Last year, this matchup was not about the game.
When the football team went down to South Carolina to take on The Citadel last September, the Princeton University Band’s scuffle with Citadel cadets overshadowed the Tigers’ unnerving 37-24 loss. Princeton let the Bulldogs run away with the game in the second half, but more attention was paid to the band that week.
Head coach Roger Hughes still may not have any control over the spectators or musicians this year, but he is determined to lead his team past the distractions and into the win column to start the 2009 season.
Touting a new quarterback and a resurgent defense, the Tigers appear poised to pounce on the Bulldogs (0-1) at home Saturday afternoon, remembering the missteps that doomed them down south one year ago. The Tigers had the lead going into the second half before The Citadel took charge in the third quarter and ended the game 13 points ahead.
The Princeton squad itself is feeling optimistic heading into Saturday, but it remains wary of a high-powered Citadel team that is coming off a loss to UNC, ranked No. 24 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Against the dominating Tar Heels, the Bulldogs struggled, but against the Tigers, they will be out to prove their mettle.
The Citadel’s defense, led by Southern Conference Player of the Week defensive back Joseph Boateng, will not be able to look back on last year’s Princeton game to get an idea of what to expect. Without quarterback Brian Anderson ’09 and wide receiver Will Thanheiser ’09, the Tigers’ offense should feature standout senior running back Jordan Culbreath, who is coming off one of the best seasons in Princeton football history. Sophomore quarterback Tommy Wornham will be starting for the first time, having only played one series last year, during the team’s loss to Yale.
Wornham said he was confident after working with his receivers this summer, but he acknowledged that he would be slightly nervous during his first start. Still, he emphasized that the team wanted to avenge its loss to The Citadel.
“Obviously we want to beat them, and we should’ve won it last year, so the bad taste is in our mouths,” he said, acknowledging that The Citadel would not be an easy team to get by.
“They were picked [to finish] seventh in their conference, so they definitely want to prove to people that’s not where they belong,” Wornham added. “[But] they didn’t beat us last year. We sort of lost it ourselves.”
Culbreath explained that the Tigers are out to prove they can take down the Bulldogs themselves. “We’re definitely coming out to show everybody we can play with the Southern Conference, and we have kind of a vendetta against them.”
For all the excitement in Princeton, though, the matchup is also highly anticipated down south.
“I heard they’re bringing up 700 cadets,” Culbreath said, mentioning the heckling his team might receive. “Last year, I remember being on the sideline, and their whole crowd was just talking trash the whole game.”
Even with all the expected hostility, Culbreath and Hughes both voiced their support for the relatively untested Wornham, but they cautioned that the Bulldog defense would be ready for a fight.
“I think he’s [Wornham’s] looking pretty well. I remember last year when he came into the Yale game as a freshman — he had control,” Culbreath said. “Obviously, he’s going to be a little nervous. It’s going to be a fast-paced game.”
Wornham explained he anticipates a challenge from The Citadel’s hulking defensive line, which will be bearing down on him and Culbreath from the very first series. Though many have assumed that the team would rely heavily on the run this year given Wornham’s inexperience and Culbreath’s star status, the quarterback himself suggested that his rhythm with the receivers has been up to par and that fans can expect Princeton to go to the air when it needs to.
On the defensive side, the Tigers have an intimidating linebacking corps and secondary, both of which will have to work hard to contain star Bulldog receiver Andre Roberts, an All-American last season. Hughes suggested that senior defensive backs Dan Kopolovich and Cart Kelly would be up to the task but that their hands would be full with Roberts, who was held to just 30 yards last week against UNC.
Hughes noted that, though he has been telling the team to take the season one game at a time, the opener will be especially important, particularly given The Citadel’s drive not to fall into an 0-2 hole to start its year.
“I think in this league, if you can get some confidence early, that plays a huge role,” Hughes said. “Hey, we’re teeing it up, and we’re expecting to win the game … I’m not going to predict a win, but I’ll predict us to play well.”
Similarly, after his remarkable junior season, Culbreath is looking ahead to his last year with an optimistic intensity, beginning with the first game.
“[I] only have 10 games left, and hopefully we can win them all,” he said. “We have a lot of good feelings about the team this year.”
And what about against the Bulldogs specifically? “I think we’ll come out on top.”
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