Princeton ties Penn in tune up

Shortened scrimmage gives Tiger football team a look at good, bad

By: Justin Feil
   The Princeton University football team was able to accomplish a lot in a short time during Tuesday’s scrimmage against Pennsylvania, but a thunderstorm brought an earlier end than anticipated and left the Tigers with some unfinished business in their final week of tune up before their 2001 opener.
   "Because we had to shorten it," began Tiger head coach Roger Hughes, "we had to scrimmage some (Thursday) to give us a chance to see some of the younger players. We promised the kids when we recruited them that we’d give them a chance."
   There were still plenty of young names that stuck out as Princeton played Penn to a 7-7 tie through roughly half of the scheduled three quarter scrimmage.
   Second-string quarterback Brian Danielewicz found freshman B.J. Symanski for an 85-yard scoring strike less than a minute into the second quarter to provide the tying score. In the first quarter, sophomore defensive back Sam Snyder intercepted a Gavin Hoffman pass and returned it to the 24-yard line before a penalty brought back some of the runback. Princeton had another runback, this one a touchdown by Blair Morrison on a blocked field goal, called back by penalty.
   "Other than the penalties, we played well at times," Hughes said. "Cameron Atkinson is running pretty well. David Splithoff had a very good scrimmage. We handled situations well. The secondary is improved certainly. Paul Simbi did a nice job and he probably should have had an interception. He was in position. I was pleased with how the secondary played. You expect them to play well, but then you look at them and it’s a sophomore, a sophomore, and a junior, so they’re still young."
   The defensive and offensive lines are also inexperienced. The scrimmage was important as it gave Princeton a chance to see them against a strong Penn defensive line and an improved offensive line.
   "On both sides of the ball, we have to be able to run the football better and have to stop the run better," Hughes said. "I’m not sure we weren’t successful with some of our runs. Kris Ryan is a big back and their whole line is improved. Our ends, like Tim Kirby, did well, but we need some more help with the inside. So we’re still trying to figure things out."
   Already, Princeton used Trey Greene and Ian Withrow in goal-line situations at the two tackle positions. The Tigers have just one defensive lineman who is older than a sophomore, and it’s Phil Jackman, whose first year of football at any level came last season.
   Considering the youth, Princeton was happy with the brief glimpse it got in the scrimmage against the pre-season favorite to repeat as Ivy League champions.
   "There was good stuff and bad stuff," said Bob Farrell, who led all Princeton players with five tackles from his linebacker spot. "It was mostly a learning experience. The No. 1 goal was to stay healthy.
   "This was our first opportunity to really play the game at game speed. From freshmen to seniors, things happened a little quicker. We just need to be more focused on our responsibilities. But we were relatively happy with how we played. The things we didn’t do right are all things we can work on."
   Princeton remains optimistic that it will have its flaws ironed out for its season opener Sept. 15 vs. Lafayette. The scrimmage gave the Tigers a better idea of what they do need to work on, but there are still questions.
   "We’re still trying to figure out the third and second and in some cases the first string," said Hughes, noting that Danielewicz is looking like the back-up quarterback to Splithoff. "We scrimmaged some in the morning to see about that and we’ll prepare for Lafayette in the afternoon. We’ve been running some of their stuff, so we’re getting ready and trying to evaluate at the same time. We’re trying to split it up between evaluation and preparation."
   Hughes held Chisom Opara out of Tuesday’s scrimmage because the receiver was bothered by a tight hamstring. It ended up being a blessing for the evaluation process as several young wide outs, such as Symanski, had a chance to shine.
   "Some of our young receivers stepped up," confirmed Hughes. "Blair Morrison did a good job with the exception of one drop in the situations part. Symanski stepped up and made a nice catch. Keeping Chisom out wasn’t all bad."
   Princeton also had the advantage of the intangible competitive quality that playing Penn added. Despite a situations portion that preceded the scrimmage, the game still held intensity previously unseen.
   "Just the little things like playing in the jerseys and against a league team helped," said Farrell. "Compared to Rowan in the past years, it was much more game-like, except for the rain."
   It was the only thing that dampened the otherwise bright Princeton spirits after its only pre-season scrimmage that answered several questions while getting the Tigers closer to being ready for their season opener.
   "This was good for us," Hughes said. "I think some of the guys were nervous, maybe even a little intimidated. We wanted to take advantage of this and get this under our belt so we’re more ready for the game against Lafayette."