Entering Saturday, the football team had played Columbia 79 times and had never lost consecutive games. But the Lions (2-1 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) ended that streak in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 42-14 victory at Robert K. Kraft Field. Princeton (1-2, 0-1) again came out flat in an Ivy League opener and has been outscored 80-14 in the last two meetings with its northern neighbor.
The biggest culprit this weekend was poor pass defense, which Columbia quarterback Sean Brackett torched for a school record-tying five touchdowns. Princeton’s inexperienced secondary covered the sidelines relatively well but had no answer for tight end Andrew Kennedy, who caught seven passes for 148 yards and two scores. Brackett opened three drives with deep throws to Kennedy over the middle, completing two and missing a third off the senior’s fingertips.
“[The secondary] struggled, and it was very disappointing, because we practiced some of those things over and over,” head coach Bob Surace ’90 said. “The coaches and I have to do a better job of getting those things through, because we didn’t defend those plays as well as we could have.”
Even when the coverage was solid, Brackett made some terrific throws. Early in the fourth quarter, the Lions had a first down inside Princeton territory with a three-touchdown lead when they again went over the middle. A pair of white-and-orange jerseys had Kennedy covered fairly well, given that the Tigers were expecting a run, but Brackett dropped the ball just over the defenders into his target’s outstretched hands for a 40-yard score.
Princeton’s defensive line pressured Brackett well early on. The Tigers forced the sophomore to scramble for yardage six times in the first half alone, while he completed just one of his first five passes. But the Lions’ protection improved, making their passing attack unstoppable. Brackett found his target on 17 of his final 19 attempts, going 8-for-9 in the second half for 156 yards.
The Columbia rushing attack had success against Princeton’s injury-decimated front seven. The hosts consistently got to the second level of the defense, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Speedy running back Nick Gerst was the most potent threat, slipping through the Tigers’ defense and getting to open field to accumulate 124 yards. Princeton also had trouble tracking Brackett, whose scrambles frequently extended Lions’ drives.
“Columbia runs a terrific offensive scheme,” Surace said. “They really cause you to defend the entire field. They have a very good offensive line, probably the best we’ve seen.”
Meanwhile, the Lions also dominated in the trenches on the other side of the ball. The Princeton offensive line, which has also been hit hard by injuries, opened few holes for Orange and Black running backs, who were outgained nearly 3-to-1 by their counterparts. On a key fourth-and-1 from the Columbia 30-yard line in the third quarter, three Lions got into the backfield and hit senior fullback and co-captain Matt Zimmerman as soon as he took the handoff, stopping the Princeton drive and all but sealing the outcome.
Junior quarterback Tommy Wornham was rarely comfortable in the pocket, as Columbia rushers often made their way through the Princeton line. As usual, Wornham connected with senior receiver Trey Peacock — who caught 11 passes for 125 yards and leads all Football Championship Subdivision receivers with 139.7 yards per game — but he often threw under pressure. Wornham avoided throwing any interceptions, but a few passes sailed dangerously past blue jerseys, and he committed an unforced fumble on a second-quarter scramble.
The Tigers recovered Wornham’s fumble, but they would not be so lucky on two more critical occasions. Princeton drove for 50 yards on its first series — its first game-opening drive this year to last longer than three plays — but senior receiver Jeb Heavenrich coughed up the ball at the Columbia 26, ending the threat.
The visitors had possession with less than 30 seconds remaining in the half, but Peacock was stripped on the left sideline. The ball popped straight into the air, where Columbia's Ben Popeck again came up with the loose ball, taking it to the 7-yard line. The turnover led to seven points when Kennedy hauled in a touchdown pass 10 seconds later.
Even when they held onto the ball, the Tigers had trouble finishing drives, stalling out three more times in Columbia territory.
“Columbia plays their responsibilities better than most professional defenses,” said Surace, who came to the Tigers from the Cincinnati Bengals. “They play their gaps extremely sound. I’m thoroughly impressed with how their players adapt to their system.”
The Tigers hope to become healthier before resuming Ivy League play in two weeks, and have a lot to work on before hosting Colgate on Saturday. But they will likely be relieved to have the Lions — who suddenly have Princeton’s number — in the rearview mirror.
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