Staff Picks: Football vs. Columbia

Coming off their first win of the season, the Princeton Tigers (1–1 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) will head north to face the undefeated Columbia Lions (2–0, 0–0). The Tigers will look to start Ivy League conference play strong this Saturday.

The Sports section makes their picks for this exciting early season match-up.

Princeton 24, Columbia 9 – Alex Beverton-Smith, senior Sports writer

The Tigers come into Saturday’s matchup hot off a 22–0 shutout victory over Albany, and I expect them to follow up that impressive performance with a win over the Columbia Lions this weekend.

Their offense, led by first-year quarterback Wyatt Becker who has started to look more and more comfortable in his role, began to show some real force as the game went on against the Great Danes last weekend. He might have only thrown for 99 yards, but given the success of the Tigers’ run game, the use of backups throughout the game, and an unfortunate overturned touchdown, Becker’s day looked a lot stronger than the boxscore. This, alongside a tremendous backfield duo of senior running back Ethan Clark and junior running back Kai Honda, a thoroughly experienced offensive line, and a deep receiving group, is all the Tigers need for a solid win on Saturday.

Princeton’s defense, too, was lights out. With stars across the field and particularly in the defensive back room, the Tigers looked poised to force another low-scoring game for their opposition. The team had three turnovers last week, with the potential for more, and repetition in this area could unlock the game for Princeton.

For Columbia’s part, they come into the game 2–0 off to close overtime victories against Georgetown and Lafayette — programs that are 0–3 and 1–3, respectively. Their quarterback Chase Goodwin is experienced but has looked shaky, posting just a 53 percent completion rate and throwing nine interceptions last year. A team that has conceded 51 points across their first two games should be easy pickings for the Tigers, as long as they do not repeat the woes of seasons past.

Princeton 28, Columbia 17 – Brooklyn Fraser, Sports contributor

Heading into their first Ivy matchup of the season, I expect the Tigers to maintain the momentum they built up in last week’s 22–0 win against Albany.

The Great Danes faced a brick wall when playing the Princeton defense. The Orange and Black didn’t allow Albany to advance more than 31 yards for seven of their 10 drives. In both games so far, the Tigers’ defense was led in tackles by senior linebacker Chase Christopher, who I have no doubt will continue to be a strong force for the Lions to contend with. In the first game of the season, Bryant scored three touchdowns on Princeton, so while the shutout against Albany was exciting, I don’t expect the Tigers to keep Columbia scoreless.

The offense has also looked great with Becker leading Princeton to five touchdowns across two games. Becker’s completion rate is only 56 percent, so I would love to see more connections against Columbia, and Honda is primed for a big day. Honda led the Tigers on Saturday in rushing and receiving yards, and I expect to see him leading against the Lions in New York.

Considering how high-scoring Columbia’s first two games have been, I expect this to be a shootout. Nonetheless, Princeton’s defense is coming off of a great performance, and the offense looked cohesive against Albany. I think the Tigers will have a tough game ahead of them, but they should be able to secure the win if their defense holds strong.

Princeton 27, Columbia 13 – Antonio Takata, Sports contributor

After securing their first win of the season last weekend 22–0 against Albany, I expect the Tigers to follow that up with a win away against the Columbia Lions this weekend.

While Columbia is coming into this game 2–0, both have been close overtime wins against Georgetown and Lafayette, programs that are 0–3 and 1–3, respectively. They’ve put up 60 points over the past two games, mainly led by their experienced quarterback Chase Goodwin, who has four touchdowns in the past two games but also two interceptions. Most of all, despite posting impressive offensive numbers, the Lions have failed to control any of their opponents up to this point, conceding 51 points across their first two games. While there is an offensive threat, the Lions lack balance across both sides of the ball to win out against the Tigers.

As for the Tigers, they are coming off an impressive shutout win last weekend. Becker has eased into the job, throwing for 99 yards on 13 total passing attempts. The Tigers’ backfield also looked extremely strong, as the duo of Honda and Clark combined for 82 total rushing yards. Coming against a shaky Columbia defense, the Tigers’ offense has shown no signs of stopping, and will be able to have an efficient performance that will lead them to victory.

Defensively, the Tigers also put up an impressive performance. Last week, they were able to generate three turnovers, and will provide exactly what is needed to stump what has been a powerful Columbia offense. Thus, the Tigers have all the tools that they need for a win in New York.

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

Brooklyn Fraser is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’

Antonio Takata is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’

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