Tigers’ fourth-quarter offense keeps Lafayette at bay
By: Justin Feil
John Elway is known for "The Drive" that carried his Denver Broncos to a win in the 1986 AFC Championship Game.
The Princeton University football team, led by a new-look backfield and veteran offensive line, already has two memorable drives after its first 60 minutes of football, drives that the Tigers hope are indicative of things to come as they go after an Ivy League championship. The Tigers, who led 20-0 at halftime, fought off a rally from host Lafayette with a pair of memorable fourth-quarter drives in a 23-21 opening-season win Saturday.
The two drives consumed 12 minutes, 51 seconds of the 15-minute fourth quarter and enabled the Tigers to open a season with a win on the road for the first time since 1992. Princeton improved to 1-0 while handing last year’s Division I-AA playoff qualifier Lafayette its first loss in three games.
"We’re very excited to get out of here with a win," said PU head coach Roger Hughes, whose team welcomes in 3-0 San Diego this Saturday. "Lafayette is an outstanding football team, a playoff-caliber team who had almost everyone back on their squad. And so it wasn’t surprising to me that they didn’t fold their tent. We kind of got lucky and jumped on them quickly. We expected a fistfight and I was very proud of our team."
After Princeton built a 20-0 lead, the Leopards rallied with touchdowns on the first possession of the third and fourth quarters. The Leopards drew within 20-14 when Alfred Belton scored on a 3-yard run with 13:12 left in the game.
Princeton then put together an impressive clock-chewing 59-yard drive that took 16 plays and 9:25 before getting a 37-yard field goal from Javarone for a 23-14 lead. It was a drive that could have taken the wind out of Lafayette, but the Leopards took back momentum with a 72-yard kickoff return from Larry Johnson. Pat Davis then hit Chad Walker in the front left corner of the end zone on the Leopards’ first offensive play for a 23-yard touchdown to draw them within 23-21 with 3:26 still left.
Princeton never allowed them another chance. The Tigers’ kick return was stopped at their own 17-yard line when they regained the ball with 3:18 left. They ran out the remainder of the clock with Rob Toresco carrying six times for 33 yards behind an offensive line that had four returning starters.
"My part was easy," said Toresco, who finished with 16 carries for 79 yards. "I just have to credit them. They did an unbelievable job."
Hughes added, "We just kept getting enough, getting enough, getting enough. We preach to the kids patience on offense and in the quarterback meetings, I say, ‘Three times four equals 12, and that’s a first down every time.’ I tell them make sure you do that every time."
Princeton played the field position game to pick up its first score of the game. The Tigers punted after moving into Lafayette territory on their first possession but when the defense held the Leopards, Princeton regained the ball at the Lafayette 41-yard line. A 17-yard completion from Jeff Terrell to Jon Dekker opened Princeton’s drive before Cleo Kirkland scored his first career touchdown on a 9-yard run with 7:12 left in the first quarter. Kirkland ran 10 times for 46 yards before leg cramps slowed him in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers settled for a 22-yard field goal by Derek Javarone after 23- and 19-yard receptions by Brendan Circle and a roughing the passer penalty helped bring them inside the 10. It gave them a 10- lead, but the penalty also cost Princeton Terrell for the remainder of the first half. His replacement, sophomore Bill Foran, got Princeton as close as the 4 before Javarone’s kick.
"We planned on playing Bill Foran almost exactly the time Jeff got hurt," Hughes said. "The nice thing, the luxury we have, is we have two guys that can move the ball well."
Princeton turned to its defense for its second touchdown. Tiger senior cornerback Jay McCareins stepped in front of a Brad Maurer sideline pass and sprinted 75 yards for the score. Princeton led, 17-0, with 4:04 left in the first half. Princeton also ended the next Lafayette possession – and Maurer’s day – when Nate Starrett intercepted his next pass attempt.
Princeton extended its first-half command after the defense kept Lafayette pinned inside the 10 on its final possession of the second quarter. When Lafayette interfered with Greg Fields’ ability to catch the ensuing punt and then interfered with Dekker on a pass down the middle, the Tigers had the ball inside the red zone. Javarone connected on a 25-yard field goal to send the Tigers into the locker room with a 20-0 lead.
Lafayette pulled back within a touchdown by scoring on the first possessions of the third and fourth quarters. The Leopards needed only three plays – the big one a 46-yard connection of Pat Davis to Shaun Adair – before Davis found Brandon Stanford on a fade to the back corner of the end zone for their first points of the game.
Princeton took Lafayette’s best shots in the second half but never relented the lead. After the Leopards’ second touchdown, Princeton’s fourth-quarter drives gave them just one more chance. They scored but never got the ball back as the Tigers held the ball until the first 60 minutes of its season had passed with a win.