Football: Princeton set to open season at Lehigh

When the 2010 edition of the football team steps onto the field at Lehigh on Saturday under the direction of a man whose last outing for the squad was two decades ago, it will represent the beginning of a new era.

When this year’s Tigers first kick off or receive with their star rusher back on the sideline less than a year after it seemed unlikely he would ever suit up again, it will mean the realization of an inspiring and remarkable comeback tale.

And when the Orange and Black’s star inside linebacker returns to the site of his 77-yard interception return touchdown from last year — the team’s first defensive score in four years — it will provide a prime opportunity for a battle-tested defensive front to prove itself once again.

Indeed, the football team’s 2010 season is already rife with storylines and room for speculation, but if its first-year coach is to be believed, the build-up to Saturday’s matchup in the windy mountains of Bethlehem, Pa., should be about just one overarching theme: “Being a smart, tough, disciplined team.”

Last year, the Tigers scrapped together a 17-14 win at Lehigh in a game slowed by sloppy ball control. It was one of the high points of the first half of Princeton’s season, marked particularly by then-junior inside linebacker Steven Cody’s 77-yard interception return for a touchdown and then-sophomore quarterback Tommy Wornham’s 68-yard touchdown scramble.

But last year’s game should not indicate much about Saturday’s matchup: Both the Tigers and Mountain Hawks (1-1) are significantly different teams from 11 months ago.

Princeton comes into the season with a new head coach — Bob Surace ’90 — and other new staff, a group last will be raring to prove itself against a non-league challenger. Also in action is senior running back and co-captain Jordan Culbreath, who last played a down of college football at Lehigh last season. Culbreath missed the second half of that game, and the rest of last season, after being diagnosed with aplastic anemia. The star rusher tore up the Ivy League the previous year, and despite his time off, he seems poised to compete once again.

On the other sideline will be a revamped Lehigh squad that, like its counterparts in orange and black, finished last season on an upswing. Led by versatile quarterback Chris Lum and tackle Will Rackley, an NFL prospect, the Mountain Hawks are expected to make noise in the Patriot League and cause trouble for all comers. Lehigh kicked off the season by topping Drake University in Iowa before returning home to a drubbing at the hands of No. 2 Villanova, the defending national champion.

With two games already completed, the physical Lehigh defense is poised to jump on what was a suspect Tiger running game last year. However, with Culbreath back in action at the top of the depth chart and a new offensive scheme in place for the Tigers, the intimidating Mountain Hawk front line may have its hands full.

Still, Surace noted that on defense the Tigers would have to contain receiver Ryan Spadola and the rest of Lehigh’s receiving corps, which has thrived due in part to the distribution of passes from Lum. “There are not many guys with that type of arm strength,” Surace said of Lehigh’s quarterback. “He’s a difference maker.”

Led by junior safety Matt Wakulchik and senior corner Glenn Wakam, Princeton’s secondary is expected to have its work cut out for it. Of course, Cody and the linebackers will be there to support the pass defense, particularly because Lehigh’s running game is not as fearsome as its aerial attack.

On offense, Princeton will lean heavily on Wornham, who is now in his second year as the starter. After emerging last year as an adept scrambler, his passing game should be significantly bolstered by Culbreath, who is a receiving threat and an obvious backfield target. Senior receivers Trey Peacock and Andrew Kerr also figure to play large roles when the Tigers have possession.

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But neither Surace nor the players know exactly what to expect from themselves against Lehigh. “They’ve got two games under their belts, and we’ve been playing ourselves,” Surace said. And while that may spell trouble in terms of in-game experience, “they don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Surace said he anticipates feeling different from the last time he stepped onto the Princeton sideline come game time. “You have a different range of emotions as a player, because you do have aggressive contact on the field,” he said. “Now, there’s more of a mental preparation.”

No longer the team’s center, he must worry about all the players and not just primarily the offensive line.

Of course, there is one more obvious distinction. “It will be a little different,” he noted, “because I don’t get to hit anybody.”