Princeton Football (1–1 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) opens their conference season on the road at Columbia (1–1, 0–0) this Saturday at 12 p.m. The Tigers will be keen to start their pursuit of the Ivy League Title 1–0 in their return to conference play.
Last season saw the Tigers overcome the Lions 10–7 after a tense 4th-and-goal situation was converted into a touchdown that eventually sealed Princeton’s victory. This year, they will look to replicate this win in a more comfortable fashion.
The starting quarterback spot is up in the air as junior quarterback Blaine Hipa, who was kept out of last week’s matchup against Howard due to injuries, may return this week. Senior quarterback Blaine McAllister stepped up in his place and delivered a strong performance for a 30–13 Tigers win.
Staff Sports Writer Joe Uglialoro ’27, Sports Contributor Lucas Denault ’27, Sports Contributor Ify Obianwu ’27, and Sports Contributor Zachary Meisel ’27 made their predictions for the game.
Princeton 27, Columbia 21 — Joe Uglialoro, Staff Sports Writer
After last year’s low-scoring win over the Lions, expect this year’s contest to be a far more explosive affair. Both Princeton and Columbia have put up solid offensive numbers this year, with each squad averaging roughly 25 points across their first two games. Though they stumbled out of the gate in the season opener against Lehigh, the Tiger offense put up a solid showing last week, scoring thirty points against Howard even in the absence of their starting quarterback.
After missing last week’s game due to an injury, Hipa should return to the starting squad on Saturday. Hipa’s return, along with the emergence of star receiver Luke Colella, bodes well for the Tigers against a Columbia secondary that has given up over 270 passing yards in each of its first two games. If Hipa can limit the turnovers that plagued him against Lehigh while taking advantage of Columbia’s leaky downfield coverage, the Tigers have a clear path to a decisive victory in Manhattan. The Lions boast an improved offense as well, so don’t expect a blowout in favor of either team.
Princeton 24, Columbia 13 — Lucas Denault, Sports Contributor
Coming off an impressive victory against Howard, Princeton football has a confidence that is going to be hard to take down.
The Princeton defense will be able to stand firm against Columbia’s offense in their first match of the season. With an incredible front four, the Princeton defense will be able to hurry up Columbia’s offense and make their newly crowned junior quarterback Cole Freeman uncomfortable. Over his first six quarters, Freeman has struggled; with three interceptions, he has shown an inability to protect the ball that Princeton can exploit with heavy backfield pressure. If their fresh starter can increase his completion percentage from 53 percent while maintaining his rushing threat and taking care of the ball, Columbia may have a glimpse of hope.
They both are 1–1, so a win will secure a higher spot in the Ivy League this Saturday. Regardless of who will lead the offense on the field, coach Bob Surace ’90 will have our team running all the right plays on Saturday. Princeton’s rushing offense began to heat up last week — with senior John Volker leading the charge with an incredible 5.3 yards per attempt, they can be sure to count on him for 3rd down conversions. I have full confidence in whatever quarterback steps on that field on Saturday — and with such an amazing squad around them, it should help ease whatever pressure they may face.
Without a doubt, our coaching and tenacity on the field will be too much for the Lions. Columbia will need a lot more production out of their passing offense and will need to win the turnover battle by a significant margin if they want a shot at this heated conference game.
Princeton 30, Columbia 28 — Ify Obianwu, Sports Contributor
Coming off of a strong win against Howard will be a confidence boost for the Tigers as they take on Columbia Saturday afternoon. This is just what they need, since it will be a close match-up. We have continued to see the Tigers tighten up their offense and defense. They are hungry for a good season this year, and a win over Colombia would be a stepping stone on their way towards winning the Ivy League.
When starter Hipa was benched due to injury last game, the Tigers showcased their quarterback depth. Senior quarterback Blaine McAllister showed up in last week’s game, proving that the team is stocked with talent. But, with Hipa back in the mix, it’s likely he will lead the team to victory. Colella has also shown up consistently this season: after his 37-yard deep touchdown last game, we are sure to see some points from him this weekend. With Hipa and Colella both on the field the Tigers are poised for victory against the Columbia Lions.
This game will be determined by the Tigers’ ability to keep up the continued progress we’ve seen from the team this season. If the defense continues to come out hard in the beginning and we see consistency in performance from Colella and Hipa, we should be coming home with a win.
Princeton 17, Columbia 13 — Zachary Meisel, Sports Contributor
It’s been a tale of two very different weeks for the Princeton Tigers, and they’ll look to prove their commanding win over Howard was no fluke as Ivy League play begins this Saturday. They take on the Columbia Lions, who have long brought up the rear of the conference — their only Ivy League championship took place in 1961. However, the Lions have come a long way from their record-breaking 44-game losing streak of the 80s and have already defeated a team this season — Lafayette, whom the Lions handled 31–20 — that beat the Tigers last year.
This away trip could prove tricky, especially because Princeton’s 31-point explosion last week came more from the futility of Howard’s offense than any improvement on that side of the ball by the Tigers. McAllister played well in his first start, especially when escaping the pocket, but the Tigers’ reliance on broken plays won’t be enough against a more talented team. The performance of whoever starts under center this week — Hipa started in Princeton’s first game before being injured — within structure will be the deciding factor in this battle of two teams with high expectations. My money is on another dynamic performance by the Tiger defense, just barely enough on offense, and a tight win.
Joe Uglialoro is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Lucas Denault is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Ify Obianwu is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Zachary Meisel is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections requests to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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