Hughes seeks steadier tempo

Princeton head coach Roger Hughes knows that all his players are aware of football’s most basic rules, but heading into this weekend’s home opener — a 6 p.m. kickoff versus Lehigh — he felt the need to tell them one last time: A football game has four quarters.

It was imperative that he remind the Tigers because last week against No. 13 The Citadel, the Orange and Black only played for three: an impeccable first half in which the Tigers thoroughly outplayed the Bulldogs and a desperate fourth quarter in which the Princeton offense looked both effective and efficient. Sandwiched in between that brilliance, however, was a third quarter full of mental mistakes and lapses that resulted in the 37-24 loss. Against the Mountain Hawks this weekend, Hughes expects consistency from start to finish.

“Everything about the [Citadel] trip was great except for an eight-minute span in the third quarter,” Hughes said. “While we played well enough to win on both sides of the ball … we are excited at the chance this weekend to prove that we can play for a full 60 minutes.”

It is easy to have a positive outlook after the Tigers’ season opener against The Citadel. Take out the early-third-quarter punt block and ensuing breakdown, and Princeton is 1-0. But more important than the final score is that the team opened its season with cohesion that typically takes weeks to develop.

“We did not look like it was our first game,” Hughes said. “What we need to do now is make sure we see that improvement that most teams see between their first and second games.”

It may be difficult to improve at quarterback, though. In only his second collegiate start, senior tri-captain Brian Anderson was impressive, amassing 206 yards passing with two touchdowns. Anderson also rushed for 56 yards — his 26-yard keeper on the Tigers’ first play set the tone for the entire first half — with the sole blemish coming on a desperation interception in the game’s final minutes.

Sophomore wideout Trey Peacock led all Princeton receivers with six receptions, and though overworked, junior running back Jordan Culbreath was excellent, rushing for 74 yards and a touchdown.

“Overall [offensively] we were very efficient,” Hughes said. “Not flashy, but very efficient. We kept generating first downs … and if we can continue to maintain control of the football, we have a chance to win every game.”

Like the offense, the defense also had spurts of brilliance. Senior linebacker Collin McCarthy recorded a sack on the game’s first play, junior safety Wilson Cates hauled in an interception, and sophomore linebacker Steven Cody was everywhere, accumulating a team-high 11 tackles.

“My role on this defense as a middle linebacker is to make tackles,” said Cody, a first-year starter. “Fortunately, last week I was able to do that. … We have experienced defensive linemen up front, and it definitely makes you feel comfortable playing behind guys who are that strong.”

The key to beating Lehigh will be shutting down senior running back Matt McGowan. McGowan rushed for 173 yards in Lehigh’s 19-0 season-opening win over Drake, and though the Mountain Hawk receiving corps is more dangerous — Hughes called wide receiver Sekou Yansane “a big time playmaker” — neutralizing McGowan will allow the Princeton defense to dedicate more men to diffusing its opponent’s strength.

“We’ve got to shut down the run,” Hughes said. “The best friend of our pass defense is a pass rush, so we need to make sure that we get some pressure on [McGowan and quarterback JB Clark]. … If we stop their running game, they become one-dimensional.”

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Defensively, the Mountain Hawks will also pose a serious problem for the Tigers. Linebacker Tim Diamond, a preseason All-American, was recently named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Villanova, when he recorded 14 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception. Safety Brendan VanAckeren leads a very talented secondary.

“Defensively, they try to wreak a lot of havoc,” wide receivers coach Scott Sallach said. “They will play a lot of zone pressure, pull off either side and push up the middle — just try and put us into bad situations. The thing about their defense is that they have guys at every level that are very talented.”

Aside from stopping the run and neutralizing Lehigh’s talented defense, it is imperative that the Tigers take care of the ball. In the two teams’ recent matchups — Lehigh has won eight of the last nine and six straight at Princeton — the Tigers have shown an uncanny knack for turnovers.

“When we have done poorly against Lehigh, it has been primarily because of turnovers,” Hughes said. “We turn the ball over in crucial situations, and they are a program that takes great advantage of those things.”

Princeton has not started its season 0-2 in more than five years, but Hughes insists that there has been no lull in preparation heading into Saturday night’s contest.

“This week we have not seen any decrease in intensity or work ethic,” said the Princeton coach, who maintains that this year’s Tigers have responded much better to their season-opening loss than last season’s squad. “Frankly, we’ve seen a finer tuning and greater focus [in practice] because we feel that we need to get back on track, especially on our home field.”