Column: Tigers run, run and run some more

Here is the play-by-play for the football team’s fourth-quarter touchdown drive against Yale on Saturday:

Dibilio, Chuck rush for 8 yards

Dibilio, Chuck rush for 4 yards

Sharp, Akil rush for 9 yards

Sharp, Akil rush for 6 yards

Dibilio, Chuck rush for 7 yards

Powers, Will rush for 12 yards

Wornham, Tommy rush for 5 yards

Dibilio, Chuck rush for 6 yards, touchdown

That’s an eight-play, 57-yard drive without once putting the ball in the air, the logical extreme of the team’s gameplan this year. At a time when offenses everywhere, Ivy League included, are becoming more and more pass-happy — Patrick Witt, Yale’s senior quarterback, threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday and is the most prolific passer in the Bulldogs’ history — the Tigers remain consistently unable to keep up on either offense or defense.

The talent in the backfield is undeniable: Chuck Dibilio, who seemingly is breaking a new freshman rushing record every week, hasn’t been worn down by the considerable workload placed on his shoulders — in Princeton’s last three games he has 32, 29 and 31 rushes. Even more remarkable is that he and the offensive line have managed to be so successful without a credible passing attack.

Usually the run sets up the pass — play-action fakes suddenly become more threatening to the defense, and safeties start trying to cheat a few steps forward — and if the quarterback and his receiving corps can’t take advantage, the defense just crowds the box and the running backs stop finding holes.

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I’m not sure why that hasn’t happened yet; the run-blocking ability of the offensive line, opposing defenses’ respect for senior quarterback Tommy Wornham’s scrambling ability and Dibilio’s undeniable talent are all valid, but flawed, guesses.

More likely, it seems that teams are happy to let the Tigers try to beat them on the ground. If they avoid giving up big plays and force enough fourth downs, they know that their offense can pick on the Princeton secondary. It’s no secret that it is easier to put points on the board with 14-yard completions in the seam than it is with four-yard runs off-tackle.

Ordinarily, any question of the team’s offensive identity would begin and end with Wornham, but with his final game as a Tiger fast approaching, suddenly the future is wide open.

I don’t know who the long-term answer is at quarterback. Whether or not the answer is freshman Quinn Epperly — who showed good speed against Cornell last month — the coaching staff has a unique opportunity to build a team with a unique character.

McGahee, Willis rush for 12 yards

McGahee, Willis rush for 3 yards

Larsen, Spencer rush for 6 yards

McGahee, Willis rush for 3 yards

Moreno, Knowshon rush for 3 yards

Moreno, Knowshon rush for 24 yards

McGahee, Willis rush for -1 yards

Tebow, Tim rush for 7 yards, touchdown

That is the Denver Broncos’ first touchdown drive against Kansas City on Sunday, another scoring drive without a single attempted pass. Denver’s playcalling, for the second week in a row, was tailored to Tim Tebow’s strengths: The Broncos ran an option offense, and Tebow completed only two passes the whole game — one for a long touchdown. They are 2-0 in those games.

It is not a stretch to say that whoever is running the Princeton offense this time next year will have a more technically-sound throwing motion than Tebow. And, although it is only a matter of time before the speed and intelligence of NFL defenses expose Denver’s lack of complexity on offense, in an environment like FCS college football, all a scheme needs is talented personnel who know how to execute. With that a team can find a lot of long-term success.

I’m not suggesting that an option offense is a good idea — it’s not — but sticking with a run-first, run-second, throw-only-when-you-need-to offense is a legitimately enticing one, even post-Wornham. All we need to do is fully commit. Focus on blocking with receivers; focus on making safe, accurate throws when the opportunity presents itself.

And, most important to establishing itself as a slow, physical ground team, use the offseason to shore up the back end of the defense. With three more years of an ever-improving Dibilio — not to mention the two or three other perfectly competent backs on the roster — and a more reliable man under center with less expected of him, all of a sudden Princeton might find itself winning a whole lot of football games.