.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Football Prepares To Build On Winning Campaign
September 01, 2003 | Football
Sept. 1, 2003
While most students haven't moved back to campus yet, the members of the Princeton football team have been here for a week, and they've made the most of their time. The 2003 camp has been productive so far, as the Princeton Tigers look to build on a successful 2002 season.
GoPrincetonTigers.com will provide a more in-depth breakdown of the Princeton Tigers as camp goes on, but here is a basic outlook of the season.
Colgate led by four points with three minutes left and had Princeton pinned deep in its own territory.
Brown had two chances to move into game-winning field goal position, and each time sent the ball in the direction of its headline-grabbing wide receiver.
Cornell led by 15 points in the fourth quarter, playing in a driving snowstorm on its home field.
Dartmouth and Columbia both led in the fourth quarter.
Five teams, five Princeton victories.
Princeton earned its first winning season in five years during a wild 2002 campaign. And it earned every win, battling down to the end in five victories and holding off a 7-5 Lafayette team in the fourth quarter of its sixth win. It showed a maturity and spirit in those games that you rarely associate with a team that hadn't won more than three games in any of its previous three seasons. Yet, you never hear the word "satisfied" from the football offices. Not after the season, not during the winter, and not entering the 2003 spring practice schedule. Sure, fourth-year head coach Roger Hughes is pleased with the progress of his team after it doubled its win total and earned its first winning record in Ivy League play since 1998. The roster is now full of his type of players - gutsy, talented and team-oriented young men determined to create a new chapter for this tradition-rich program.
But he didn't come to Princeton to bring a winning season. He came for championships.
There are still pieces of the puzzle scattered around the table, but the 2003 version of Princeton football has the potential to be the complete deal. It returns talented veterans on both sides of the ball and has an influx of young talent that will look to make an impact at critical positions.
Offense
Quarterbacks
Hughes has a pair of weapons in his arsenal that he can unleash this season. Both senior David Splithoff and junior 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 16 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 this season.
Running Backs
Cameron Atkinson left Princeton last season as the third leading rusher in program history. Two young men played with him the last two years, and both are now ready to take over a major portion of the Princeton offensive attack.
Junior 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 junior, 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.
Senior Tim Bowden returns from injury and will look to take over the duties at fullback. Junior Joel Mancl was the starter last season until he was injured against Cornell. Junior Kyle Wenski started the remainder of the games, and all three will be in the hunt for the starting role this season. The coaches will look for somebody to step up and become a more prominent threat in the offense.
Wide Receivers
Last season was one of the most prominent for receivers in Ivy League history. 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 spent 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.
Senior Ryan Alberti will look to help replace a five-man graduated corps of receivers. He isn't the only ones looking to bolster the Princeton depth chart; juniors Clinton Wu and Clay Wolford have shown signs of progress in the spring and could see plenty of time on the field next season. Estes Folk, Monte McNair and Derek Davis could all make an impact on the position.
Tight Ends
Princeton was decimated by injuries last preseason, but with a pair of healthy returners 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.
The injury 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.
Sophomore Jon Dekker impressed the coaching staff with his work as a freshman, both in the fall season and during spring practices, and will be one of the main competitors for a starting role in the offense.
Offensive Linemen
The single biggest question for 2003 centers around the five men who 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 Trey Greene both started as guards during the season, and Andrew Wilson earned the team's top offensive freshman award.
Jeremy Moore was forced to sit out the year due to injuries, but he is recovered now and is making a strong impression in the preseason, as has current sophomore John Langford. Numerous underclassmen, like Dave Szelingowski and Keith Jones, along with converted tight end Tom Murray, will compete for a place on the depth chart.
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 was 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. Ian Withrow will also look to make an impact on the line.
Linebackers
While Princeton will depend on experience at defensive line, it will need to develop young players at the linebacker position.
Senior Steven Jameson and junior Neset Pirkul were on the depth chart most of last season. Both will have the opportunity to step in and make an impact on the Princeton defense more this season, as will Alan Borelli and Robert Holuba. The key to the position, however, may lie in the capable hands of a pair of sophomores, 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
Senior 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.
The loss of Jay McCareins for the 2003 season opens a hole opposite of Perry. There will be a number of underclassmen who will look to fill that hole. Two potential starters are sophomores David Ochotoreno, who will be making the transition from linebacker, and Charles Bahlert.
The safety positions will also need to be filled in the preseason. Junior Nick Brown was voted one of the team's top defensive freshmen two years ago and could move into the starting free safety spot. Brown had 26 tackles, two passes defensed and an interception as a member of Princeton's nickel package last season. Justin Johnson and Brandon Devers will also compete for time.
Two-time first-team All-Ivy selection Kevin Kongslie leaves tough footprints to follow at the strong safety spot, but there are a number of returners who look forward to the chance of filling them. Senior Sam Snyder returns from injury and last season and brings experience to the defensive backfield. Rob Anderson is a young and talented player who could also make an impact, while Jarred Cox and Nate Starrett will also compete for time in the various defensive packages.
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. Veach returned seven kicks for a 14.9-yard average.