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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Football Picked Fifth In 2008 Ivy League Preseason Poll
August 12, 2008 | Football
The Princeton football team was picked to finish fifth in the 2008 league season, it was announced Tuesday at the annual Ivy League Football Media Day. Harvard and Yale, which met on the final day of the 2007 season to determine a league champion, shared first-place in the poll, while Brown and Penn placed third and fourth, respectively. Princeton will play three of the teams ahead of it in the preseason poll on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium this fall.
Harvard and Yale shared the top spot in the poll with 124 votes and eight first-place votes apiece. Brown placed third with 99 points, while Penn placed fourth with 85 points and the final first-place vote. After Princeton, the final three spots in the poll belonged to Cornell, Dartmouth and Columbia, respectively. The Tigers were placed behind the four teams they lost to in 2007 and ahead of the three teams they defeated.
"The best thing about the poll is that it really doesn't count," head coach Roger Hughes said. "If you remember back to 2005 and 2006, we were ranked low and finished second and first. I'm hopeful that we can overachieve again this season. The teams at the top all have the most returners, so I'm not surprised they are ranked there."
Co-favorite Harvard (Oct. 25, 1 p.m.), Brown (Oct. 18, 1 p.m.) and Penn (Nov. 7, 7 p.m., ESPNU) will be among the four Ivy League home games for Princeton this season; the fourth will be the 1 p.m. season finale against Dartmouth on Nov. 22. After opening its Ivy League season at Columbia (Oct. 4, 1:30 p.m.), Princeton will also travel to Cornell (Nov. 1, 1 p.m.) and co-favorite Yale (Nov. 15, 1 p.m., Versus). Princeton's last trip to the Yale Bowl produced the memorable 34-31 victory in 2006, when Princeton rallied from a trio of 14-point deficits to knock off previously-unbeaten Yale; one week later, Princeton topped Dartmouth 27-17 to win its first Ivy League championship since 1995.
Whether Princeton can match that honor in 2008 will depend on a group of players that blend both veteran experience and impressive potential. On the offensive side of the ball, a veteran offensive line, which includes longtime starters Mark Paski and J.P. Makrai, will look to protect senior tri-captain Brian Anderson. The No. 1 quarterback entering preseason camp, Anderson led Princeton to a 17-14 overtime win at Dartmouth in his only start last season. Anderson has veteran skill players to work with, including tri-captain and wideout Adam Berry (43 career receptions) and running backs Jordan Culbreath (145 yards, two TDs in 2007 win over Cornell) and R.C. Lagomarsino (748 rushing yards, seven touchdowns in his career).
The defense will be led by its three-man line up front. Two-time All-Ivy end Pete Buchignani and Tom Methvin serve as the bookends, while 2008 tri-captain and 2007 All-Ivy selection Matt Koch will handle the middle. Collin McCarthy and John Callahan, a pair of returning linebackers, combined for 116 tackles last season, while Cart Kelly will begin his second season as a starting cornerback.
The kicking game should be a strength once again for Princeton. First-team All-Ivy punter Ryan Coyle, who ranked sixth nationally with 43.1 yards per punt in 2007, returns for his senior season, as does classmate Connor Louden, who made 9 of 11 field goals last season and is 49 for 49 on point-after attempts in his career.
Princeton will open its 2008 season at 1 p.m. on Sept. 20 when it heads to The Citadel for the first time. The home opener this season will be Sept. 27 against Lehigh at 6 p.m. Season tickets can be purchased on GoPrincetonTigers.com.
| Place | School | Points (First-Place Votes) |
| t-1 | Harvard | 124 (8) |
| t-1 | Yale | 124 (8) |
| 3 | Brown | 99 |
| 4 | Penn | 85 |
| 5 | Princeton | 58 |
| 6 | Cornell | 54 |
| 7 | Dartmouth | 47 |
| 8 | Columbia | 21 |