Turnovers plague first outing

Facing a 23-0 deficit at the half, the football team headed into the locker room Saturday evening feeling a sense of deja vu. The situation was strikingly similar to last season's opening game against Lehigh, in which the Tigers suffered through a first half full of missed tackles and wasted offensive opportunities and found themselves on the wrong end of a 10-0 halftime score.

Last year, Princeton (0-1 overall) rallied to defeat the Mountain Hawks 14-10. This year's squad found itself in need of an even bigger miracle but couldn't produce the same second-half magic in a 32-21 loss to Lehigh (1-1).

First-game nerves got the best of the Tigers in an atrocious first half during which they turned the ball over five times and managed only one first down. The trouble began on Princeton's opening drive, when junior tailback R.C. Lagomarsino broke free for a 15-yard run but fumbled the ball when met by the Mountain Hawk defenders. Lehigh capitalized on the Tigers' mistake when Kwesi Kankam fought his way through Princeton's defensive line into the end zone to give Lehigh an early 7-0 lead.

Princeton's second possession resulted in another turnover when senior quarterback Bill Foran's pass slipped through the hands of junior wide receiver Adam Berry and was intercepted. Sophomore defensive back Dan Kopolovich interrupted two passes during Lehigh's subsequent march down the field, nearly nabbing an interception that would have stripped the Mountain Hawks of momentum.

Instead, just minutes later, Lehigh quarterback Sedale Threatt found a wide-open Troy Healion in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown. Following a missed extra point, Lehigh found itself with a 13-0 lead.

Special teams mistakes plagued the Tigers during the second quarter, as they committed turnovers on both a punt and a kickoff. A wary Princeton defense, led by senior linebackers Tim Boardman and Jon Stem, couldn't endure Lehigh's onslaught and allowed another 10 points before halftime.

"For lack of a better term, it was almost comical," head coach Roger Hughes said. "I mean, we fumbled a punt, then we fumbled a kickoff, and then it seemed like everything that could go wrong did."

Princeton's chances looked promising, as Foran and the offense fell into a rhythm early in the third quarter and converted a series of third downs.

After having a pass blocked, Foran faced third-and-eight from his own 14-yard line. Rolling to his right to escape a Lehigh defender, Foran sprinted back across the field and threw an off-balance pass to junior wide receiver Will Thanheiser for a huge gain to the Lehigh 48-yard line. After connecting on third down with senior wide receiver Brendan Circle on a 24-yard reception to put the Tigers in the red zone, Foran lasered a pass to senior fullback Rob Toresco for his first career touchdown pass.

The score appeared to light a fire under the Princeton defense, as the Tigers held the Mountain Hawks to a three-and-out on their next series.

After Princeton was forced to punt on its next drive, a personal foul on Lehigh allowed the Tigers to retain possession, and luck appeared to be on their side. Seconds later Foran spotted Circle streaking down the sideline, and the 53-yard connection set the Tigers up for first-and-goal. After suffering a huge loss of yardage on second down, Foran connected with Berry, who leapt into the air and snatched the ball with his fingertips to close the Princeton deficit to 11 with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the third.

Lehigh responded with a long 13-play drive that ended in a two-yard rushing touchdown by Jaren Walker to put the Mountain Hawks back up by 18. Senior Greg Mroz replaced Foran at quarterback in the fourth quarter and connected with Thanheiser for a touchdown with less than four minutes to go in the game.

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Foran finished the game with just seven completions on 23 attempts, with his two interceptions further marring his debut as a starter. While Foran was not in panic mode after the game — repeatedly emphasizing that it was the team's first game — Hughes was quick to label his quarterback's play as "inconsistent."

Meanwhile, despite having to stay on the field for 92 Mountain Hawk plays, the Tiger defense actually appeared to be relatively sharp.

Boardman, who led the Tigers in tackles last season with 52, made an astounding 17 tackles, while senior linebacker Doori Song and senior strong safety Joe Cerreta contributed eight each.