Football aims to put Colgate off balance

Following a dramatic comeback against Columbia last week, the football team must not rest on its laurels. The Tigers must remove the pleasant memory of their overtime victory from their minds and focus on the matter at hand ? facing the defending Patriot League champions on their home field ? if they are to defeat Colgate tomorrow.

If Princeton (1-3 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) comes out slowly, still relishing in its first overtime victory, it is in for a rude awakening.

"We talk about this each week," head coach Roger Hughes said. "Once we watch the film on Sunday, the game is over. We close the book on the previous game."

Even with clear minds, the Tigers must play a complete game from the opening kickoff to the final gun in order to vanquish the Red Raiders ? currently ranked No. 20 in the Division I-AA according to the latest Football Gazette poll. This would present a change from previous weeks when Princeton has stumbled out of the gates. In its first three games, the team has scored more points in the fourth quarter than it has in the first three quarters combined.

"Colgate has traditionally had a really strong team, especially in the last couple years," senior linebacker Steven Koopman said. "It's going to definitely take a really good effort on our part. If we can get a 60-minute effort on both offense and defense, we'll look pretty good."

Mixing it up

Moving the ball will not be an easy task for Princeton, as Colgate utilizes a defensive package that features several different blitzes and stunts. This aggressive strategy not only takes advantage of the Red Raiders' natural speed, but also helps to compensate for the squad's relative lack of size.

Colgate's front four weighs an average of 238 pounds, while the lightest member of Princeton's starting offensive line is 275-pound center Brian Wilson. The resulting size advantage should help the Tigers grind out much-needed yardage behind the bruising running of senior tailback Kyle Brandt.

"The key for us [is that] we're going to have to take advantage of their size," offensive line coach Stanley Clayton said. "I think we're pretty strong up front. From a protection standpoint, I'm very confident that our protection will hold up."

"We've seen a variety of blitzes and stunts in our first three ball games. If No. 22 [Colgate linebacker Ahmad Russell] lines up at defensive end, he's six foot, two [inches], weighs about 202 pounds, and [6-5, 300 lb. senior right tackle] John Raveche gets his hand on him, he's going to destroy the kid."

Versatile

Defensively, Princeton must primarily concern itself with containing the Patriot League's top rated passer, agile Colgate sophomore quarterback Tom McCune. In four games McCune has a passing efficiency rating of 132.4 and has been personally accountable for 12 touchdowns ? seven through the air and five on the ground. His favorite targets are receivers Jason Mattes and Joe Parker who each have 39 receptions between them.

Special teams

Another area in which Colgate excels is on special teams. Last week against Towson, Red Raider cornerback Brandon Tinson tied an NCAA Division I-AA record by blocking three punts, each of which led to a Colgate touchdown. In addition, Colgate blocked a Towson extra point attempt, to tie the record for blocked kicks in a game with four.

All told, it will take a complete performance by Princeton, during all four quarters, in all three facets of the game to produce the one result the team craves ? an upset victory heading into the heart of the Ivy League schedule.