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Princeton University Athletics
Spring Football Game Set For Saturday; 2003 Outlook Included
April 11, 2003 | Football
April 11, 2003
PRINCETON, N.J. - The annual Spring Game for the Princeton football team will happen Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Class of 1952 Stadium. It will culminate the productive spring practice session, which has battled injury and weather but helped some of the younger players progress into potential key players next season.
Without any members of the Class of 2007 making an impact on the campus, here is an early look at the 2003 football team.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Head coach Roger Hughes has a pair of weapons in his arsenal that he can unleash next season. Both junior Dave Splithoff and sophomore Matt Verbit led Princeton to a pair of fourth-quarter comeback wins. Both are athletes who can make plays with either their right arms or their legs.
And, as far as Hughes is concerned, both will get a chance to play.
Splithoff has started games since his freshman season, when he came off the bench to lead a stunning 55-point outburst at home against Brown. He completed 59.9% of his passes last season before suffering a shoulder injury against Harvard. One of the team's co-captains for the 2003 season, Splithoff has proven he can beat teams in a variety of ways. He can run, and if sack totals didn't count against his rushing yards, he would have been the second-leading rusher on the team last season. He can scramble, and often becomes even more dangerous when the original play breaks down. He'll beat you short, and he's proven time and time again that he'll also beat you deep - 11 of his 19 career touchdown passes have been for at least 50 yards. Verbit was a highly touted local recruit, and he got the chance to make his own statement when Splithoff was knocked out of the Harvard game. In his first career start, Verbit rallied the Tigers past Cornell for a 32-25 win, going 8 for 14 in the final quarter and overtime. He threw for one touchdown and rushed for another one in the rally. The winning quarterback against Dartmouth as well, Verbit combines one of the strongest arms in the league with a natural athleticism that allows him to play for the varsity basketball team.
The two could rotate during the season if both prove capable of leading the team. Hughes, who coached current Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler at Dartmouth, is looking for both to be standout players in the league next season.
Running Backs
Cameron Atkinson left Princeton last season as the third leading rusher in program history. Two young men played with him over the last two years, and both are now ready to take over a major portion of the Princeton offensive attack.
Sophomore Jon Veach was Princeton's second-leading rusher last season, gaining 180 yards in 45 attempts. He is one of the fastest players on the team, and he proved his durability in a 35-32 win at Columbia last season. Following an injury to Atkinson, Veach took the majority of the rushes and ended the game with 78 yards and two touchdowns, including a 17-yarder to ignite a fourth-quarter rally.
Branden Benson is another option for the offensive coaches, and he complements Veach well. Another sophomore, Benson is much more of a physical presence who is happy to run through an opposing player. He finished second on the team with three touchdown runs, including the go-ahead score in the season finale against Dartmouth, and rushed for 134 yards on 40 attempts.
Sophomore Joel Mancl was the starting fullback last season until he was injured against Cornell. Junior Kyle Wenski started the remainder of the games, and both will be in the hunt for the starting role next season. While both proved to be capable blockers, the coaches are looking for either to become more of a prominent force in the offense.
Wide Receivers
Last season was one of the most prominent for receivers in the Ivy League. Records fell and the national attention turned towards the Ivy League, which featured a bevy of talented wideouts, including potential NFL players Carl Morris (Harvard), Chas Gessner (Brown) and Chisom Opara (Princeton).
With that class out of the way, there is an opportunity for younger receivers to step up as the primary threats in the league, and Princeton might have one of the best young talents in junior B.J. Szymanski. The native Texan combines a 6-5 frame with breakaway speed to make himself Princeton's most versatile offensive threat at the position. A two-sport standout who is spending the spring starting in centerfield for the baseball team, Szymanski caught 33 passes for 567 yards and two touchdowns last season, including the game-winning 73-yard score in the final minutes against Colgate. With Opara gone, Szymanski will often draw the best opposing defensive back, so he will need another strong season in 2003.
While Szymanski will come into the season as Princeton's top threat, he is far from its only one. Blair Morrison caught 22 passes last season, although 18 came in the team's final four games, and he could replace Opara as the starter opposite Szymanski. Morrison had a breakout game against Cornell, catching eight balls for 107 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime. He set a Princeton freshman record with 17 receptions and is looking for an even better ending to his career.
Seniors Ryan Alberti and Joe Robinson will look to replace a five-man graduated corps of receivers. They aren't the only ones looking to bolster the Princeton depth chart; sophomores Clinton Wu and Clay Wolford have shown signs of progress in the spring and could see plenty of time on the field next season. Tim Bowden also returns from injury and could make an impact on the position.
Tight Ends
Princeton was decimated by injuries last preseason, but with a pair of healthy returns and the experience gained by junior Randy Bly, the Tigers could be one of the deepest teams in the league at the position.
Last year was expected to be another big one for senior Mike Chiusano, who finished fourth on the team with 14 receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns in the 2001 season. He was the starter until suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, but after a year of rehabilitation, he returns as a prime option in the passing game.
Chiusano's backup last year was going to be Ryan Watson, but he also injured himself in the offseason. The converted defensive end and member of the Princeton lacrosse team is healthy again and will look to find his role at the position.
The injuries opened a spot for Randy Bly, who will enter his senior season with the experience of six games played in the 2002 season. He caught eight passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the season finale against Dartmouth.
Offensive Linemen
The single biggest question for 2003 centers around the five men that will look to open holes for the running attack and block for the likes of Splithoff and Verbit. Princeton lost four seniors off last season's squad and will need to put together a line that allows the skill players a chance to put points on the scoreboard.
Kevin Manning started every game last year at left tackle and brings experience and leadership to a young line. Paul Lyons and Brian Sunday both started as guards for at least four games during the season. Trey Greene saw time late in the season, and Andrew Wilson earned the team's offensive freshman award; both players will likely find themselves on the two-deep. Jeremy Moore was forced to sit out the year due to injuries, but he is recovered now and making an impact in spring practices, as has current sophomore John Langford.
DEFENSE
Defensive Linemen
The most experienced spot on the field for Princeton, the line will feature four players who combined to start 40 of a possible 40 games last season on defense. First-team All-Ivy selection Joe Weiss will anchor the line. Weiss led the league in tackles for loss last season with 18 and was among the league leaders with eight sacks. He finished fourth on the team with 62 tackles (33 solo), and added four passes defensed and one fumble recovery. Weiss was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after leading Princeton to a 32-25 win at Cornell; he recorded a game-high 12 tackles, recorded two sacks and defended one pass in the win. He also tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage that got intercepted in the final seconds and allowed Princeton to go to overtime. Weiss spent the offseason getting stronger and should continue to make himself at home in the opponent's backfield.
On the other end of the line will be 2003 co-captain Tim Kirby, another All-Ivy selection, who ended the season with 46 tackles (22 solo), eight tackles for loss and four sacks. He had one of his finest games against rival Harvard, recording eight tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and one fumble recovery. Besides his physical abilities, he brings a leadership to the defensive unit that earned him the honor as defensive captain.
The dominance of Weiss and Kirby kept defensive tackles Jeff Micsky and George Pilcher somewhat in the shadows, but both had solid seasons for Princeton. Pilcher had 35 tackles on the season (20 solo) and also added nine tackles for loss and four sacks. He is the stronger of the two tackles, while Micsky relies more on speed. Micsky had 26 tackles (10 solo), seven tackles for loss and three sacks.
Chris Browne and Peter Kelly provided solid relief for the starting linemen. Browne led all reserve ends with eight tackles, while Kelly had five and one tackle for a loss to lead the reserve defensive tackles.
Linebackers
While Princeton will depend on experience at defensive line, it will need to develop young players at the linebacker position.
The backups listed on the depth chart for most of the season were juniors Matt Dlugos and Steven Jameson and sophomore Neset Pirkul. All three will have the opportunity to step in and make an impact on the Princeton defense more this season. The key to the position, however, may lie in the capable hands of a pair of freshmen, Justin Stull and Abi Fadeyi. Both shared the team's top defensive freshmen award last season.
Fadeyi led all freshmen defensive players with 11 tackles (six solo) and added one tackle for loss. He also blocked a punt in a defensive struggle against Yale. Stull had six tackles, including five solo ones. Both combine physical talent with a better understanding of the defensive philosophies and could move into starting roles as sophomores.
Defensive Backs
Princeton returns one of the most experienced backfields in the league next year, anchored by a pair of cornerbacks who were each named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week once last season.
Sophomore Jay McCareins, a second-team All-Ivy selection, had arguably Princeton's top breakout season in 2002. Often matched up against the top opposing receiver, McCareins led the team in interceptions (five) and passes defensed (13), and also made 45 tackles (29 solo). He announced his presence to the Ivy League in the fifth week of the season, when he went up twice in the final four minutes against All-Ivy wideout Chas Gessner and twice intercepted jump balls against him. During a three-game winning streak, he intercepted a total of four passes, each ending potential go-ahead drives in the final four minutes of the respective games. Each interception also occurred within 30 yards of the Princeton end zone.
Junior All-Ivy honoree Blake Perry leads all returning players with 66 tackles last season (48 solo), and he also had seven tackles for loss, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a sack. No game showed Perry's versatility more than a 35-32 comeback win at Columbia, when he recorded 11 tackles, including eight solo ones, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one pass defensed and one sack. He would go on to be named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week.
Brandon Mueller was a second-team All-Ivy selection at free safety last year. Fifth on the team last season with 56 tackles (33 solo), Mueller finished second to McCareins with four interceptions. He helped Princeton to a win over Lafayette in the home opener with a pair of interceptions, and he had at least seven tackles in five different games. A hard-hitting defender, his ability to come up to the line and stop the run or break up passes coming over the middle make him a major player on the defense.
The loss of two-time All-Ivy strong safety Kevin Kongslie leaves a hole opposite Mueller, one that could potentially be filled by sophomore Nick Brown. Brown was listed on the two-deep all season and led all non-starters with 26 tackles. A former recipient of the team's top defensive freshman award, Brown will look to gel into an already impressive backfield.
SPECIAL TEAMS
After being able to depend on Taylor Northrop for all kicking duties before last season, Princeton had to break in young players at both kicking position. The result was a mixed bag - some good, some bad. Either way, the experience gained at both spots will serve Princeton well this season.
Derek Javarone handled all of the placekicking duties during his freshman season, making eight of his 13 field-goal attempts and 26 of his 27 point-after attempts. He hit a career-long field goal of 39 yards in a win over Lafayette; he was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week after making two field goals and four extra points in the win. Joe Nardello and Eliott Bishop spilt the punting duties throughout the season. Nardello punted 24 times for an average of 36.7 yards, and had a long punt of 57 yards. He also got six inside the 20-yard line. Bishop punted 19 times for a 32.6 average and had a long punt of 48 yards with four inside the 20-yard line.
Princeton will need to replace Andy Bryant, its primary punt returner of last season. McCareins had two punt returns, but he was also the leading kickoff return man, averaging 21.0 yards per return. Veach returned seven kicks for a 14.9-yard average.