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Princeton University Athletics
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Finally, Football; Princeton Opens Surace Era, 2010 Season At Lehigh
September 14, 2010 | Football
PRINCETON GAME NOTES l IVY MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL l MEDIA DAY: THE OFFENSE l THE DEFENSE
The long wait is finally coming to an end. Bob Surace '90, who was introduced as the 22nd head coach in Princeton football history two days before Christmas, and a squad ready to prove the prognosticators wrong will take the field Saturday afternoon at Patriot League power Lehigh.
After three straght 4-6 seasons, Surace was hired to take over the football team he once led to an Ivy title as an all-league center. He had just recently helped guide the Cincinnati Bengals from a 4-11-1 record in 2008 to the AFC North title in 2009. Now he is hoping to do the same thing with his new (and old) Orange and Black squad.
While Saturday's game won't factor into the Ivy League standings, early-season momentum has played a huge role for Princeton recently. Over the last eight years, the Tigers have split their season openers. In the seasons following victories, Princeton was a combined 14 games over .500. In the seasons following losses, Princeton was 12 games below .500.
Princeton brings both new offensive and defensive systems to Lehigh, which has already played two games this season. The Mountain Hawks lost 35-0 last weekend to reigning NCAA champion Villanova, which was recently invited to the Big East. As Surace will say in Thursday's TigerCast, he was extremely impressed with the physical nature of this Lehigh team, which played the Wildcats far closer than the score indicates.
How his team will handle that physical nature won't be known until 12:37 Saturday afternoon, when the 140th season of Princeton football officially kicks off. But Surace, his staff and a roster full of players tired of watching college football on Saturdays can't wait to find out.
Week 1: Princeton (0-0) at Lehigh (1-1)
Date/Time: Sept. 18/12:30 p.m.
Field: Goodman Stadium
Location: Bethlehem, Pa.
TV: none
Radio: 103.3 FM/GoPrincetonTigers.com
All-Time Series: Princeton 39-12-2
Last Year: Princeton 17, LEHIGH 14
Last At Site: Princeton 17, LEHIGH 14 (2008)
Last Five Years: Princeton 3-1
Current Streak: Princeton 2
Game Notes • Week 1
A Few Fast Facts To Get You Ready…
Welcome Back • Saturday marks the debut of head coach Bob Surace '90, the 22nd head coach in Princeton football history. Surace, who was an All-Ivy center on Princeton's 1989 Ivy League championship team, was an offensive assistant coach with the Cincinnati Bengals for the last nine seasons.
Coaching Clinic • Bob Surace brought in seven new assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator James Perry (from Brown) and defensive coordinator Jared Backus (from Temple). The veteran of the staff is Steve Verbit, who was promoted to associate head coach as he begins his 26th season at Princeton.
Opening Statement • Over the last eight years, Princeton has gone 4-4 in season openers. In the four years Princeton won its opening game, the Tigers ended with a combined record of 27-13. In the other four years, Princeton went 14-26.
Close Calls • Princeton has won each of its last two games against Lehigh, although both were close, low-scoring games. Following a 10-7 home victory in 2008, Princeton went to Goodman Stadium last season and earned a 17-14 win.
Three-Peat • Princeton is looking for its first three-game win streak over Lehigh since winning in 1987, 1992 and 1993. The Tigers had lost eight of nine to its Patriot League rival before winning the last two years.
From Way Downtown, Bang • Princeton's two touchdowns last season came on a 77-yard interception return from linebacker Steven Cody and a 68-yard touchdown run by Tommy Wornham. They were two of the three longest touchdowns for Princeton last season; the longest was a 78-yard touchdown reception by Trey Peacock against Cornell.
Game Management • While Princeton is playing its first game of 2009, Lehigh has already played twice, including last week's game against reigning NCAA champion Villanova.
Grand Return • Princeton's Jordan Culbreath is playing his first game since the 2009 Lehigh game; shortly after the 17-14 win in Easton, Culbreath was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and left school to deal with the illness. He has been medically cleared to return, although he will be monitored weekly.
In Case You Forgot • In his last full season, Jordan Culbreath was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy running back who rushed for 1,206 yards, including 276 in the season finale against Dartmouth. Over his career, he has rushed for at least 150 yards six times,
Oh Captain, Our Captains • Princeton will have three captains this season: senior running backs Jordan Culbreath and Matt Zimmerman and senior linebacker Steven Cody.
Captain America • Steven Cody earned a pair of preseason All-America honors. The Tigers have not had an All-America player since defensive back Jay McCareins in 2005.
Deja Vu? • The last time Princeton had the same starting quarterback for a second straight season was 2006.
The last time Princeton started as many as four new offensive lineman in a season opener was 2006.
The last time Princeton opened a season at Lehigh was 2006.
The last time Princeton was picked sixth in the Ivy League media preseason poll was 2006.
And the last time Princeton won the Ivy League title was 2006.
Offensive Notes and Anecdotes…
Tommy Boy
For the first time since 2006 (Jeff Terrell), Princeton will enter a season with the same starting quarterback as the previous year. Junior Tommy Wornham started every game last season, including the 17-14 win at Lehigh, and is back as the Tigers No. 1 quarterback. In his first six games last season, Wornham threw more interceptions than touchdowns, converted only 34.8% of its third downs and led an offense that scored at least two touchdowns in only two of six games.
In the final four games, Wornham raised his completion percentage by more than five points, threw more touchdowns than interceptions and helped the offense convert nearly 40% of its third downs. And that stretch included a game at eventual Ivy League champ Penn, which boasted the top-ranked defense in the nation.
Princeton went 1-5 in the first six games and 3-1 in the final four.
The Jordan Rules
The feel-good story of the preseason was the return of Jordan Culbreath, the 2008 first-team All-Ivy running back who missed the final eight games of last season when he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Culbreath has been medically cleared to play, although he will be tested weekly. Culbreath ended the 2008 season with a 276-yard rushing performance against Dartmouth; that punctuated a brilliant all-league season when he ran for 1,206 yards. He needs 449 yards to become the seventh played in Princeton history with at least 2,000 career rushing yards.
Catching On
While there are some areas of inexperience, wide receiver will not be one of them. Seniors Trey Peacock, Andrew Kerr and Jeb Heavenrich each return after significant playing time last season. Peacock was Princeton's leading receiver in 2009, catching 48 passes for 527 yards and three touchdowns, while Kerr finished with 38 catches for 390 yards and two touchdowns. Heavenrich dealt with early-season injury issues, but he caught 10 passes and one touchdown last season.
Of the 179 receptions last season, only 10 of them were caught by players who graduated last year.
Top Of The Line
The least experienced position is the offensive line, where Princeton graduated four starters last summer. The lone returning starter is Andrew Mills, who will start at right guard for the second straight year.
The offensive staff moved two players from the other side of the ball to the line, and both will start Saturday. Kevin DeMaio, Princeton's top defensive freshman in 2008, will start at right tackle, while Mike Muha will start at center.
Passing Fancy
New offensive coordinator James Perry holds the Ivy League career records for passing yards (9,294), completions (789), attempts (1,309), touchdowns (53), 400-yard games (7) and 300-yard games (14). He was the position coach for last season's Ivy passing champion, Brown's Kyle Newhall-Caballero.
Defensive Notes and Anecdotes…
Tackling The Issue
Senior tri-captain Steven Cody, a preseason All-America honoree in multiple publications, ranked first in the Ivy League and fifth nationally last season with 11.6 tackles per game. He has recorded 189 career tackles, including 16.5 for losses. Cody scored his first career touchdown last season at Lehigh when he returned an interception 77 yards, and he had a team-best 11 tackles in the win.
Front Of The Line
Senior Matthew Boyer earned his first All-Ivy honor last season, and he returns as Prince-ton's leading tackler on the defensive line. He made 40 tackles last season and will lead an experienced group that includes junior Mike Catapano and sophomore Caraun Reid.
Somewhat New Faces
The Princeton defense took its biggest graduation hit in the backfield and will start three new players. However, there is still plenty of experience at both the cornerback and safety position. Senior Glenn Wakam returns as a starting cornerback after recording 30 tackles and five pass break-ups last season, while junior Blake Clemons will make his first start on the other side. Junior Matt Wakulchik, who rotated with Wilson Cates at safety last season, finished third on the team with 60 tackles last season and will start at free safety.
Very New Face
Sophomore Mandela Sheaffer is expected to start at strong safety in the 2010 season opener at Lehigh. He is the least experienced defensive starter for Princeton; he spent all of the 2009 season as a back-up wide receiver. He was moved prior to the spring season and was one of the most surprising performers during that session.
The Temple Challenge
The Princeton defense will be guided by coordinator and linebackers coach Jared
Backus, who spent the last three seasons helping to rebuild the football program at Temple. He coached three seasons at Temple, including the 2009 season as a linebackers coach, and had three All-MAC linebackers while helping the Owls to the EagleBank Bowl.
The Crystal Ball
Princeton will make its 2010 home debut Saturday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. against Lafayette. This will be the Tigers' first meeting against the Leopards since 2007, when the Orange and Black earned a 20-14 road victory. The two teams haven't met since because Princeton played a home-and-home series with The Citadel.
Last Year: Princeton 17, LEHIGH 14
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Chalk this one up for the Princeton defense. Despite losing 2008 Ivy League rushing champion, Jordan Culbreath, to injury in the first half, Princeton left Lehigh with its first win of the 2009 season. Steven Cody's 77-yard interception return for a touchdown pushed the Tigers to a 17-14 victory over the Mountain Hawks.
Cody led the defense with 11 tackles and his first collegiate touchdown, while Dan Kopolovich made nine tackles and broke up a fourth-down pass on Lehigh's final drive of the game. Matt Wakulchik made eight tackles for the second straight game, while Scott Britton added seven stops.
The offense struggled all day with an aggressive Lehigh defense, but it made the one big play it needed. Quarterback Tommy Wornham completed nine of 20 passes for only 47 yards, but his 67-yard touchdown run in the first half have Princeton a two-touchdown lead in the first half. Culbreath gained 25 yards on eight rushes before leaving the game with an injury.
Meko McCray replaced Culbreath and ran the ball 12 times for 16 yards. With the passing game struggling, the Mountain Hawks pressured the run game throughout the second half and kept the offense from generating any major time-consuming drives. Princeton held the ball for 23:57, but the defense made sure that time would be enough.
Princeton got its first turnover of the season on Lehigh's first drive. Cody intercepted a short out intended for tight end Alex Wojdowski, found the right sideline and took ball the ball 77 yards for a touchdown. His only obstacle was quarterback J.B. Clark, whose diving tackle attempt around the 20 failed to bring down Cody.
The second big play came on a quarterback read, when Wornham faked a handoff to McCray, got a block from Harrison Daniels and went in untouched down the right sideline for a 68-yard touchdown.