2012 Princeton Football Week 4: Princeton (1-2) at Lafayette (3-1) Oct
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Princeton Football 2012 Education Through Athletics Education 2012 Princeton Football WEEK 4: PRINCETON (1-2) AT LAFAYETTE (3-1) Oct. 6, 2012 • 6 pm • Fisher Field at Fisher stadium TV/Video .................. RCN-TV/Lafayette Sports Network Last At Site ............. Princeton 20, LAFAYETTE 14 (2007) Radio/Audio ...............103.3 FM/GoPrincetonTigers.com Last Five Years ...........................................................2-0 All-Time Series ....................................Princeton 38-4-3 Last Princeton Win ..PRINCETON 33, Lafayette 30 (2010) Last Year ............................................................ no game Current Streak ...............................................Princeton 5 FOLLOWING THE TIGERS ON TWITTER Princeton Athletics ....................................... @PUTigers Princeton Football..............................@PUTigerFootball That Winning Feeling Princeton goes into Saturday’s game coming off its first win of the season, a 33-6 road win at Columbia in the 2012 Ivy League opener. The victory ended a nine-game losing streak overall and an 11-game losing streak on the road. Five Alive Princeton has won five straight games in this series, including two at Fisher Stadium. Over that span of games, the Tigers have averaged 28 points per game. Princeton’s last win at Fisher Stadium was a 20-14 win in Week 2 of the 2007 season; that game was the last time Princeton defeated a nationally ranked program. The last meeting between these two teams was a memorable 36-33 overtime win for the Tigers at Princeton Stadium during Week 2 of the 2010 season. The win, the first for current head coach Bob Surace, was clinched by an overtime touchdown run by Jordan Culbreath; the senior back, who rushed more than 1,200 yards as a junior (2008), had missed the 2009 season after being diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Patriot Games Princeton has lost five straight games to Patriot League opponents, as well as seven of its last eight games. This season, Princeton has lost close games to both Lehigh (17-14) and Georgetown (21-20). Princeton We’re Honored Tigers A pair of Princeton freshmen were honored at the league level this week, and one shared a national honor. Both Anthony Gaffney and Nolan Bieck earned individual Ivy League honors Head Coach .............. Bob Surace (third season) after Saturday’s 33-6 victory over Columbia; Gaffney also shared the National Co-Freshman Princeton Record ........................................3-20 of the Week award. Ivy League Record .......................................2-14 Gaffney was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week after a dominant two-way effort on 2012 Record ..................................................1-2 Kraft Field. He returned the opening kickoff for a 94-yard touchdown, and he followed up with the first two interceptions of his collegiate career. Bieck was named the Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week after making four field 2012 PRINCETON SCHEDULE goals and three extra points in the win over Columbia. Sept. 15 LEHIGH 17, Princeton 14 Sept. 21 Georgetown 21, PRINCETON 20 Fresh(man) Faces Sept. 29 Princeton 33, COLUMBIA 6 The last two Princeton recruiting classes have dominated the Ivy League Rookie of the Week Oct. 6 at Lafayette .............................. 6 pm award. Dating back to last season, Tiger players have won eight of the last 13 Rookie weekly Oct. 13 BROWN# ................................ 12 pm honors. Six of those went to 2010 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Chuck Dibilio, who had to miss Oct. 20 HARVARD^ ............................... 1 pm this season after suffering a stroke during January. Oct. 27 at Cornell .......................... 12:30 pm Twenty spots on the Princeton two-deep are held by underclassmen, including leading rush- Nov. 3 PENN^...................................... 1 pm er Di Andre Atwater (freshman) and QBs Connor Michelsen and Quinn Epperly (sophomores). Nov. 10 at Yale! .................................... 12 pm Nov. 17 DARTMOUTH* .......................... 1 pm A PRINCETON WIN WOULD … • give Princeton its first two-game win streak since the end of the 2009 season @ — ESPNU • end a five-game losing streak against Patriot League teams # — NBC Sports Network • give Princeton consecutive road wins for the first time since the 2006 season ^ — ESPN3 ! — YES Network • be Princeton’s sixth straight victory over Lafayette, dating back to 2004 * — Verizon FIOS ONE • be its first victory over a team with a winning record since Week 7 of the 2007 season 10/6: Princeton (1-2) at Lafayette (3-1) (1-2) at Lafayette 10/6: Princeton www.GoPrincetonTigers.com 1 Princeton Football 2012 10/6: Princeton (1-2) at Lafayette (3-1) (1-2) at Lafayette 10/6: Princeton Getting Defensive The Princeton defense kept Columbia out of the end zone last week- Statistical Leaders end; that was the first time Princeton had achieved that feat in the span of 59 games, dating back to a 17-3 home win over Brown during the Rushing Season ............................................... Di Andre Atwater, 71.5 yds/gm 2006 Ivy League championship season. Last Weekend ..............................................Di Andre Atwater, 51 yds The combination of strong defensive play and scoring helped Princeton to a 27-point win; that was the Tigers’ largest margin of vic- Passing tory since a 30-0 win at Dartmouth in the 2005 season finale. Season ................................. Connor Michelsen, 355 yds, 118.3 y/gm Last Weekend ..........................................Connor Michelsen, 109 yds Secondary To None After allowing 2.4 touchdown passes per game last season, the Receptions Season .................................................. Roman Wilson, 9 rec, 3 r/gm Tigers have yet to allow a single touchdown completion this season. Last Weekend ........................................................ four players, 3 rec According to the NCAA, Princeton is the only Division I program (FBS or FCS) that has not allowed a touchdown pass this season. Receiving Yards Princeton has rotated three cornerbacks mostly, and each is an un- Season ....................................................... Roman Wilson, 58.3 y/gm derclassman. Sophomore Khamal Brown has started 12 straight games Last Weekend ........................................................ Roman Wilson, 73 at cornerback, while freshman Anthony Gaffney has started all three games this season and recorded two interceptions last weekend. Fel- Touchdowns Season ............................................................................Akil Sharp, 2 low freshman Matt Arends has rotated in at the cornerback position Last Weekend ............................................................ three players, 1 each game, while sophomore Mike Zeuli has seen significant time at the nickel back position. Tackles Season ....................................................... Andrew Starks, 10.3 t/gm Quarterly Report Last Weekend .......................................................... Tim Kingsbury, 7 Last season, Princeton was outscored 83-37 during the fourth quar- ter of its 10 games. This season, Princeton has outscored its opponents Sacks Season .....................................................................Mike Catapano, 4 33-3, including 13-0 last weekend. Last Weekend ...........................................................Elijah Mitchell, 2 In No Rush Interceptions Princeton held Columbia to -28 rushing yards in the second half last Season .................................................................. Anthony Gaffney, 2 weekend. Last Weekend ....................................................... Anthony Gaffney, 2 Conversion Chart Princeton limited Columbia to three conversions on 17 third-down When In Roman attempts last weekend. For the season, Princeton opponents are con- Junior wideout Roman Wilson has spent the majority of his first two verting third downs 33% of the time; last season, opponents converted seasons dealing with injuries, but he is showing his abilities early this on 41% of their opportunities. season. Wilson leads Princeton with nine catches for 175 yards, more than twice as many receiving yards as any of his teammates, and he Three’s Company caught his first career touchdown pass for 44 yards last weekend at Princeton is +23 in point differential over the first three weeks of Columbia. the season. The last time Princeton has had a three-game stretch with a higher point differential was during Weeks 2-4 of the 2006 season, A Perfect Ten when Princeton was +26 against Lafayette, Columbia and Colgate. Princeton had 10 players catch passes against Columbia last week- end, and none caught more than three. Six were wide receivers, two Sack Exchange were running backs and two were tight ends. Princeton has both the highest-ranked total defense and scoring de- fense in the Ivy League, and a key aspect of that has been the play up Di Andre The Giant front. The Tigers are averaging three sacks per game, and have gotten Freshman running back Di Andre Atwater leads Princeton in rushing two straight multiple-sack games from senior co-captain Mike Cata- yardage per carry (5.1) and per game (71.5). After not getting a carry pano. Both Catapano and fellow defensive lineman Caraun Reid, both in the season opener at Lehigh, he rushed for 92 yards in the home of whom have received considerable interest from NFL scouts this sea- opener against Georgetown, including a 53-yard touchdown run. son, were All-Ivy honorees last season; Reid led Princeton with eight sacks last