Six turnovers mean first Ivy loss for Tigers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Turnovers have dogged the football team throughout the season, but after this weekend, they've morphed into something more than just a nagging issue. As Princeton (2-3 overall, 1-1 Ivy League) struggled through a 33-24 loss to Brown (2-3, 1-1) on Saturday, it seemed as if the ball had a mind of its own — and that mind was determined that the Bears should have possession.

Unfortunately for Princeton, the majority of its giveaways happened at crucial junctures during the second half, cutting short encouraging drives and sabotaging the team's comeback effort.

"There's no one that works harder at ball security than we do," head coach Roger Hughes said.

But against Brown, Princeton's hard work did not translate into results. One of the game's most deflating turnovers came shortly before the end of the third quarter when Princeton trailed 27-10, facing a third-and-nine situation.

Immediately following the snap, senior quarterback Bill Foran found himself under heavy pressure — a condition he encountered frequently — and dumped the ball to sophomore tailback Kenny Gunter. He then darted forward for roughly 15 yards before running into Bears' linebacker Steve Ziogas. But instead of going for Gunter's legs, Ziogas knocked the ball out of the tailback's hands and killed any positive momentum Princeton had gained on the play.

Though Tiger ballcarriers lost four fumbles on the day, that was hardly the team's only problem. Foran also threw a damaging interception late in the fourth quarter, effectively ending any chance of a comeback, while fellow senior quarterback Greg Mroz tossed a second-half pick of his own.

Before Princeton's late rash of turnovers, the Tigers and Bears actually fought a close and competitive first half in which two high-octane offenses took center stage.

Brown quarterback Michael Dougherty lived up to his reputation as one of the most dangerous passers in the league, throwing for 360 yards and two touchdowns on the day.

Dougherty's first touchdown came on a perfect fade route to wideout Bobby Sewall in the left corner of the end zone. The score, which came with seven minutes and 35 seconds remaining in the first quarter, gave the Bears an early 7-0 lead.

The Tigers quickly responded, knotting the score at seven with a strong effort late in the opening quarter. The key plays during Princeton's first scoring drive were a 34-yard screen pass to sophomore tailback Jordan Culbreath and a 48-yard bomb to junior wideout Adam Berry that brought the Tigers into the end zone.

The next two quarters saw momentum shift to Brown as Princeton's defense began to cede ground and a recently graduated Tiger saw his career record for field goals surpassed.

Bears' kicker Steve Morgan nailed his first field goal of the game with 8:28 to go in the second quarter and finished with four on the day to break the Ivy League career mark of 45, formerly held by Derek Javarone '06.

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Dougherty, meanwhile, threw his second touchdown — a 43-yard pass to wide receiver Buddy Farnham — with 4:55 remaining before halftime to increase the lead to 17-7. Princeton, which dared Dougherty with several man-to-man opportunities in the first half, soon learned to respect the Bears' quarterback's arm.

Playing a good deal of zone coverage in the second stanza, the Tigers held Dougherty without a touchdown. But Brown's defense made up for its sputtering offense. By forcing five second-half turnovers, the Bears made sure their attack had plenty of opportunities to get into scoring position.

Down 27-10, the Tigers finally mounted a concerted comeback effort in the fourth quarter. Less than three minutes into the quarter, on a fourth-and-one option play, Foran flashed his dazzling athleticism by taking a quarterback keep straight up the middle. Foran's speed froze Brown's secondary, allowing him to split the safeties and take it 64 yards for the score.

After another Morgan field goal increased the Bears' lead to 13 and Princeton followed with a three-and-out, Brown had an opportunity to put the game beyond the Tigers' reach. Bears tailback Chris Strickland, however, fumbled the ball, and junior defensive end Pete Buchignani recovered for the Tigers with 6:45 remaining in the game.

On the first play of the ensuing possession, Foran lofted a long pass to streaking senior captain and wide receiver Brendan Circle for a 39-yard touchdown. The score was Circle's first of the season and narrowed the margin to 30-24.

Unfortunately for the Orange and Black, its last-gasp effort sputtered after Circle's big catch. The Tiger defense was unable to quickly retire Brown's offense on the next possession, as Dougherty led a 61-yard drive — capped by another Morgan field goal — to put the game away.

The key play during the drive came on first-and-15, with Brown on the Tigers' 48-yard line. Wideout Paul Raymond ran a crossing route that cut into the deep zone in the middle of the field. The Princeton safety assigned to cover that spot had bitten on several underneath routes, leaving Raymond with several yards of separation. Dougherty found Raymond for a 42-yard gain that brought the ball to the six-yard line and set up Morgan's kick.

Brown's resulting 33-24 lead would wind up being the final score. After the game, senior safety Kevin Kelleher, the de facto leader of the Tiger secondary, lamented Princeton's costly defensive breakdowns.

"We had blown coverages out of experienced players," Kelleher said.

The ill-timed Tiger mistakes made the difference in what was otherwise a remarkably even game between the two Ancient Eight squads. Brown outgained Princeton by only 23 yards — 453 offensive yards compared to 430 for the Tigers — and the Tigers were actually more efficient than the Bears on third down.

The disparity in turnovers, however, managed to conceal this surprising parity in total offense.

Ultimately, Princeton must tend to this sore spot — and tend to it posthaste — if it wishes to have any chance of defending its Ivy League title.