Princeton FInishes Non-Conference Action at Lafayette Saturday

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By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com

Defense wins championships.

You've heard that expression? Well, there's good reason for that. Since 2013, the Ivy League champion (or one of the co-champions) has ranked either first or second in the Ivies in scoring and/or total defense every single season. Last year, Princeton and Dartmouth were co-champions; Princeton led the Ivies in total defense, while Dartmouth led in scoring defense.

Take Princeton's four Ivy championship seasons during the last decade, and the motto continues to fit.

2013: #2 in total defense
2016: #1 in scoring defense, #1 in total defense
2018: #2 in scoring defense, #2 in total defense
2021: #2 in scoring defense, #1 in total defense

The two teams that will meet Saturday afternoon (12:30 pm) in Fisher Stadium would love nothing more than to see that trend continue in 2022. Princeton and Lafayette have both put together highly ranked defensive units through the first month of the season, and both have one final non-league opportunity to strengthen that unit before diving fully into their championship chases.

Lafayette enters the weekend with a 2-3 mark, though two of those losses have come to either an FBS team (Temple) or a Top-20 FCS team (William & Mary). First-year head coach John Troxell, a former Lafayette starting safety, has helped put together the top-ranked scoring defense and the second-ranked total defense in the Patriot League. The unit has allowed an average of 13 points per game over the last two weeks, including a Patriot League-opening 24-14 win at Bucknell last Saturday.

"Lafayette is a disciplined and aggressive team," Princeton head coach Bob Surace said. "Every game they have played so far has been a physical battle. They are impressive in many areas, with their defensive line being one of the most complete groups I've seen in the last decade."

Malik Hamm and Damon Washington have combined for 10.5 tackles for loss over the first five games, while A.T. Ntantang is the reigning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week after recording two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, in the win over Bucknell.

The Princeton individual defensive stats may not impress this early in the season, but the collective unit has been very impressive. Princeton ranks second in the Ivies in total defense and third in scoring defense (if not for defensive touchdowns scored by Columbia and Lehigh, the Tigers would have only allowed 31 points this season and would be tied for first). The unit gets off the field quickly, especially because they are one of the national leaders in third down conversion percentage (28.2 percent).

Offense obviously will matter, and Princeton does have the Ivy's top-ranked scoring offense. It will face one of its toughest tests of the season this weekend, a good opportunity before returning home for a nationally televised game against Brown to re-open Ivy play.

Two teams with championship aspirations, and the defenses to make it happen, will meet Saturday to resume one of Princeton's oldest rivalries. This one promises to be a battle.

Week 4 Notes

History Lesson • This will be the 52^nd meeting between Princeton and Lafayette in a rivalry that dates back to Oct. 22, 1883. Princeton leads the all-time series 44-4-3 and has won 11 straight meetings in this rivalry, including a 28-3 home win during the 2019 season.

So Far, So Good • Princeton is one of two Ivy League teams that started the season 3-0. The other, Penn, posted a 12-0 home win over Lafayette during Week 2. Princeton and Penn also join Harvard and Yale as the four teams to win their Ivy League opener. While Princeton and Penn face non-league competition this weekend, Harvard is at Cornell and Yale hosts Dartmouth.

Getting Defensive • Princeton is the only team in the Ivy League to rank in the top three in scoring (third), total (second), rushing (second) and passing (second) defense. They also have given up the fewest first downs in the Ivy League (13.3 per game) and have recorded the most interceptions (six).

Grounded • Princeton has the second-ranked rushing defense in FCS football. The Tigers allow only 40.7 rushing yards per game and are one only three teams (joining Weber State and Hampton) to not allow a rushing touchdown all season.

Conversion Chart • Princeton ranks in the Top 15 nationally in third-down conversion defense (28.2%), and it has been especially strong in the second half this season. Of the 11 third down conversions allowed by Princeton, only three have come in the second half, and only one has been in the fourth quarter.

Point It Out • Princeton leads the Ivy League in scoring offense this season with 30.7 points per game. The Tigers are one of only two Ivy teams (Harvard) to score at least 20 points in all three games this season.

Quarterly Review • Princeton has scored at least once in all 12 quarters it has played this season.

I'm Honored (Again) • Ryan Butler was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week following Princeton's 24-6 win over Columbia, marking the second time in three weeks Butler has claimed the honor. He had 56 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in his Ivy League debut, and he leads Princeton in both rushing yards (45.7) and rushing touchdowns (four) on the season.

Passing Fancy • After his first three games as a starting quarterback, junior Blake Stenstrom leads the Ivy League in both passing yards (804) and completion percentage (67.6), and he is tied for second in fewest interceptions (two). Against the highly ranked Columbia defense last weekend, he completed 21 of 35 passes for 257 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Elite Eight • Senior wide receiver Dylan Classi needs only eight catches Saturday to become the 16th player in program history with at least 100 career receptions. Classi has averaged 6.5 catcher per game over the last two weeks and posted back-to-back 100+ yard receiving games for the first time in his Princeton career.

Andrei The Giant • Senior Andrei Iosivas leads the Ivy League in both receptions (18) and touchdown catches (three) this season. He also has a realistic chance to break the 100-yard catch mark this season, as he will enter the Lafayette game with 77 career catches.

Familiar Faces • Both Princeton head coach Bob Surace and Lafayette head coach John Troxell have returned to their alma maters, where they earned conference titles as players. They barely missed playing against each other, though. Surace graduated in 1990, while Troxell began his career the following season.

What's Next? • Princeton opens its six-game Ivy League sprint next Friday night when it welcomes Brown to Powers Field for a 7 pm showdown on ESPNU. Brown is led by head coach James Perry, who served as Princeton's offensive coordinator for the 2013 and 2016 Ivy League championship seasons.

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