Staff Picks: Football vs. Brown

Coming off a convincing win at Wagner (1–5 overall, 0–2 Northeast) last weekend in which Princeton (3–1, 1–0 Ivy League) never trailed, the Tigers will return home to continue conference play against the Brown Bears (2–2, 0–1). From here on out, Princeton will face off against Ivy opponents for the rest of the regular season. 

The Orange and Black will look to find their fourth win in a row this Saturday against the Bears. 

Princeton 30, Brown 13 — Alexander Beverton-Smith, senior Sports writer

Since their week one loss against Bryant, the Tigers have been in fine form this season and come into their game against the Brown Bears on a three-game winning streak. A large part of this has come from the step up that the offense has taken from last season and how strong the veteran defensive group has remained — a group that ranks No. 1 in the Ivy League nonetheless.

Week-in, week-out, impressive performances from junior running back Kai Honda have also seen the team’s run game take a step up as they lead the Ivy League in rushing yards with an average 164.3 per game. This, combined with the two-quarterback system which the Tigers have been utilizing effectively thus far, gives Princeton confidence they are able to score points however they need to.

The defense should be able to stifle any hopes that Brown has of a high-scoring game on their side of the ball, with Brown quarterback James Murphy averaging a 65.3 percent completion rate but throwing seven interceptions and no touchdowns so far this season. With Princeton’s defensive unit playing at the level it has been — especially against Albany — Murphy is unlikely to throw for many touchdowns on Saturday. This leaves the Brown run game, which ranks dead last in the Ivy League, all alone.

A continued high-level offense, limiting turnovers and forcing turnovers on the other side of the ball will all be key to seeing another comfortable victory for the Tigers this weekend.

Princeton 24, Brown 13 — Juha Im, Sports reporter-in-training

Brown’s defense is the real deal. The Bears have not allowed more than 14 points in any game this fall, giving up only 50 points in the past four games combined. However, the offense continues to leave the defense hanging, scoring 17 or fewer points in three of those four games and leaving the defense no margin for error. Last season the Bears’ 2.7 yards per carry ranked worst in the Ivy League, and so far this fall the ground game has not given much suggestion of improvement. 

Princeton, on the other hand, has stopped looking like last year’s 3–7 team. The Tigers have outscored their last three opponents 85 to 20, and at Wagner they ran the ball 40 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns while taking it away three times. First-year quarterback Wyatt Becker was only 6 of 15 that day, yet his 28-yard touchdown strike to sophomore receiver Josh Smith showed he can hit the big play whenever a defense gets too curious about the run. History helps too, since Princeton leads the series 14–8 since 2004 and won last year’s meeting 40–21. 

Brown’s defense should keep the game close for three quarters. Princeton’s running game should wear it down in the fourth, and after scoring two touchdowns against Wagner, Honda is a good bet to reach the end zone again. The Bears have not shown they can answer a second touchdown, so I’m taking the Tigers, 24–13.

Princeton 27, Brown 10 — Saad Akhtar, sports reporter-in-trainting

Over the past three weeks, the Tigers have looked absolutely dominant with three wins and a scoring margin of 85 points scored by the Tigers to only 20 scored by their opponents. This week looks to be no different as Princeton are heavy favorites in their first game hosting an Ivy League team. The Tigers have been led by Honda, who has broken out as an FCS superstar this season, averaging over 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns a game. His breakaway speed has looked unstoppable, and his big-play potential has been a catalyst for the Tigers’ offense all season. 

The receiver room has looked great as well, with Smith leading the pack with almost 200 yards and two touchdowns, and it’s impossible to forget about reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Josh Robinson who, after a slow start and injury, has gotten back on track as the team’s top target, bursting out of his slump against Wagner in which he lead the team with 84 receiving yards on five receptions. Led by Second Team All-Ivy defensive lineman Ike Odimegwu, Brown’s defense has looked good so far, only allowing an average of 12.5 points per game. However, stopping the Tiger offense will be a heavy task, even for the Bears.

Although they are 2–2 this season, the Brown offense hasn’t looked pretty one bit, especially in the air. Their senior quarterback James Murphy has thrown seven interceptions and not a single touchdown. If Murphy looks to break out of his slump, it’s going to be difficult against a Princeton defense that has been lockdown all season, allowing just over 10 points per game. The biggest challenge for the Tigers defense is going to be containing Brown junior running back Matt Childs, who has led the team in touchdowns, rushing yards, and receiving yards. 

The highlights of the Tiger defense include a loaded defensive back room, including junior defensive back Casey Etienne Jr. and senior defensive backs Kyler Ronquilo and Torian Roberts. Etienne has looked like an emerging star this season, with two interceptions in only four games. Alongside the defensive backs, the linebackers and defensive line have been ample as well, with strong performances from linebackers such as the team’s leading tackler, senior linebacker Chase Christopher, and junior linebacker Jake Moore, who have both been incredibly impactful thus far.

This game should not be a challenge for the red-hot Tigers, who are likely to extend their three-game winning streak on Saturday. 

Alexander Beverton-Smith is a senior Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’

Juha Im is a sports reporter-in-training for the ‘Prince.’

Saad Akhtar is a sports reporter-in-training for the ‘Prince.’

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.