Football Takes On No. 19/25 Mercer Saturday

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By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com

A year ago, only the most devoted Princeton football fans knew the name Ethan Clark. The then-sophomore running back had just 12 carries for 37 career yards before erupting for 117 yards and a touchdown in Macon, Georgia, against Mercer, one of the nation's top run defenses.

A week ago, only those same diehards could have picked out Josh Robinson. The freshman wide receiver entered last Friday's Ivy League opener with two catches for 26 yards. By night's end, he had hauled in four second-half receptions for 73 yards; every catch gained a first down, and three came on third down.

So who's next?

Head coach Bob Surace wouldn't mind another breakout performance, but he'd be just as happy with something else: his team's first wire-to-wire effort of the season. That alone might help establish Princeton as a legitimate Ivy League threat heading into the thick of conference play.

The task won't come easily. Nationally ranked Mercer rolls into Princeton Stadium this Saturday (12 pm, ESPN+) riding a four-game winning streak, including a 45–21 victory over Samford. The Bears have averaged more than 30 points per game over the last three weeks and feature four different players with at least three touchdowns on the season.

"Mercer has been dominant on offense with a balanced attack that is making explosive plays," Surace said. "They are an aggressive defense that is one of the national leaders in tackles for loss and sacks. They also have one of the best returners in the country at any level. They are a complete team certainly deserving of their high national ranking."

What could be better than a breakout performance against that level of competition?

Week 4 Game Notes
We Meet Again • Princeton has played some of the oldest rivalries in college football — including Yale, the second-most contested series in the sport — but Mercer was a new addition to the schedule last fall. The Tigers made only their seventh plane trip of this century for that matchup, a 34–7 loss to then-No. 7 Mercer.

Comeback Kings • Princeton opened Ivy League play last weekend with a 17-10 comeback win over Columbia. The Tigers trailed 10-0 after one quarter, but the defense pitched a shutout for the final 45 minutes. Short touchdown runs by Asher Weiner and Ethan Clark, as well as a 38-yard field goal by Esteban Nunez Perez, were enough to give Princeton the strong start in Ivy play.

Getting Defensive • In the first quarter last Friday, Columbia gained 147 yards on two drives and scored 10 points. In the final three quarters combined, the Lions gained a total of 165 yards and didn't score.

Highlight Worthy • The first impact play of the night was made by senior captain and linebacker Marco Scarano, who leaped over a Columbia receiver and pulled away a potential first down conversion midway through the second quarter. The play was ranked fourth on SportsCenter's Plays of the Night.

Marco Polo • Besides his interception, Scarano led Princeton with 11 tackles and added both a quarterback hurry and a breakup. Scarano currently has 32 tackles, the second most in the Ivy League.

Tackling The Issue • Princeton has two of the Ivy League three leading tacklers on the season. Junior Chase Christopher ranks second in the league with 30 stops; he had a team-best 11 in the 2024 Mercer matchup.

AJ is A-OK • Sophomore AJ Pigford, who was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week following a strong game against Mercer last season, had three tackles and three quarterback hurries against Columbia. His biggest impact play came when he made a diving interception at the Columbia 1-yard line off a pass he tipped behind the line of scrimmage. That set up the Tigers first touchdown of the game.

Fresh Face • Freshman wide receiver Josh Robinson led Princeton with four catches for 73 yards in the win over Columbia. Each of his catches gave Princeton a first down, with three of them coming on third downs.

We're Honored • Josh Robinson's effort Friday night earned Princeton a second consecutive Ivy League Rookie of the Week honor. Freshman Nate Stohl earned Princeton's first Ivy League individual honor of the season when he was named Rookie of the Week after recording four tackles in the Week 2 road win at Lafayette.

Seven Up • Princeton head coach Bob Surace has used multiple quarterbacks throughout his career, and he did so again Friday night. The senior tandem of Kai Colón and Blaine Hipa each completed seven passes, and the duo combined for 238 yards in the win. A third quarterback, Asher Weiner, scored the Tigers' first touchdown on a keeper at the 1-yard-line.

Good Memories • Junior Ethan Clark, who rushed for more than 100 yards and a touchdown last season at Mercer, is tied for third in the Ivy League with three rushing touchdowns; he also leads Princeton with 111 yards on 30 carries. Teammate Dareion Murphy also has three rushing touchdowns this season, including one in the win over Columbia.

Just For Kicks • Junior All-Ivy punter Brady Clark leads the Ivy League ranks third in the nation with a 47.7-yard average on his punts this season. Mercer's John McConnell isn't far off the pace; he ranks eighth nationally with a 46.1-yard average.

O Captain, Our Captains • Princeton names seniors Kai Colón, Nasir Hill, Blaine Hipa, and Marco Scarano team captains for the 2025 season.

Coach 'Em Up • Head coach Bob Surace is now in his 15th season as the Princeton head coach Saturday, the longest run of consecutive seasons for any head coach in program history (Hall of Famer Bill Roper coached 17 years over three different stints). He has the second-most wins in program history (83). He is currently six behind Roper for the all-time program lead, and his four Ivy League titles match the Princeton record set by Hall of Famer Dick Colman. Surace, who also coached a year at Western Connecticut, earned his 100th win as head coach in the Week 2 victory over Lafayette.

The Constant • Senior Associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Steve Verbit is in his 40th season at Princeton. Throughout his time at Princeton, Verbit has coached everything from multiple NFL players (Mike Catapano '13 and Caraun Reid '14) to his son Matt Verbit '05. He has been on the coaching staff for eight of Princeton's 13 Ivy League championship teams.

Looking Ahead • Princeton will return to Ivy League play October 18 (12 pm) when it heads to Providence to take on the Brown Bears. Led by former Princeton offensive coordinator James Perry, Brown posted the Ivy League's best win of the season last Friday night when it defeated #8 Rhode Island 28-21. Brown forced two turnovers and got two rushing touchdowns by Matt Childs and two passing touchdowns from James Murphy to clinch the win

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Players Mentioned

Chase Christopher

Brady Clark

Ethan Clark

Nasir Hill

Blaine Hipa

Dareion Murphy

Esteban Nunez Perez

AJ Pigford

Josh Robinson

Marco Scarano

Nate Stohl

Asher Weiner

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