Football: Harvard, Penn to be toughest tasks

The football team opens its season this Saturday at 3 p.m. against The Citadel at Princeton Stadium. Here is a preview of the key players for that game and Princeton’s nine other opponents this year.

Last season, the Princeton University Band was harassed by cadets when it marched on the grounds of The Citadel before the Tigers’ non-conference game in South Carolina. Similar pre-game fireworks are unlikely this year as the game is being played in New Jersey. The Citadel’s offensive standout is wide receiver Andre Roberts, an All-American who recorded 95 receptions and 1,342 receiving yards last season. On the defensive end, the Bulldogs will look for a spark form defensive back Joseph Boateng, last week’s Southern Conference defensive player of the week.

The Tigers’ first road game of the season is in Bethlehem, Pa., against Lehigh of the Patriot League. Princeton’s games against the Engineers generally come down to the wire, and last year was no different with the Tigers winning 10-7 on a late field goal by kicker Connor Louden. Lehigh’s defense will pose a stern test for a Princeton offense that looks to replace a few key players from last year. The Engineers’ linebacking corps returns all three starters, including all-league player Matt Cohen. On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback J.B. Clark returns to run the show for a second year.

Princeton opens Ivy League play in a home matchup against Columbia. The Tigers have defeated their New York rival in each of the past five seasons and will look to push that streak to six this year. Columbia was picked sixth in this year’s annual Ivy League preseason poll — one spot behind Princeton. The Lions are led on offense by returning all-Ivy League receiver Austin Knowlin, and defensive end Lou Miller, another returning All-Ivy performer, leads Columbia on the other side of the ball. Last year, Miller recorded 3.5 tackles for a loss against Princeton.

Colgate travels to Princeton Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 8 for a rare weeknight game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU. Last season, the Tigers lost to Colgate on a last-second field goal, and they will certainly be out for revenge this year. The Raiders were ranked second in the Patriot League preseason poll, primarily as a result of the experienced starters the team returns on both sides of the ball.

The Tigers will trek up to Providence, R.I., for their first Ivy League road game against defending Ivy League champion Brown. The game will be aired on Versus and will be the second consecutive television appearance for Princeton. The Bears return two all-Ivy wide receivers in Buddy Farnham and Bobby Sewall — they combined for 148 yards against the Tiger defense last season. The Princeton secondary’s ability to contain Farnham and Sewall will be one of the unit’s biggest challenges of the season.

Princeton stays on the road the following week for a game against the preseason favorite in the Ivy League, Harvard. The Crimson received 10 first-place votes in the preseason poll, and the Tigers’ trip to Cambridge, Mass., promises to be one of their toughest of 2009. Harvard is also ranked in all three major Division I Football Championship Subdivision preseason polls. The Crimson returns eight offensive starters including preseason All-American tackle James Williams, who will test the growth of the Tigers’ inexperienced defensive line. And though Harvard’s defense is not as experienced as its offense, the Crimson still returns five starters on the defensive side of the ball. Preseason All-American cornerback Derrick Barker and All-Ivy defensive tackle Carl Ehrlich lead the Crimson defense.

After two weeks on the road, Princeton returns home for an afternoon game on Halloween against Cornell, which is tied for sixth in the preseason Ivy League poll. The last two years, Princeton’s running back, senior Jordan Culbreath, has feasted on the Big Red defense, rushing for a combined total of 314 yards in two games. Cornell returns only three starters on the defensive side of the ball, so Culbreath could have another huge game against the Big Red this year. Cornell has more experience on the offensive end with returning starters at running back and both wide receiver positions.

The Tigers then travel to Philadelphia for a televised game, aired on the Comcast Network, against Penn, the second-ranked team in the preseason Ivy League poll. The Quakers have preseason All-America selections on both sides of the ball. Offensive lineman Matt Schaefer will be an imposing presence in the trenches while defensive back Chris Wynn and defensive end Joe Gorniprow head up a strong and balanced defense. In addition, Penn has one of the best placekickers in the country in Andrew Samson, giving them an edge in games that go down to the wire.

Yale journeys to Princeton Stadium after Fall Break for the Tigers’ final home game, which will be televised on the YES Network. Princeton has struggled against Yale the last two seasons, having being outscored by a combined score of 41-6. This season, the Bulldogs were picked fourth in the preseason Ivy League poll, one spot ahead of Princeton. Yale is led by quarterback Brook Hart, one of the most experienced players at his position in the Ivy League. Last season, Hart started five games for the Bulldogs and finished with a school-record 62.1 completion percentage and seven touchdowns.

Princeton wraps up its season in Hanover, N.H., with its annual season-ending game against Dartmouth, which was picked last in the Ivy League preseason poll. Last year, Culbreath smoked the Big Green for 276 rushing yards — the second highest total in school history — and two touchdowns. The Big Green will look to safety Peter Pidermann to be a leader on the defensive side of the ball and will hope for an offensive spark from wide receiver Tim McManus, an All-Ivy League honorable mention last season.