomore tailback Kenny Gunter was a particularly dynamic presence off the bench for Princeton, racking up 106 all-purpose yards on 22 touches while filling in for Lagomarsino at tailback and also returning kicks. Gunter, a converted quarterback who is still learning the intricacies of his position, deflected the praise for his effort to his teammates.

"I'm just trying to get better every week," Gunter said. "The offensive line was blowing open holes ... they made me look a lot better than I am."

Gunter, who scored the game's first touchdown, was hardly the only Tiger to enjoy the outstanding work by the men up front. Foran — whose much-heralded mobility was largely curtailed last week — found more room to run on the Leopards' division-leading defense.

Lafayette's coaching staff frustrated by Foran's ease in moving the ball against them, particularly given the preparation they devoted to stopping him.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

"We certainly knew he was a good athlete who could move very well," Lafayette head coach Frank Tavani said.

Foran picked up two big rushing first downs during the Tigers' first touchdown drive, one of them a five-yard gain that converted on a third-and-three. With his legs, Foran earned his team a new set of downs four times, and the Tigers as a whole rushed for 14 first downs.

Establishing a consistent running game impacted all facets of the game. Princeton dominated the battle for time of possession and held the ball for nearly 38 minutes.

"We kept out defense on the field way too long," Tavani said. "There's no doubt you wear down."

The Tigers' passing game, meanwhile, flourished as the Leopards' defense grew exhausted and their front seven began to stay in the box to guard against the run. Foran threw only 24 passes, but completed 18 of them, demonstrating his ability to make his passes count. Foran's average completion went for 11 yards, with many of those throws resulting in long third-down conversions that kept Princeton drives alive.

With three minutes, six seconds to go in the game, Foran completed one of his most important passes, a 21-yard connection with senior wide receiver Brendan Circle to give the Tigers a game-sealing first down. Foran attributed the play's success to the fact that Princeton had called several inside running plays earlier in the game out of an identical formation.

Running the ball consistently — both to gain steady positive yardage and expose the opposing defense to the big passing play — is hardly new football wisdom. For the Tigers, however, it may just be that the tried and true can still act as a blueprint for present-day success.