Princeton shot out of the starting gates on its first drive and strung together 13 plays in quick succession to make its way to the Colgate 13-yard line. The Tigers stalled after this opening burst and were forced to settle for a field goal after junior quarterback Tommy Wornham was unable to complete a touchdown pass in two attempts.
After gaining 31 yards on its return of a 64-yard punt by junior Pat Jacob, Colgate wasted no time in piecing together a scoring drive of its own. Quarterback Greg Sullivan put his versatility on display, rushing for 36 yards and passing for 20 more to set up a 4-yard rushing touchdown from running back Nate Eachus.
“We drive down the field on the first drive and feel good about it, but you need to get seven points there,” head coach Bob Surace ’90 said. “[After the field goal] it was a kickoff return followed by a touchdown. It’s the definition of insanity: [This situation] happens over and over, and we have to find a way to fix it.”
The Raiders never looked back after their first score. A weak drive by the Tigers resulted in Colgate starting their second series of the game at the Princeton 40-yard line , and within four minutes the Raiders put up a field goal to extend their lead to 9-3.
Princeton’s third and final series of the first quarter was as impotent as the second one: It lasted less than two minutes and ended with an out-of-bounds kick that once again gave Colgate the field position it desired.
“We have to execute better as a whole,” Surace said. “I compare this to when [former Princeton basketball coach] Pete Carril’s teams were a little bit undersized and undermanned ... and they found a way to win — and we had to do that this week. We looked sharp early ... and [then we made errors]. It was frustrating.”
The second quarter began with a quick Colgate touchdown — the squad’s second of the game — which was brought in on an 18-yard rush from Eachus. After another ineffective drive from the Tigers — which included a sack and a fumble — the Raiders found themselves with the ball at their own 30-yard line. Over the next few minutes, Colgate made Princeton’s defense look uncoordinated and clumsy as the Raiders drove for 70 yards and another touchdown to make the score 23-3.
“We’re not going to make any excuses,” senior linebacker Jon Olofsson said. “They had a great offensive line, a great running back, and we just had mental errors that we have to get fixed. When we played our assignments — when we played clean football — we stopped them. The problem was that we beat ourselves.”
Even up by 20 points, Colgate pulled no punches. A 74-yard drive from the Raiders — started halfway through the second quarter and capped off by a 39-yard pass from Sullivan to wide receiver Doug Rosnick — added another seven points to the Raiders’ total and all but closed the door on the floundering Tigers.
Princeton continued to struggle until the end of the fourth quarter. With 8 minutes, 13 seconds left to play — and the score at 44-3 after two more Colgate touchdowns — the Tigers put together a 13-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown pass from Wornham to senior wide receiver Trey Peacock, making the score 44-10. The drive included a stretch in which Wornham completed five straight passes and notched 48 of his 206 total yards for the game.
Still, the lone touchdown was little solace for a team that had hoped to create a compelling game with a storied rival.
“There was nothing you could sugarcoat today,” Surace said. “From about the beginning to the end ... they hit us hard.”
Read More
With Pierce to sit out the year, men’s basketball loses last senior standing
Harrison BlankSenior forward Caden Pierce announced today that he will be sitting out his senior season of basketball at Princeton in the interests of maintaining his final year of eligibility.
Senior forward Caden Pierce announced today that he will be sitting out his senior season of basketball at Princeton in the interests of maintaining his final year of eligibility.
Women’s ice hockey names Courtney Kessel as new head coach
Lily PampolinaFollowing the resignation of Cara Gardner Morey, Princeton appointed Courtney Kessel as head coach.
Following the resignation of Cara Gardner Morey, Princeton appointed Courtney Kessel as head coach.
Former women’s basketball forward Parker Hill ’25 signs professional contract in Switzerland
Doug SchwartzAfter a successful senior season, women's basketball forward Parker Hill signed a contact to play professional basketball in Europe, following in the steps of her past teammates.
After a successful senior season, women's basketball forward Parker Hill signed a contact to play professional basketball in Europe, following in the steps of her past teammates.