.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Football Resumes Rivalry With Lafayette During Saturday's Home Opener
September 22, 2006 | Football
If you were hoping for the same 'ol, same 'ol, Saturday night's Princeton football home opener isn't the right place for you.
First of all, there are all those new starters. Fifteen of them ran out on the field last Saturday at Lehigh, playing against one of the premier teams in the Patriot League. They took their lumps early, hung around and, by the second half, they were ready to win. Princeton rallied from 10-0 in the second half to defeat Lehigh 14-10 for its first win at Goodman Stadium since 1992.
Coming into its home opener with a 1-0 record isn't exactly new. The Tigers topped these same Lafayette Leopards last year in the season opener on the road. When they came home, though, they played on the natural grass at Princeton Stadium. That won't happen anymore, as Princeton installed FieldTurf following the 2005 season.
Even the time of the game is new. While Princeton has played night games before, the last being a 35-18 win over Lafayette in 2004, Princeton hasn't started a game at 6 p.m.
Yes, plenty is new. But the competition that will take place Saturday isn't. Princeton and Lafayette first met in 1883, and they've played 42 times overall. Princeton holds a 35-4-3 edge in the all-time series, although that edge is 3-2 over the last five games. The 43rd matchup could go a long way in determining which team goes into its own league schedule with great confidence.
It's football, under the lights and on the turf. But it's football, and it's back at Princeton.
Game Notes • Week 2
Opening Act • Princeton has won four of its last five home openers, including each of its last two against Lafayette. In those two games, Princeton scored 34 (2002) and 35 (2004) points respectively.
Sweet 16 • Princeton has won 16 of its last 17 home games against Lafeyette, dating back to 1914. The lone loss came in 1982, an offensive shootout that the visitors claimed 47-37. The Tigers are currently riding a seven-game home win streak against Lafayette.
Patriot Games • Princeton will play the top three teams in the preseason Patriot League poll. The Tigers defeated No. 3 Lehigh 14-10 last weekend and will play No. 2 Lafayette tonight. In two weeks, Princeton will travel to No. 1 Colgate.
That Winning Feeling • Princeton has won nine of its last 12 games since the last game of the 2004 season. The last time Princeton won nine of 12 came during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. Those were also the last two seasons that Princeton posted consecutive winning campaigns, which the Tigers will try to match this season.
Six Shooter • A victory on Saturday would be Princeton's sixth win in its last seven games. The Tigers haven't won six of seven games since the final two games of the 2001 season and the first five games of the 2002 season. Prior to that, Princeton hadn't won as many games since the Ivy League championship season of 1995.
Road Warriors • In Princeton and Lafayette's combined four games this season, the road team has won every game.
Scratching The Surface • Saturday marks the first home game on Princeton's new FieldTurf. The natural grass was removed following last season and replaced by FieldTurf prior to spring practices.
Rallying Cry • Princeton rallied from 10-0 down in the first quarter last weekend to win. The Tigers were winless last season (0-2) when trailing at the end of either the first quarter or the first half.
Teen Spirit • Princeton won last weekend with a score in the teens for the first time since 2004 and only the second time in 36 games.
Offensive Notes • Week 2
Elite Eight • Senior quarterback Jeff Terrell has an 8-3 record as a starter. His 233 yards of total offense last weekend ranked second in the Ivy League behind only Cornell quarterback Nathan Ford.
Third And Goal • In the third quarter last wee0kend, Jeff Terrell completed eight of nine passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. He completed his first seven attempts, including his 12-yard touchdown toss to Adam Berry.
Movin' On Up • Jeff Terrell has thrown for 1,926 career yards, 15th all-time at Princeton. He needs 56 to pass Chad Roghair for 14th place, 322 to pass John Burnham for 13th place and 624 to move into the Tiger Top 10.
Rob-bery • Junior running back Rob Toresco scored Princeton's first touchdown of the season with a third-quarter score against Lehigh. For the second straight season opener and third time in 11 games, he kept the opposing team's offense on the sidelines at the end of the game with multiple first-down conversions on the ground.
Berry Good • Sophomore wideout Adam Berry caught his first career pass in the second half against Lehigh, and followed it up with his first career touchdown reception, the 12-yard score that gave Princeton its winning 14-10 margin.
Circle Pattern • Before missing the second half with an injury, junior Brendan Circle built off his strong sophomore season with four catches for 55 yards. In his career, 20 of his 26 receptions have given Princeton a first down.
Line 'Em Up • Princeton started five new offensive linemen in the victory against Lehigh (LT Brendon Swisher, LG Matt Murphy, C Brett Barrie, RG Kyle Vellutato and RT Mark Paski). That new line didn't allow a single sack against the Mountain Hawks.
Making His Mark • Mark Paski became the first freshman ever at Princeton to start his first career game on the offensive line.start his first game.
Defensive Notes • Week 2
I'm Honored • Senior defensive back Tim Strickland earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors after leading Princeton with seven tackles and two interceptions in the 14-10 win over Lehigh last weekend.
Tim-ber • Tim Strickland, who now has 11 career interceptions, has picked off six passes in his last five games.
Tackling The Issue • Junior safety Kevin Kelleher tied Tim Strickland for the team lead in tackles (7) against Lehigh. His final stop came on Sedale Threatt's fourth-down attempt during Lehigh's final offensive drive; he brought Threatt down two yards short of a first down.
Song and Dance • Junior linebacker Doori Song, who is replacing Justin Stull as a primary run stopper, made two of the biggest tackles of the game last weekend. He stopped Matt McGowan on 4th-and-1 late in the first half to end one Lehigh drive and he tackled Marques Thompson for a two-yard loss on 2nd-and-goal in the third quarter.
Sack Exchange • Junior Jon Stem, who made his first career start last Saturday, picked up Princeton's only sack to end a second-half drive by the Mountain Hawks.
For Pete's Sake • Defensive end Pete Buchignani earned Princeton's top defensive freshman award in 2005 after breaking into the starting lineup and recording 27 tackles and two sacks. He made four tackles last weekend, including three solo stops.
Building Blocks • Sophomore Tom Methvin, a starter at defensive end, spent time over his holiday break in 2005 rebuilding houses in the New Orleans area after the Katrina devastation. Like Buchignani, he also had four tackles last weekend (two solo).
Quarter To Corner • Freshman Dan Kopolovich won a Pennsylvania state championship as a quarterback at McKeesport last year, but was moved to defensive back midway through the preseason. He earned significant time against Lehigh, made three tackles, broke up a pass and drew a critical offensive pass interference call during Lehigh's final drive.
Miscellaneous Notes • Week 1
Just For Kicks • Senior Colin McDonough returns for his fourth season as Princeton's punter. McDonough is a three-time All-Ivy pick (first team in 2003, 2005; second team in 2004) and earned All-America honors by one publication last year. He led the Ivy League last year with a 40.1 yard-per-punt average and averaged 44.5 yards per punt last weekend.
Louder And Louden • While Colin McDonough returns, another familiar special teams face has graduated. The departure of Derek Javarone '06, the Ivy League's all-time leader in field goals, opened the placekicker job in the preseason. Sophomore Conner Louden, who booted a 42-yard field goal against Yale in a preseason scrimmage, is the new starter.
Sunday Bloody Sunday • Four 2006 Princeton graduates signed with NFL teams in the offseason: Jay McCareins (Arizona), Jon Dekker (Pittsburgh), Justin Stull (Washington) and Ben Brielmaier (Cleveland). None made the final 52-man roster, although Dekker made the Steelers practice squad. 2004 standout Zak Keasey also made the San Francisco 49ers practice squad as a fullback.
Summer Star • Freshman cornerback Cart Kelly was featured on the ESPNU show “Summer House,” where six incoming freshmen football players stayed in a house and competed in various activities, both football and non-football related. Former All-Pro linebacker Chris Spielman was part of the show as the “house dad.” Kelly is listed as the No. 2 cornerback behind J.J. Artis this weekend.
Friday Night Lights • Princeton will play its first Friday night game in recent memory on Oct. 13 against defending Ivy League champion Brown at 7 p.m.
Lights, Camera, Action • Princeton will play three home games on major television stations this season. Besides the Oct. 13 Brown game on ESPNU, Princeton will play Harvard Oct. 21 on the YES Network and will play Nov. 4 against Penn on CN8.
The Crystal Ball • Princeton will open the 2006 Ivy League schedule next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against the Columbia Lions at Wien Stadium. The Tigers have won seven of their last eight against Columbia, including four in a row on the road. Two of the last three matchups have been decided on the game's final play.
The Last Time: Princeton 23, Lafayette 21
EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette had won the 2004 Patriot League title. It had won its first two games. It would eventually go on to win the 2005 Patriot title and hold a halftime lead against eventual NCAA champion Appalachian State.
Princeton had not played a game, had not seen its starting quarterback take one varsity snap and had not been picked to finish in the top five of the eight-team Ivy League.
No problem.
When new starters Jeff Terrell and Rob Toresco trotted on the field in the fourth quarter, they knew that momentum was firmly on Lafayette's side. A 20-0 Princeton lead had been whittled down to 20-14, and the Tiger defense dearly needed a rest.
Without experience on their sides, Terrell and Toresco turned to what they had — a senior-laden offensive line. That would be more than enough, as the Tigers ran off a 16-play, 59-yard drive that took 9:25 off the clock and added a critical three points to a Tiger lead that would eventually hold up in a 23-21 road win. It was Princeton's first season-opening road victory since the 1992 season.
Terrell, the new starter at quarterback, completed 19 of 28 passes for 197 yards. On the key drive in the fourth quarter, he completed eight of nine passes, with his lone incompletion coming on a dropped pass. He was 3-for-3 on third down conversions, including a pair of completions to sophomore wideout Brendan Circle.
Toresco, who joined junior Cleo Kirkland in Princeton's revamped starting backfield, proved to be the closer in the game. Kirkland put Princeton on the scoreboard early with a 9-yard touchdown run, but second-half leg cramps put the onus on Toresco. He delivered, rushing for a team-high 79 yards and icing the game with a key late third-down conversion. The fullback ran behind the dominant offensive line, which took the game over in the fourth quarter.
The offense was efficient, but it got a boost from its defense and special teams. The defense pitched a shutout in the first half and added seven points on its own when Jay McCareins began his All-America campaign by stepping in front of a Brad Maurer pass and returning it 75 yards for his first of four touchdowns on the season and a 17-0 lead. Linebackers Abi Fadeyi and Justin Stull would both make eight tackles, as did junior defensive back J.J. Artis, who had one of the five Tiger pass breakups.