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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Football Looks For Quick Ivy Start Saturday Against Upstart Columbia
September 29, 2009 | Football
The senior members of both the Princeton and Columbia football teams began their collegiate careers in 2006, the year the Ivy League preseason poll was basically turned upside down. That was the year that Princeton, ranked sixth in the poll, and Yale, ranked fifth in the poll, both finished 6-1 and shared the Ivy League championship.
Only three years later, Columbia, ranked sixth in the poll, and Princeton, ranked fifth in the poll, have designs on a similar championship run. Both teams had reasons for optimism entering the season, and one will feel even better by its second league game.
Losing your Ivy League opener doesn't eliminate you from the title race. After all, you have to go all the way back to 2008 to find a team that lost its league opener and ended up with a share of the title (Harvard). But considering that two losses all but ends your title dreams, dropping Game 1 isn't the best path to success.
For Princeton, the road to a potential championship will be a long one, considering the team has trips to Providence, Cambridge and Hanover still to come, not to mention an always-dangerous drive south to Penn. With only three home games on the league schedule, they can't afford to be wasted.
Both the Columbia offense and the Princeton defense have posted terrific efforts already this season, so the winning unit between the Princeton offense and the Columbia defense could be the deciding factor when the two teams meet Saturday at 3 on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here or by calling 609-258-4TIX.
There are no givens in Ivy League games. There are no extinguished dreams in Ivy League openers. Two teams, realistically believing that anything is possible, start their journey Saturday.
Columbia (1-1, 0-0 Ivy) at Princeton (1-1, 0-0 Ivy)
Date/Time Oct. 3/3 p.m.
Field Powers Field at Princeton Stadium
Location Princeton, N.J.
TV Verizon FIOS One/GoPrincetonTigers.TV
Radio 103.3 FM/GoPrincetonTigers.com
All-Time Series Princeton leads 64-13-1
Last Year Princeton 27, COLUMBIA 24
Last At Site PRINCETON 42, Columbia 32
Last Five Years Princeton 5-0
Current Streak Princeton 5
Game Notes • Week 3
Opening Act • Under head coach Roger Hughes, Princeton has won its Ivy League opener eight of nine times, including each of the last five seasons. The only time it lost was in 2003, when Columbia hit a Hail Mary on the final play for a 33-27 win.
Point Taken • Since the opening of Princeton Stadium in 1998, the Tigers are averaging 40 points per game in five home contests against Columbia.
More Points • Princeton defeated Columbia 42-32 in a 2007 home game; the 42 points was the second-lowest ever scored by the Tigers against Columbia at Princeton Stadium.
Close Calls • Including previous seasons, six of the Princeton's last seven wins have been by five points or fewer, and four of them were in doubt with less than 10 seconds remaining. While Princeton was able to run out the clock last week, the Tigers kept the trend going with a 17-14 victory at Lehigh.
Sweet Sixteen • Princeton has won 15 of the last 16 home games against Columbia, including four of five played at Princeton Stadium.
Take Your Pick • Junior linebacker Steven Cody returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown last weekend in the 17-14 victory at Lehigh. It was Princeton's first interception return for a touchdown since Jay McCareins returned one 99 yards in a home win over San Diego. McCareins intercepted Josh Johnson, who will start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.
Tackling The Issue • Steven Cody, who last season became the first sophomore to lead Princeton in tackles since 2003, recorded a team-high 11 stops in the victory over Lehigh. Cody ranked fifth in the league in tackles last season and earned All-Ivy honorable mention.
Stat Stuffer • Senior Wilson Cates had a full stat line in the victory over Lehigh; the defensive co-captain recorded six tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and added an interception, a sack and a pass breakup.
Dan The Man • Senior Dan Kopolovich is making his return to full-time defense a positive one. He recorded nine tackles last weekend and broke up a fourth-down pass on Lehigh's final drive of the game.
Elite Eight • Sophomore Matt Wakulchik has recorded eight tackles in each of his first two career games at safety. He has had at least four solo tackles in each one, including five last weekend.
In Recovery Mode • Seniors Scott Britton and Cart Kelly combined for one of Princeton's biggest turnovers of last season; with Columbia driving late for the potential go-ahead score, Britton stripped Mike Stephens of the ball and Kelly recovered it. Princeton never gave the ball back in a 27-24 win.
Tommy Boy • Sophomore quarterback Tommy Wornham scored his first career touchdown on a 68-yard touchdown run last weekend against Lehigh. It is the longest run for any player in the Ivy League this season, and it was Princeton's longest touchdown run since Derek Davis scored on a 72-yard run at Harvard in 2005.
From Way Downtown, Bang • Princeton scored two touchdowns of more than 60 yards last weekend after scoring two touchdowns of more than 60 yards in the last 27 games combined.
Trey Bien • Junior wide receiver Trey Peacock caught his only career touchdown reception in last season's victory at Columbia; his 52-yard score provided the winning margin in a 27-24 comeback victory.
More Trey • Trey Peacock leads Princeton with 10 catches this season and has led the Tigers in receptions in both of the first two games. He came into the season with only 21 career receptions.
Conversion Chart • Princeton lost in Week 1 after going 11 for 19 on third downs and won last week after going 2 for 14 on third downs.
A Fleury Of Activity • Sophomore Otavio Fleury leads the Ivy League with a punting average of 41.9 yards per kick. He has recorded two punts of more than 50 yards and has pinned the opponent inside the 20 twice.
Full Of Bologna • Senior Ben Bologna provided the winning points last weekend with a 31-yard field goal late in the third quarter.
In A Snap • With starting long snapper J.P. Makrai ill last weekend, freshman Jason Tiemeier made his collegiate debut and was perfect on nine punt and three kick snaps.
Mirror Images • In 2007 and 2008, Princeton both won and lost games on the exact same weeks (won Games 2, 3, 7 and 10; lost Games 1, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9). Through two games this season, Princeton is on the same pace.
Spinning A Web • The official Princeton athletics web site, www.GoPrincetonTigers.com, has a new look and a new partner, www.GoPrincetonTigers.tv. Princeton football fans will be able to find pre- and post-game stories, as well as features, videos, live and replayed games, game highlights, audio interviews, statistics, future schedules and much more. You can also listen live to Ed Benkin and Dan Loney broadcast each game on either GoPrincetonTigers.com or on WPRB 103.3 FM.
The Crystal Ball • Princeton will remain on the friendly turf of Powers Field at Princeton Stadium this Thursday night for an ESPNU-televised contest against Colgate. The Red Raiders, who won the Patriot League last year, have seen their last two games with Princeton get decided in the final seconds. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.GoPrincetonTigers.com or by calling the Princeton ticket office at 609-258-4TIX. If you are unable to make the game, you can follow on ESPNU and DirecTV channel 609.
The Worldwide Leader • The Oct. 8 game with Colgate will be Princeton's fourth on ESPNU, although its first on a Thursday night. The Tigers are 2-1 on ESPNU, beating Brown in 2006 and Cornell in 2007 before losing to Penn last season.
On The Road Again • Following Princeton's two home games in a six-day span, the Tigers will play four of their last six games on the road, including three trips to New England. Their first two road trips will be at Brown and Harvard, the 2008 Ivy League co-champions. Those two teams started their Ivy League schedules against each other last Friday, with the Crimson earning a 24-21 victory.
Last Season: Princeton 27, COLUMBIA 24
It was during a Friday practice when Trey Peacock made a mistake on a certain route Princeton planned to run in the following day's Ivy League opener at Columbia. After getting an earful from the coaches, Peacock made sure to fix his error. Fortunately for the Tigers, he fixed it on a 52-yard touchdown reception that helped Princeton to a league-opening 27-24 thriller over the Lions.
The game was yet another nail-biter between Princeton and Columbia at Wien Stadium. Four of the five games played there during the Roger Hughes' era have been decided by three points or fewer, including the 2008 game. Columbia looked to break that streak in the final minutes, as Lion quarterback Shane Kelly began moving his offense in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. He guided the Lions from their own 17 to the Princeton 39, where they called a wideout screen to Mike Stephens. Junior linebacker Scott Britton stripped it near the sidelines and Cart Kelly beat a trio of Lions to the ball. A first-down run by Jordan Culbreath locked up the win.
While that drive clinched the win, it was the previous one that put Princeton in position to win its league opener. After Jordan Davis' one-yard touchdown run with 10:35 remaining gave Columbia a 24-21 lead, Anderson took the ball back and looked for a go-ahead drive. An 18-yard pass to Will Thanheiser converted a 3rd-and-12, and two plays later, Anderson hit Peacock on a 52-yard post pattern for the go-ahead score. The extra point was blocked, which ended Connor Louden's string of 55 straight PAT conversions.
Anderson concluded another strong game by completing 14-of-19 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Will Thanheiser recorded his second straight 100-yard game with seven catches for 132 yards and a touchdown. Peacock caught two passes for 86 yards and a score.
Princeton had three defenders with double-digit tackles, including senior Collin McCarthy, who recorded 11 tackles, including two for loss, and a sack. Britton had 11 tackles and sophomore Steven Cody, the No. 2 tackler in the Ivy League, finished with 10 stops. As a team, Princeton recorded seven tackles for loss and two pass breaukps.