Tigers rally at Columbia, 27-24
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
NEW YORK CITY – Scott Britton didn’t know how big a play he had made until he heard the reaction.
“I heard all the Princeton fans screaming,” said the Princeton University linebacker. “I looked and the guy didn’t have the ball. It was great hustle by Cart Kelly to get the ball.”
With Columbia driving for a potential game-tying field goal, or even a game-winning touchdown, Britton stripped Lions receiver Mike Stephens following his 7-yard catch and Kelly recovered the fumble with 1:32 left in the game.
One first down by the Princeton offense sealed a 27-24 win in its Ivy League opener. Princeton improved to 2-1 overall with its sixth straight win over the Lions at Wien Stadium, the fourth win by three points or fewer in that streak. Columbia lost for the 11th straight time and is 0-3 this season.
“I think we showed a lot of heart at the end,” said Britton, who equaled Collin McCarthy with 11 tackles to lead the Tigers defense. “When we needed a big play, we got it. When it came down to it, we wanted it more.”
Princeton took its final lead in a seesaw game when Brian Anderson hit Trey Peacock on a 52-yard pass for the three-point lead with 8:39 left in the game. The Lions blocked Connor Louden’s extra point to make it interesting. It was Louden’s first missed extra point in 57 career tries. The PU record is 59 straight.
“We practice game-winning situations twice a week,” said Princeton head coach Roger Hughes. “We practice them ad nauseum in our fall camp.
“When we get in these situations, the coaches know what they’re going to call. The players know what we’re going to call.”
It was the third touchdown pass in the game for Anderson, who was an efficient 14-for-19 for 237 yards. He hit three different receivers with his scoring passes, and Jordan Culbreath caught one touchdown and ran for another. Culbreath rushed for just 61 yards on 20 carries, but gained 13 on his final two rushes when the Tigers needed to get one first down to ice the game.
“They knew we were going to run, and we knew we were going to run,” Anderson said. “There was pressure. Our offensive line might be lighter, but they moved the line to get us the first down. And Jordan did a great job of finding the hole.”
Columbia took a 7-0 lead on Shane Kelly’s 15-yard option keeper to cap a seven-play opening drive.
Princeton answered with an 11-play drive to tie it, 7-7. Matt Zimmerman kept the drive alive twice with third-down runs. Then on third-and-4 from the Columbia 5, Anderson lofted a high screen pass to Culbreath, who brought it down with one hand and then lunged into the end zone.
The Tigers took their first lead of the game on their next possession. On their second play, Anderson hit Will Thanheiser down the middle of the field, and the senior receiver cut to the right sideline for a 69-yard gain, the longest offensive play this season for the Tigers. Culbreath scored his second touchdown of the game two plays later on a 3-yard plunge up the middle for a 14-7 lead with 22 seconds left in the first quarter.
Columbia ended the first-half scoring when it drove from its own 1 to the Princeton 8. The Tiger defense held, however, to force a 26-yard field goal from Jon Rocholl that cut the PU lead to 14-10 with 26 seconds left in the first half.
“We came out hot, and we needed to,” Anderson said. “So did Columbia.
“Our first-quarter success goes back to the coaches. The coaches see stuff on film and put it in the game plan.”
Princeton opened the second half with a 72-yard scoring drive highlighted by a 34-yard completion from Anderson to Peacock. Four plays later, Anderson slipped out of reach of one Columbia lineman, bought time as he slid to his left and motioned for Thanheiser to move to the end zone, where he lofted the ball to him for a 17-yard touchdown and a 21-10 lead. Thanheiser finished with 7 catches for 132 yards, the second straight week he went over 100 yards receiving.
“I saw his defender was in a no-win situation,” Anderson said. “I told Will to go long.”
The Lions came right back with a 71-yard drive of their own. Kelly completed a pair of passes of 22 yards, including one to Taylor Joseph to move the ball to the Princeton 4. Ray Rangel’s 3-yard run brought Columbia within four points, 21-17.
The Tigers stuffed Columbia’s attempt to draw closer on their next possession. The Lions reached Princeton’s 22 and lined up for a 39-yard field goal, but Kelly picked up the snap and tried to sweep around the right side for the first down. Collin McCarthy stopped him after a 2-yard gain to give the ball back to Princeton.
The Tigers, however, for the second time went three-and-out and the Lions had to drive just 49 yards to take the lead. After a third-down scramble by Kelly and a subsequent late hit by Pat McGrath moved the ball to the Princeton 9, Columbia running back Jordan Davis did the rest. He rushed once for 8 yards to move it to the 1, then after no gain by Kelly, David dived into the end zone for a 24-21 Columbia lead.
“It was looking pretty grim,” Anderson said. “Columbia did a great job of fighting back. We had them down, 21-10, and we were really looking good in the first quarter and they responded with a score right before the half. Then they went up and ahead in the game. The momentum swing was huge but we were able to calm their fans down and do the right thing on offense and get a win out of it.”
Princeton needed just five plays to regain the lead. Two plays after Anderson found Thanheiser for an 18-yard third-down reception, he hit Peacock in stride for a 52-yard touchdown to make it 27-24 with 8:39 to play. Louden’s extra point was blocked by Owen Fraser.
Princeton’s next possession ended when Anderson was sacked, and Columbia took the ball from its own 18 and drove to the Princeton 39. Shane Kelly hit Stephens with a second-down pass, but Britton caused a fumble and Cart Kelly recovered.
“We needed someone to step up and make a big play,” Britton said. “Today it just happened to be me. It could be any of the other 10 different guys out there. Everyone is a playmaker out there. The bottom line is we got the job done.”
Princeton plays at Colgate 1 p.m. Saturday. It will be the third opponent this season that has had two weeks to prepare for the Tigers.