Football: Veteran linebackers anchor defense

It’s a good thing for the football team that the start of its season is only days away. Otherwise, the Princeton defense might have had to find a new way to release some of its energy.

“There were a number of practices where [the coaches] had to stop and control the defense from going too aggressive since we have to protect our teammates,” senior defensive end Joel Karacozoff said. “The voices are louder than in the past, guys are yelling, guys are celebrating when they make the plays. It’s a snowball effect where one guy makes a big play and then another guy makes a big play, and now we feel that it’s pedal to the metal and we’re ready to go.”

Karacozoff’s sentiment defines the general outlook of a defense that does not suffer from any lack of motivation.

“Our entire team had a great offseason and has come back in terrific shape,” defensive coordinator Steve Verbit said. “With that, you’re able to see a lot with the young men because you don’t have to spend as much time conditioning. We’re quicker than we have been in the past. We seem to be a little stronger than a year ago.”

The Tigers’ great offseason quieted concerns about Princeton’s lack of experience at certain positions on the defensive side of the ball. Princeton graduated all three of its starters on the defensive line from last year — Pete Buchignani, Tom Methvin and Matt Koch. The three had anchored the defensive front since 2006, and their departures open up a big space for a new generation of linemen to step in.

Princeton currently has at least six defensive linemen who could get significant playing time this year. The group is led by Karacozoff, who logged some playing time the past few seasons when one of the team’s regulars was injured.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that are similar in terms of overall ability,” Verbit said. “We graduated three guys who had started for 30 straight games. Joel has had an opportunity to start the last 14 or 15 games. I really consider him a returning starter [even though he was listed as a reserve last season].”

Karacozoff posted 30 tackles and three sacks last season, and this year, he will be asked to play a more central role in leading the team’s pass rush and mentoring his younger linemates.

“We have what I consider no returning starters at the defensive line,” Karacozoff said. “As a leader, I’m trying my best to pick these guys up, get them in the game and get them at game-speed level because this is some of their first time playing at the collegiate level … I want to help them get the nerves out of being a young player on a big field.”

Joining Karacozoff on the defensive line will be sophomore defensive end Mike Capatano, a six-foot, four-inch defensive end who made great strides throughout the offseason. The nose tackle position will be manned by junior Matt Boyer and sophomore Kevin DeMaio, both of whom possess great size and are eager to step into the role vacated by Koch. Joining those players in the rotation will be senior Mark Ethridge and freshman Caraun Reid, whom Verbit said is one of the fastest linemen on the team.

Though the defensive line is filled with new faces, the unit will be anchored by a linebacker corps with two familiar players. Senior linebacker and co-captain Scott Britton and junior linebacker Steven Cody are both coming off all-Ivy League seasons and will be counted on to spearhead one of the conference’s best groups of linebackers. Last season, Cody led the team with 85 tackles, while Britton finished second in tackles with 81.

“They’re both all-league performers, and they study the tape in the offseason,” Verbit noted. “They see what their shortcomings are, and they see what they need to do to improve. Both these young men are highly spirited young men. They have a great knack for finding the ball … And we expect them to be better this year.”

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“They’re our leaders,” Verbit added, “they should be our top two tacklers, and they will be our top two tacklers. They’ve studied themselves from a year ago, and [that has] put them in a position to be better than they were a year ago.”

Seniors Jeff Jackson and Brad Stetler join Britton and Cody this season and will add some more experience to the linebacker position.

In the secondary, the Tigers will count on an experienced group of ball hawks to support the rest of the team. Princeton’s back four is led by three returning senior starters in Cart Kelly, Wilson Cates and Dan Kopolovich. A shaky pass defense was one of the main culprits in a number of Princeton’s losses last season, and the team is banking on the experience of its secondary to reverse this trend.

“We have to be better [against the pass] all along from the guys up front giving us a better pass rush,” Verbit explained. “In the back, we have to be more consistent in terms of breaking to the ball. We have to be more consistent in terms of pass breakups and interceptions. Our players from a year ago have to improve their performance from 2008.”

The Princeton defense will quickly find out where it stands after its solid offseason training. The team’s opening game against Southern Conference opponent The Citadel will pit the Tiger defense against Andre Roberts, a returning first-team All-American who finished last season with 95 receptions and 1,342 receiving yards. If Princeton can keep Roberts in check, it will be a good sign for the unit’s future prospects.

One thing is certain: The Tigers’ defense will face as much pressure to improve from its senior leadership as it will from any outside source. With such a strong core, the unit is one that seems likely to improve constantly as the season progresses.

“The seniors have all stepped up and given us a great effort,” Verbit said. “[They] have all jumped in and done a tremendous job in terms of pushing the other people in the program and holding everyone accountable in terms of doing things the right way and finishing each and every repetition.”

With the season about to get underway, it’s also likely that the offense will breathe a little easier now that the defense has a common opponent onto which it can channel its energy every Saturday.