Football looks to continue hot start on the road against Brown

In 1995 and 2006, the Princeton Tigers started their season 4-0. In both years, they also claimed the Ivy League title.

Now, it’s October 2015 and Princeton is 4-0 again after routing Colgate 44-20. The Tigers (4-0, 1-0 Ivy League) smothered the Raiders (2-4, 1-0 Patriot League) with 556 yards of total offense and four touchdowns from sophomore quarterback John Lovett, while their defense blocked two field goals and held Colgate firmly at bay.

With a pristine record and a win against Columbia already under their belts, the Tigers look to bring their goal of an Ivy League Championship one step closer to reality as they square off against Brown (2-2, 0-1). When asked about the game, Coach Bob Surace ’90 praised the Bears’ aerial attack and anticipated a fierce matchupSaturday.

“This is one of those games that has the chance to be a classic game because both teams execute so well,” Surace said. “[Brown is] a physical team, they play hard, they play the game the right way, all those things. They’re throwing the ball as well as any team — in fact, I believethey’re the no. 2 pass-ranked team in the country. Their skill guys are all back from last year, their quarterback Marcus Fuller is completing a high percentage of passes both short and deep, and they’ve got three receivers who are among the top 5 in the Ivy League.”

Against this offense, which averages 480 yards a game and over 391 yards through the air, Surace presents a defensive unit whose emphasis this week has been on assignments and creating a tough environment for the passer.

“The more we can get disruption on [Marcus Fuller], get him to throw the ball quicker than he wants to, deflect his passes, any of those things, [the better],” Surace said. “And then we have to execute our coverage responsibilities — we can’t be like we were earlier last week and then a couple times later, not in the right areas in our zone coverages.”

Surace also has the Princeton offense, which has averaged over 45 points per game while under normal weather conditions and presents a dangerously well-rounded attack — with over 216 yards passing and 231 rushing yards per game. Although Tigers are currently missing senior running backs DiAndre Atwater and Dre Nelson, Surace believes that the offensive system will continue to thrive until the pair are able to return to play.

“They’re both great players, but fortunately they have short-term injuries and they’re progressing extremely well,” Surace noted. “The next guy has got to go in, and we’ve had a great attitude about it. If DiAndre is not in, then it’s Joey Rattigan or AJ Glass or Charlie Volker — the next guy goes in and they’re all great football players, so they try to do what they do best.”

Junior quarterback Chad Kanoff shares Surace’s confidence in Princeton’s offensive strength, highlighting the Tigers’ offensive line as he expressed anticipation for this weekend’s contest.

“[Brown] plays hard, so we’re expecting a dogfight,” Kanoff said. “We play really hard and we’re practicing really hard. Offensively, we’ve got a really good O-line: we’ve got three to four seniors who’ve been around here for awhile and they’re really good players.”

A win on Saturday would move the Tigers to 2-0 in the Ivy League and a commanding 5-0 record overall. Princeton emerged victorious in the two schools’ last meeting, 27-16.

The second Ivy League game and the historic significance of the team’s undefeated record in and out of conference may have generated a significant amount of excitement, but Surace has emphasized the importance of staying grounded and maintaining absolute focus on the moment.

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“The guys [on the team] today — they could care less [about their record],” he explained. “They know that the best you can be right now is 4-0 and that Brown is a terrific opponent and that our preparation has to be great. You know, we respect the tradition, but it has nothing to do withSaturdayatnoonwhen we play Brown. What we have to do is be prepared, we have to execute our responsibilities, we have to play hard, because Brown’s going to do that. We just have to be one play better.”

Kickoff will take place at noon onSaturday, Oct. 17.