Explosive Offense and Electric Defense Help Princeton To National Ranks

It's been a good start for the Princeton football team.

After not playing for 665 days, the Tigers have rolled out with two victories, outscoring Lehigh and Stetson 95-0. Princeton climbed to No.23 in the Athlon FCS Top 25 poll and was named the organization's Team of the Week for its victory over Stetson.

Here are some standout notes during the two games for Princeton so far.

Splash Plays: Princeton has produced 13 splash plays (plays equaling 20 yards or more) on offense in the first two games of the season. Three of them have been over 40 yards and have all been touchdowns. The Tigers sit with the fifth highest scoring offense in the FCS (47.5) and 10th overall in total yardage (487.0) helped by their ability to hit the home run.

Cole Smith: Smith has been outstanding in his first two starts, completing 69.2 percent, adding 637 yards and eight total touchdowns. His 412 yards passing vs. Lehigh was only the 14th time in program history that a quarterback threw for over 400 yards. Even more impressive with his stat line, these were his first two career starts.

Wide Receivers: Princeton has three players with over 100 yards receiving in Jacob Birmelin (206), Andrei Iosivas (158) and Dylan Classi (108). That trio has also accounted for all of Smith's passing touchdowns. Birmlein's 6.5 receptions per contest is ranked among top 20 in all of NCAA FCS while Birmelin's 103 yards per game sits 12th in all of NCAA. The trio has also accounted for nine of the team's splash plays.

Defense: Zero. What more is there to say about the Princeton defense so far.

1965 was the last time Princeton shutout consecutive opponents. The Tigers have allowed just one rushing yard in two games and have allowed just three over plays over 20 yards. Princeton has allowed just five third-down conversions and no fourth-down pickups and zero red-zone opportunities.

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