Inability to stop the pass proves fatal

Unfortunately for the Tigers, Colgate wide receiver Pat Simonds and quarterback Greg Sullivan had other ideas.

When Princeton focused on stopping the Red Raiders’ lethal running attack, Colgate mixed things up. Sullivan often ran the ball off the play-action fake and consistently gained yardage. And while Scott was held in check, he still accumulated a respectable 116 yards on the ground. While neither runner had many big gains, they produced a steady stream of first downs and took time off the clock. Colgate dominated first downs and time of possession, particularly in the second half, moving the chains nine more times than Princeton did while holding the ball 10 minutes longer.

Princeton had no answer when Colgate went to the air, with Sullivan and Simonds connecting seemingly at will against Princeton’s secondary. Simonds exploited his huge height advantage — he’s four and six inches taller than starting junior cornerbacks Dan Kopolovich and Cart Kelly — to pull down 11 catches. Simonds’ success, combined with Colgate’s airtight protection against the pass rush, were the key reasons that Sullivan completed 85 percent of his passes.

While Sullivan was comfortable, senior quarterback and tri-captain Brian Anderson was harried. Colgate brought pressure off the blitz, particularly with safety David Morgan, and moved its personnel around to create mismatches. Anderson was sacked three times and was constantly under pressure: His 42-yard pass to senior wide receiver Will Thanheiser came despite a big hit as he released the ball.

Meanwhile, Sullivan found Simonds whenever Colgate needed a big play, especially for two huge catches on the final game-winning drive. The first of these was a 14-yard reception with about 40 seconds left in the game that seemed to energize the Raiders’ offense. Then with Colgate on the edge of field-goal range and enough time for one more play, Simonds was the target of a 10-yard hook pass that turned a dicey 44-yard attempt into a much more makeable 33 yarder.

None of this would have been possible without one of the game’s hidden turning points. After Princeton failed to convert a third down at mid-field, senior punter Ryan Coyle tried to pin Colgate inside its own five for the second time.

As the punt bounced over the goal line, sophomore defensive back Meko McCray tried to bat it out of the endzone. While it initially appeared that he had succeeded and that Colgate would be pinned at its own one-yard line with 1:10 to play, the back judge ruled that it had actually been a touchback. Instead of starting at the one, Colgate received the ball at the 20. Given that Colgate came out cautious with a first-down running play on the ensuing drive, it seems unlikely that the Raiders would have considered going for the win if they’d started in a more precarious position.

With the Brown Bears and prolific passer Michael Dougherty coming to town fresh off setting the Ivy League single-game passing mark, Princeton will need to find a way to strengthen its pass defense. Otherwise, this coming Saturday could be another heartbreaking day for the Tigers.