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Princeton University Athletics
Experienced Football Team Eyes Return To Top Of Ivy Race
August 29, 2002 | Football
Aug. 29, 2002
As the players and coaches prepare for preseason camp, which begins Friday, Aug. 30, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the 2002 Princeton football squad. Picked second in the annual preseason media poll, the Tigers return 19 starters from a team that won its final two games by 20 points and stayed close in each Ivy contest last season.
Third-year head coach Roger Hughes has more experience on the field than he has ever had. Princeton ended the 2001 season with a pair of big victories over Yale (34-14) and Dartmouth (35-14), and is looking to carry that momentum into the beginning of the 2002 season, where the Tigers hope to figure in the race for their ninth Ivy League championship and first since 1995.
Here is a preseason preview of the 2002 Tigers.
Offensive Line
Four starters return from the 2001 season, which gives Princeton the most experience it has had at this position in a long time.
Senior Lance Baird, a versatile player who can get the job done at either guard or tackle, will anchor Princeton at the guard position. He will likely be joined by classmate Chris Havener. At tackle, the returning starters are junior Kevin Manning and senior John Holownia. Sophomore Paul Lyons showed promise in the offseason, and he will add depth at this position. Senior Roger Patterson will again start at center of the line.
Tight End
Senior Mike Chiusano is the returning starter. He played in seven games, making 14 receptions for an average of 6.5 yards per catch. He had touchdown receptions in a pair of tight Ivy League losses, including a nine-yard score against eventual league champion Harvard.
Princeton has some versatility in terms of depth at the position. Sophomore Ryan Watson, who played defensive end at times last year and also plays for the lacrosse team, brings plenty of athleticism to the gridiron. Another sophomore, Tyler Peace, will also contend for time at the position. Peace is more of a physical presence at the end of the line. Junior Randy Bly played at the end of last year and caught four passes against Cornell.
Wide Receiver
One of Princeton's deepest positions, the Tigers have plenty of talent and experience to help drive the passing game.
Senior Chisom Opara returns as both a co-captain and the Tigers' top receiver of the last two years. In eight games, he caught 36 passes for 581 yards (16.1 per reception), and he led the team with three touchdown catches. He made quite a statement in his final showing of last season, catching fourth-quarter touchdown passes of 10 and 51 yards in the season-ending 35-14 win over Dartmouth. He showed the big-play capabilities necessary in any top-notch wide receiver with a 78-yard touchdown reception against Columbia, a play that currently stands as the longest in the five-year history of Princeton Stadium. The coaching staff is looking for Opara to add a more physical presence to his overall game for the upcoming season.
After a strong close to last season and a great performance during spring workouts, sophomore B.J. Szymanski could provide a solid starter opposite Opara to open this season. In the first seven games of last season, he made two catches. In the eighth, a 34-14 win at home against Yale, he caught four passes for 120 yards, including touchdown receptions of 39 and 53 yards. The confidence and experience he gained from both his late-season heroics and his spring successes could ignite a breakout upcoming season.
There are a bevy of other receivers who will look for time in various offensive sets. Senior Nate Lindell was second on the team with 17 receptions last season. After coming back from a torn ACL in his sophomore year, junior Blair Morrison was third with 15 receptions. Both averaged more than 11 yards per catch, and Morrison contributed his first career touchdown in a loss to Patriot League champion Lehigh. Lindell saw the end zone twice as a sophomore. Another potential big-play threat is senior Andy Bryant, a converted tailback and the team's top punt returner over the last two seasons. Bryant performed well in the spring and gives the team a capable ballcarrier in shovels and sweeps.
Running Back
Having improved his rushing numbers in each of his first three seasons, senior Cameron Atkinson is looking to put an exclamation point on his career with his best campaign to date. After averaging 3.4 and 4.4 yards per carry in his first two seasons, Atkinson rushed 114 times for 660 yards - 5.8 yards per carry, an average that was the best by a Princeton Tiger since Keith Elias in 1993. A speedster who owns the Princeton record for the 60-yard dash (6.87 seconds), Atkinson is also capable of going inside the tackles and earning the tough yards. He led all non-kickers with 54 points last season, 36 more than any other Tiger. An All-Ivy honorable mention selection, Atkinson scored nine touchdowns in 2001.
Sophomore Jon Veach may be the tailback of the future, but teams shouldn't overlook him in 2002. While Atkinson will get the bulk of the carries, Veach led the team in rushing in two of the final three games last season and recorded his first 100-yard performance with 108 yards and a touchdown in a 35-14 win at Dartmouth. Veach followed up with a strong performance in the spring and gives the coaching staff a reliable backup at a critical position.
Another player who made great strides in the spring was sophomore Brandon Benson, who brings a tremendous physical presence to the field. Benson's action as a freshman was limited (four games, 14 carries, 45 yards), but any experience he gained in his rookie campaign will serve him well for this season.
Sophomore Joel Mancl should start at fullback. A converted tailback, he possesses good speed and will add another potential threat to the offense. Junior Kyle Wenski should be Mancl's backup. He brings a tough physical presence, and his good hands make him capable of being a dependable option out of the backfield.
Quarterback
The returning starter is the dangerously versatile junior David Splithoff. He brings a great feel for the game, and he has the natural instincts needed by a quarterback. He proved last season that he can beat you in one of two ways - with his arm and his legs. He completed nearly 60% of his passes (137 for 231) for 1,680 yards and nine touchdowns. In the final two games of the season, both Ivy League wins, he threw four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Splithoff was also second on the team in rushing, as he gained 326 yards on 123 carries. He also ran for three scores. Last season, he became the second Princeton quarterback in 10 seasons to start every game.
Sophomore quarterback Matt Verbit will challenge Splithoff at the position. Verbit is a tremendous athlete with a strong arm. While Splithoff might try to elude trouble with his feet, Verbit will try to use his arm to get out of a problem situation. Seniors Dave Mroz and Matt Groh each had strong springs and will also compete for time.
Defensive Line
Thirteen of 14 defensive linemen last year were either freshmen or sophomores. The 2002 defensive line features a pair of talented bookends in juniors Tim Kirby and Joe Weiss. Kirby made 41 tackles last season, including five for losses, despite facing mostly double-teams due to a broken leg suffered by Weiss three games into the season. Weiss was held out of some contact drills in the spring, but he is nearly 100% and should be ready to take some of the pressure off of Kirby when the season opens. Sophomore Chris Browne and junior Jeff Micsky will also factor into the mix at defensive end.
On the inside, junior George Pilcher played in all nine games last season, making 29 tackles and recording two sacks. He had a great spring and will be a key component of the defensive line. Sophomore Ian Withrow will look to make a significant impact after playing in three games as a freshman before suffering a neck injury. This Missoula, Mont., native is as big as anybody on the defensive line and will be counted on to stuff the rushing lanes. Sophomore Robert Anderson is coming off an injury and appears to be at full speed entering the preseason.
Linebackers
Despite the graduation of 2001 first-team All-Ivy selection Chris Roser-Jones and captain Bob Farrell, the linebackers should remain a strength for the 2002 squad. Junior Zak Keasey led the team with 71 tackles, 48 unassisted, and 33 of them came in the final three games of the season. He also had eight tackles for losses, yet another team high. Keasey brings more than a solid physical presence to the field; he has a nose for the football and puts himself in position to make plays.
Joining Keasey inside will be senior co-captain Drew Babinecz, who is coming off a 24-tackle, one-interception performance in 2001. That season followed a 2000 campaign that he lost to a knee injury. His mobility is a strength, as he can cover sideline to sideline.
There is less experience at the outside linebacker position, but there is still plenty of talent at the team's dispense. Junior Steven Jameson enters the season as the starter after making eight tackles last season. Converted tight end J.R. Sauder, a senior, will also factor in the mix. He played four games in 2001, and he has worked on his strength to help shore up the defense.
Defensive Backs
A strength of the defense, Princeton returns four players who will be starting for the third consecutive year.
Senior Kevin Kongslie is Princeton's lone returning first-team All-Ivy selection. The active career leader in interceptions with nine, Kongslie is a versatile player who can serve as the back line of the deep zone or can blitz off the edge of the defensive line. Undersized yet physical, Kongslie intercepted five passes last season, defensed 10 more and recorded 43 tackles. Junior Sam Snyder will back Kongslie up at the position. Primarily a special teams player, Snyder missed last spring because of track.
Junior Brandon Mueller, the free safety, led the secondary in tackles last season with 61, including 45 unassisted. He also added three tackles for losses, two sacks and both an interception and a pass defensed. After his performance in the spring, Hughes expects a more confident Mueller to have a stronger presence this season. Sophomore Nick Brown is a converted wide receiver who received limited time last season, but he has good range and should be a capable backup at the position.
Leading the corps of cornerbacks will be senior Paul Simbi, who enters the season with five career interceptions, including three last season. Simbi added 39 tackles last season (19 unassisted) and six passes defensed. His understanding of the defense, along with his quickness and confidence on the field, make him the anchor at this position.
Junior Blake Perry recorded 35 tackles and one interception in five games last season before being sidelined with two broken wrists. After a healthy offseason and a strong performance in the spring game, Perry will start opposite Simbi. Perry was the first offensive or defensive player ever to start every game as a freshman, and he recorded two interceptions that season.
Sophomore Jay McCareins and junior Clark Webb will also see time as cornerbacks in certain sets. McCareins is a strong cover guy who needs to be more of a physical player. Webb is a physical player who started two years ago but took last year off to study at Oxford.
Special Teams
Princeton hasn't had much to worry about in the kicking game over the last three years, but the graduation of first-team All-America kicker Taylor Northrop leaves a hole that needs immediate filling. A pair of freshmen, Eliot Bishop and Derek Javarone, will contend for the starting role in the preseason. Sophomore Joe Nardello will replace Northrop in the punting game.
At the other end of the field, Princeton's special teams' corps is set. Bryant averaged 7.3 yards per punt return and 13.9 yards per kickoff return last season. Joining him on kickoff returns will be Atkinson, who led the Tigers with 17 returns for an average of 16.8 yards.