By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
DiAndre Atwater won’t be getting ahead of himself, but the senior running back is encouraged by the Princeton University football team’s fast start.
Atwater led the Tigers with 93 rushing yards and a touchdown in their 52-26 win over Lehigh on Saturday. Princeton improved to 2-0 and has outscored its first two opponents, 92-33.
“It’s definitely big,” Atwater said. “It’s big for our confidence. It’s big for showing us if we practice hard, we can do well. It’s not time for us to get on our high horse though.”
Atwater is taking one game at a time. He was off to a strong start last year, but only got to play in six games before a knee injury ended his year. He still led Princeton in rushing. After offseason microfracture surgery, Atwater has returned to be a rushing leader.
“I feel good,” Atwater said. “I feel really good. I worked incredibly hard to get my body in shape to go through a 10-game season. The other running backs in the group have seen the way I’ve worked and I’ve seen the way they worked.
“I’ve known Dre Nelson since eighth grade. We played together. It was a similar dynamic. We’ve always been great friends. Even with the younger guys — Joe Rhattigan and AJ (Glass) — everyone is going out there and doing their best and working their hardest.”
It’s paid off with a running attack that has been hard to stop. Princeton rushed for 244 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry in the win over Lehigh.
“I think every one of the running backs is in great shape,” Atwater said. “That helps. You know the next guy goes in and we won’t miss a beat. We have some bumps and bruises, the same at other positions, but we know the next guy is ready to come in.
“The line has been great. Another part of that is the chemistry they have on the line. All those guys are all best friends, not only on the field but they all eat together and live together. We know we’re working for each other, and we’re all brothers as well.”
The run game was almost equaled by the passing game. Chad Kanoff completed 13 of 24 passes for 195 yards and two scores, John Lovett hit a huge pass for 33 yards and Kedric Bostic was perfect on one attempt for seven yards.
“The last few years, when we’ve had success offensively, we’ve really been balanced,” said Princeton head coach Bob Surace. “We’ve had a nice balance between the two. They feed off each other. Our offensive coaches are creative. If they’re too many guys in the box, you want to throw it. When too many guys are in coverage, you want to run it. We want to be balanced.”
With the run game clicking, it has taken pressure off Kanoff, who is in his first year starting. The running backs do have more experience overall, and the offensive line has been strong from the start.
“Our offensive line is really doing a great job sticking on blocks,” Surace said. “Our runners are doing well, and there were some big blocks. Trevor Osborne hustled down and knocks the safety on a cartwheel on our first touchdown. We knew the running backs could be a strength and the depth we have at running back could be a strength. They’re really running hard.
“The run game is 11-person football. You have to have 11 guys doing it right. When we’re doing it right, it looks really pleasing to the eyes.”
The Tigers try to keep it going when they open Ivy League play 7 p.m. tonight at Princeton Stadium against Columbia, a team that is 0-2 but looks dangerous under former Penn head coach Al Bagnoli.
“You almost have to disregard their record,” Surace said. “They were down three points to Fordham, then it got out of hand at the end. It was an even game for 50 minutes. Then they’re up 10-3 on Georgetown and where we’ve had every ball bounce our way, it’s gone the other way for them. They could be up, and they’re down 24-10.
“If there’s a better defensive line in the Ivy League, I don’t want to see it. Their quarterback started at Florida and transferred. Their running back is one of the best in the league. They have high end tackles. At all the key spots to win games, they’re playing really well. Their defensive backs are in their face and cover you. It’s going to be battle. Throw out the lucky breaks we’ve had, and throw out the bad breaks they’ve had. This is the best team we’ve seen on video so far.”
Imagine then what Columbia sees in its film study. The Tigers took a jump defensively against Lehigh, a team that had run through Penn in a blowout the week before. Princeton gave up some yardage, but it also did its best job of causing turnovers. Princeton had two fumble recoveries and two interceptions with R.J. Paige returning one pick for a touchdown. It allowed the Tigers to build on their opening win over Lafayette, and they’re still motivated to prove the Ivy prognosticators who picked them toward the bottom of the league wrong.
“I think the biggest difference was us continuing to practice hard,” Atwater said. “That showed with our effort. We were finishing plays. In the third quarter, when our offense plateaued a little, the defensive effort picked up. That was a big part of the game.”
Princeton propelled itself into the lead with a strong finish to the second quarter. The Tigers trailed 13-10 with three minutes left before halftime when they took the ball and drove 56 yards in three plays with Rhattigan picking up his second rushing touchdown of the game to make it 17-13. After a three-and-out by the PU defense, the Tigers needed just three more plays with Kanoff hitting Seth DeValve for a 26-yard touchdown for a 24-13 lead with 52 seconds left in the half. Kanoff engineered the two-minute offense perfectly for the go-ahead momentum swinging scores.
“The game was back and forth early,” Surace said. “We go down 13-10 and we had stumbled offensively. He just doesn’t panic. There was 3:15 left and we have two timeouts left and I went to tell him that, and he said, ‘Plenty of time.’ He has this poise to him. We scored two touchdowns in that last three minutes or so.”
Paige’s interception return was the only score of the third quarter, and it gave the Tigers a 31-13 lead. After Lehigh returned a fumble for a touchdown, Kanoff hit Scott Carpenter for a 30-yard touchdown pass and Atwater scored on a 5-yard run to pretty much sew up the win.
“I think we have guys that know what it takes to build a championship culture,” Atwater said. “That’s what we’re trying to emphasize every game. And we’re trying to do that in practice. If you practice well, that makes the game easier. We try to make sure everyone knows how important practice is. You can never rest on your laurels.”
Princeton felt that may have happened some last year after coming off an Ivy championship season. The Tigers look like they have the same sort of offensive capabilities as that title team.
“There are some similarities,” Atwater said. “A lot of people have started making those comparisons. We don’t want to speak on that too soon.”
Atwater is just trying to make the most of every chance he has. He is content to rotate at running back. It keeps him fresh, and it gives him a good chance of playing start to finish for the first time in his Princeton career. Injuries have cut short each of his previous three seasons.
“He’s a terrific player,” Surace said. “He’s had some really unfortunate injuries. You have to keep playing hard and that’s what he’s done. He plays so hard. You’re seeing the benefits of his offseason. He looks stronger. The finish to his runs, that touchdown was a big-time finish.”
He’s hoping there is a strong finish ahead for him and the Tigers. It’s been a good start to his final season.
“It’s definitely exciting,” Atwater said. “It’s kind of bittersweet. It’s good to see the culmination of three years of work. At the same time, I only have eight games left. I want to make the best of those opportunities.”
