On first and goal with four minutes, 57 seconds remaining in the first half of the football team’s home opener against Lehigh (1-2 overall), junior running back Jordan Culbreath swept out to the right side of senior quarterback and tri-captain Brian Anderson and rushed into the endzone for a touchdown, knotting the score at seven.
Culbreath’s touchdown proved to be Princeton’s (1-1) only visit to the endzone in the game, but three factors enabled the Tigers to eke out a 10-7 win as time expired. First, outstanding play by the defense in crucial situations created opportunities for Princeton’s offense and kept the Mountain Hawks’ offense off the field. Second, a strong effort by the offensive line gave Anderson ample time to pass, enabling him to throw the ball to a variety of targets. And perhaps most importantly, Anderson’s quick decision making toward the end of the game drove the Tigers and put senior placekicker Connor Louden in excellent position to make the game-winning kick.
The key play on the final drive of the game was a 46-yard pass completion to senior wide receiver Will Thanheiser that got the Tigers down to the 15-yard line, well within Louden’s range.
Anderson actually designed the play that went to Thanheiser, and head coach Roger Hughes trusted his quarterback to get the job done.
“I’ve got so much confidence in Brian that when he suggests something, I listen,” Hughes said.
Anderson attributed his ability to get the ball to Thanheiser to the offensive line’s role in holding off Lehigh’s front seven.
“The [offensive line] was fantastic, especially in the two-minute drill,” Anderson said. “Will ran a double-move, and I could have even waited a little longer to get the ball to him.”
Hughes also praised the offensive line for its efforts in the matchup, noting that the unit may only get better as the season goes on.
“Overall, the offensive line played pretty well,” Hughes said. “I think they are becoming a cohesive unit the more and more they play together.”
Before Princeton’s first touchdown, the Tigers had been stymied twice in the red zone despite Culbreath running well and Anderson spreading the ball effectively to different receivers.
On Princeton’s first drive of the game, which ate up more than 10 minutes of the first quarter, the Mountain Hawk defense stifled the charging Tiger offense on fourth and goal, causing Princeton to come up empty on an otherwise impressive sequence of plays.
Just as it had on the first drive of the game, red zone inefficiency plagued Princeton on its second drive. After the Tigers set the tone on defense with a key sack that led to a missed field goal for Lehigh, Princeton was back on offense and moving the ball well. After Culbreath broke free for a 46-yard run to the two-yard line, Princeton had a chance to redeem itself.
On first and goal, however, Anderson was sacked back to the 12-yard line. Incomplete passes on second and third down forced the Tigers to try a field goal, but Louden’s kick was blocked by Mountain Hawk linebacker Heath Brickner and run back deep into Princeton territory, setting up Lehigh’s first touchdown.
None of this seemed to matter at the end of the game, though. Culbreath’s touchdown got Princeton on the board in a low-scoring defensive battle that went down to the wire, but Anderson’s performance under pressure, aided by the offensive line’s solid presence, created the game-winning field goal opportunity.
In addition, the balanced effort on offense helped the defense do its job on the other side of the ball. Defensive coordinator Steve Verbit’s unit performed extremely well in the first half, holding Lehigh’s offense to a mere 12 yards on the ground.
The play of the front seven, which got sufficient pressure on Lehigh’s young quarterback J.B. Clark by sacking him twice in the first half, kept the Tigers in the game and gave the offense many chances to put points on the board. In the second half, with the game still tied at seven, the defensive unit stopped Lehigh on a key fourth-and-one play with the Mountain Hawks on the edge of field-goal range.
At the end of the day, it was Anderson’s ability to make good decisions when the ball was in his hands that propelled Princeton to victory. Anderson had a consistent outing for the second week in a row, completing 20 of 29 passes for 244 yards and throwing zero interceptions.
Hughes was pleased with his quarterback’s performance in only his third start.
“Your playmakers have to make plays when the game is on the line,” Hughes said, referring to Anderson. “That is what good players do.”
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