Tigers end with loss to Dartmouth
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
The Princeton University football team came into this season with hopes of repeating as Ivy League champions.
Injuries made consistency an issue, and without generating enough turnovers on defense or the same explosive plays that led to a record-setting season a year ago, the Tigers didn’t get close to their goal.
Princeton’s 41-10 loss to Dartmouth at home on Saturday ended their season at 5-5 overall, 4-3 in Ivy play. Their three Ivy losses to the top three teams in the league — Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth — came by a combined 134-47 margin. Their loss to Dartmouth was their fifth in a row to the Big Green.
”You don’t set goals to lose a game,” said PU head coach Bob Surace. “There were five times I went home on Sunday and was so disappointed. We have to find a way to fix that. The teams we play are so talented and so good, we can’t not be exact in what we’re doing. We have to do a great job in making sure we’re detailed in those responsibilities.”
When the All-Ivy League teams were announced on Tuesday, they were telling. Princeton did not have an offensive player on the first team. Reigning Offensive Player of the Year Quinn Epperly was hurt much of the season. He attempted only four passes against Dartmouth in the finale before leaving with an injury. Conor Michelsen, once the starter and starter again when Epperly sat out due to injury earlier in the year, went 18 for 33 for 102 yards.
”He came back and worked his tail off and earned everything he got,” Surace said of Michelsen.
On defense, Mike Zeuli wrapped up a terrific year with 16 tackles, including two more for loss against Dartmouth. The unanimous first-team selection anchored a defense out of his linebacker spot and ranked second in the Ivies in tackles overall. He led the conference with 16½ tackles for loss.
The only other first-team pick was Nolan Bieck. The junior placekicker hit a 46-yard field goal on Princeton’s first drive of the game before Dartmouth slowed down the Princeton offense, a pattern that happened too frequently for the Tigers.
”The two biggest areas — you don’t need to be an experienced head coach to know — we have to be better on explosive plays,” Surace said. “I don’t know how many we were minus, but it was a lot.
”And turnovers, we went from plus-10 to minus-4. That’s tough to overcome. If we’re plus-10, the season turns out differently.”
On the offensive side, DeAndre Atwater missed the final game against Dartmouth after being hurt the game before it. Atwater’s presence in games this year meant 86 more yards on average for the rushing attack. Princeton was held to 228 yard of total offense by Dartmouth. AJ Glass rushed for 41 yards, and the Tigers’ only touchdown came from Joe Rhattigan. Matt Costello closed his career third on Princeton’s all-time receptions list and Connor Kelley finishes his career seventh on the same list.
Offensive linemen Britt Colcolough and Mike Ramos were named to the All-Ivy second team along with defensive end Ty Desire, defensive back Dorian Williams and kick return specialist Dre Nelson. Scott Carpenter, Anthony Gaffney, Rohan Hylton, Kelley and Tyler Roth were all honorable mention All-Ivy picks. Carpenter, Desire, Hylton, Roth and Williams — more underclassmen than another other Ivy school — are eligible to return next season.
”The guys should have a chip on their shoulder,” said Surace, whose team resumes weight training this week. “We’ll correct everything we can correct. We have to do that to have a better season.”
The Tigers will lose some important pieces, like Epperly and Michelsen at quarterback, running back Will Powers, receivers Costello and Kelley and linemen Spenser Huston, Joe Tull, Jack Woodall, Taylor Pearson, Mike Ramos and Ryan Peloquin, and linebacker Garrit Leicht.
”The senior group and guys graduating, they were an amazing group,” Surace said. “I have so much respect for what they do. They had such a work ethic. The way they attacked their job. It’s easy to be proud of Zeuli or Epperly after an Ivy championship, but the character they showed after struggles, that’s what you’re even more proud of as a coach. That character will pay off in their lives. You’re more proud of how they handle struggles.”
Surace took the opportunity early this week to meet with his players and talk about the good and bad and the future in individual meetings.
”For a senior, it’s what’s their next step in their career?” Surace said. “With this senior group, I had this group for four and a half years from recruiting through now. With the underclassmen, there’s not a guy on our team, even the underclassmen that made all-conference like Nolan Bieck, they all have things to improve on. It’s true. It’s tell them, this is what we need to do.
”They want to hear the truth. What do I need to do to not just get on the field but be better than guys on the other teams?”
Surace is planning to be a bigger presence as a leader for the team next year. He felt he left it too much in the hands of the players, and while the Tigers had strong role models like Zeuli, they need more.
”They need a coach to push them,” Surace said. “18-22 year olds are different. It’s got to come from me.
”On the field, it’s a matter of our guys doing the work in the offseason,” he said. “It’s so many positions. On the field, I’m confident we’ll get guys ready.”
The work begins this week in the weight room. The Tigers are already looking to next year. They will travel to Japan in February and play their spring game earlier than usual. And by Thanksgiving next year, Princeton is hoping it has found its way back to the top of the Ivy League.