.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Marching Four-Ward
October 05, 2004 | Football
Oct. 5, 2004
Princeton football has swept one three-game road trip since the 1893 season. The Tigers will look for a second this weekend, but a tough Colgate squad will provide some serious opposition (1 p.m., WHWH 1350 AM, GoPrincetonTigers.com).
Princeton-Colgate Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Game Notes
Road Warriors -- Princeton is looking to sweep a three-game road trip for only the second time since the 1893 season. The other time the Tigers did it was in 1997, when Princeton Stadium was being constructed and the Tigers had to play every game in another venue.
Familiar Finale -- The last time Princeton swept a three-game road trip, the Tigers took a 31-28 decision at Andy Kerr Stadium against the Colgate Raiders.
Jump Start -- Princeton has won its first three games for the first time since the Ivy League championship season of 1995. The Tigers started that season 8-0.
Three-Pointer -- Princeton started 3-0 four times between 1991 and 1995, and each time the Tigers went on to win eight games overall and at least five in the Ivy League. Prior to that stretch, Princeton had started 3-0 one time in the previous 25 years (1975).
More Threes -- This is the second time in the tenure of head coach Roger Hughes that Princeton has been three games over .500. The Tigers were 4-1 midway through the 2002 season, which is also the last time they beat Colgate.
Just For Kicks -- Princeton's win over Columbia last weekend ended on a Derek Javarone extra point. It was the last time a Tiger victory ended on a successful kick since Roger Hughes' first win as a head coach, when Taylor Northtop's overtime field goal defeated Columbia.
The Last Shall Be First -- Last weekend's win over Columbia also marked the first time since 2002 when a game that was decided on the final play went Princeton's way. Last season, the Tigers lost three games on the final play, including two in overtime.
Splitting Headache -- Princeton and Colgate have split the last two meetings, both at Princeton Stadium. The Tigers scored on two long touchdown passes to defeat Colgate 14-10 in 2002, while the Raiders used a dominant effort from Jamaal Branch last season to win 30-3.
World Series -- Although Princeton owns the all-time series lead 24-20-1 against Colgate, the Raiders have owned a 3-1 advantage since the series resumed in 2000.
Climbing Ivy -- Colgate has won 19 of its last 21 games against Ivy League teams. One loss came in 2002 at Princeton. The other loss came last week at Yale.
Blackjack -- Colgate had its all-time longest winning streak snapped at 21 games in last year's NCAA championship game. That was the first loss since Princeton defeated Colgate 14-10 in 2002.
Extending The Olive Branch -- Colgate senior running back Jamaal Branch gained 191 yards rushing last season, the second-highest rushing total by an opposing runner since Roger Hughes took over in 2000.
Tackling The Issue -- Princeton has the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked tacklers in the Ivy League. Junior Justin Stull, who led the league in tackles last season with 114, leads the league this season with 40, while Zak Keasey, who led Princeton in 2001 and 2002, is second with 36. The next closest pair of Ivy League teammates are Harvard's Sean Tracy and Bobby Everett, who have 58 together.
Cloud Nine -- Justin Stull has recorded double-digit tackles in each of Princeton's last nine games. The last time he didn't have 10 tackles was in last season's Colgate game, when he was limited to seven. In that game, Stull recorded a forced fumble, a recovered fumble, an interception and a pass breakup to go along with his seven stops.
Sack Exchange -- Princeton has the best ratio of sacks for/sacks against in the league. Quarterback Matt Verbit has been sacked only three times, fewest in the league, while Princeton has recorded nine sacks. Zak Keasey is tied for the league lead with three sacks, and he needs one more to match the top Princeton individual total for last season.
Big Ben -- One of the key additions to the Princeton offensive line has been junior Ben Brielmaier, who started the last seven games of 2003 as a defensive tackle and moved to the other side of the ball on the first day of preseason camp during the fall. The line has helped Princeton put together the No. 3 offense in the league.
Block Party -- Junior Jay McCareins blocked two kicks last week in Princeton's 27-26 overtime win at Columbia. He blocked a field goal in regulation, the first time that has happened for Princeton since Bob Farrell did it against Lehigh in 2000. He blocked an extra point in overtime, the first time that has happened since Garrett Fittizzi did it against Yale in the 1999 season.
I'm Honored -- Junior Jay McCareins was named the Ivy League Special Teams player of the Week. It it the second straight week Princeton has earned an Ivy League weekly award; Zak Keasey was the Defensive Player of the Week after the San Diego game.
More McCareins -- Jay McCareins also caught three passes in the final 1:26 of regulation, including one to convert a third down and another to convert a fourth down, of last weekend's win. He entered that drive with three career receptions.
Seventh Heaven -- Princeton is 7-3 in its last 10 Ivy League games that Jay McCareins has played in. The Tigers are also 7-0 in games he records an interception, which included the 2002 win against Colgate.
Topping The Charts -- Senior quarterback Matt Verbit became the third quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in his career last weekend. With 4,051 yards under his belt, Verbit needs to throw for 223 this weekend to tie longtime NFL quarterback Jason Garrett for second on the all-time Tiger passing list.
More Charts -- Matt Verbit has recorded 4,350 total yards in his career, fourth most all-time at Princeton. He needs four yards to catch 1951 Heisman Trophy winner Dick Kazmaier for third and he needs 205 to catch Jason Garrett for second on the list.
Elite Eight -- Matt Verbit has completed passes to eight different receivers in each of Princeton's games this season. The four players that are constants on those lists are starting running back Jon Veach, starting receivers Greg Fields and Derek Davis and starting defensive back Jay McCareins.
Mr. Reliable -- Matt Verbit is starting his 18th straight game at quarterback this season. The last quarterback with more consecutive starts is Joel Sharp (20 games, 1989-1990).
Strawberry Fields -- Junior wideout Greg Fields ranks 10th in the NCAA in all-purpose yards. He is averaging 168.7 yards per game, thanks in large part to a 230-yard performance against Lafayette.
Hit The Dekk -- Junior tight end Jon Dekker caught five passes last weekend, including four in the second half and three during the final drive of regulation.
A Day At The Veach -- Senior running back Jon Veach has 12 touchdowns (nine rushing, three receiving) in Princeton's last eight games, dating back to last season.
A Perfect Ten -- If he stays healthy, Jon Veach should end his career in the Top 10 rushing all-time at Princeton. He currently has 1,304 yards on the ground, 324 behind Lawrence Van Pelt's total of 1,628. If Veach maintains his current average of 72.0 yards per game, he will end his career with 1,808 yards, ninth best on the all-time list.
Must See TV -- Princeton will have three nationally televised games the rest of the season, which is being aired on College Sports Television (CSTV). The Tigers' home game against Penn will also be aired on CSTV, which can be seen on DirecTV channel 610. The road games at Cornell and Yale will be televised by the YES Network. For those who do not live in the Northeast and don't get YES on their basic cable service, it can be found on DirecTV channel 622.
More TV -- Princeton was featured on CSTV's "Dog Days," a half-hour documentary show that highlights various football training camps around the country. Virginia Tech and Maryland are among the other teams that have been featured on this program.
The Crystal Ball -- Princeton will play its final six games of the season against Ivy League opponents, beginning with next Saturday's 1 p.m. game against Brown. The home game can be heard on WHWH 1350 AM, as well as GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton has won the last two meetings against Brown, including a 34-14 win in Providence last season.
Last Year: Colgate 30, Princeton 3
PRINCETON, N.J. - Colgate senior and eventual first-team All-America selection Jamaal Branch rushed 31 times for 191 yards and three touchdowns to lead Colgate to a 30-3 win over Princeton in front of 14,096 at Princeton Stadium. The Tigers forced four turnovers, but could manage only a 25-yard field goal by Elliot Bishop on the scoreboard.
Colgate improved to 6-0 overall, while Princeton fell to 0-4 for the first time in program history. The Tigers were outgained 421-231, including 271-108 on the ground. Branden Benson led the team with 60 yards on 10 carries, while B.J. Szymanski had six receptions for 54 yards.
Linebacker Alan Borelli had a career-high 13 tackles, while Nick Brown had eight tackles. Justin Stull had seven tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception and a pass defensed.
Princeton moved the ball on its opening drive, and nearly scored a touchdown on a deep pass to B.J. Szymanski. The ball got caught up in the wind, and Szymanski turned one way and then the other before getting his hands on the ball. He wasn't able to hold on, and Princeton would eventually turn the ball over on downs when a short pass to Jon Veach was tackled short of the first down. It was a sign of things to come for the Princeton offense.
Colgate went 70 yards on its first drive to open a 7-0 lead. After a sack by Borelli brought Colgate back to the 14-yard line for second-and-goal, Colgate quarterback Chris Brown found Gerald in the slot for a quick pass. Gerald did the rest, spinning inside and sprinting into the end zone. Colgate's next touchdown drive was significantly easier. Princeton's first play from scrimmage on its ensuing drive was a run by Jon Veach. The tailback was hit hard by Ryan Disch and fumbled the ball. Ryan Miller jumped on the ball, giving Colgate possession on the Princeton 24-yard line. One play later, Branch was celebrating his 10th touchdown of the season. It was more than Colgate would need.
Princeton's 2004 Record When:
Scoring first in a game 3-0 Scoring 30+ points 1-0 Scoring less than 20 points 0-0 Leading after one quarter 2-0 Tied after one quarter 0-0 Trailing after one quarter 1-0 Leading at halftime 3-0 Tied at halftime 0-0 Trailing at halftime 0-0 Leading after third quarter 3-0 Tied after third quarter 0-0 Trailing after third quarter 0-0 In overtime 1-0 Having a 100-yard rusher 0-0 Allowing a 100-yard rusher 1-0 Having a 250-yard passer 0-0 Allowing a 250-yard passer 0-0 Kicking two or more field goals 1-0 The defense scores 1-0 Returning a kickoff for a TD 0-0 Returning a punt for a TD 0-0 Following a win 2-0 Following a loss 0-0 Having more penalties 2-0 Fewer turnovers than opponent 2-0