equanimity is the greatest characteristic for player, coach, or even fan. the season’s length and difficulties require quiet resignation in the face of frequent, or at least regular, disappointment. so i will point out that last week i was upbeat following the lion loss to fordham. i relished my glass half filled and looked forward to the start of the ivy league season against the top college football team in metropolitan trenton. so much for that as princeton’s previously winless tigers slaughtered columbia’s lions, 33 – 6. though it might suffice to say that everyone in blue was lousy and that the coaching staff did nothing to improve the shabby show mid-disaster, i prefer to take a deeper look at the failure’s nature and causes.
the debacle started early and ended late. princeton’s anthony griffith took the opening kick off on his own six yard line and high tailed it to the opposite end zone. 10 seconds off the clock and the lions trailed 7 – 0. though it happened more quickly, it resembled last week’s first score by fordham when stacey koonce dashed 92 yards from scrimmage. the lions look big play vulnerable. the two squads then proceeded to exchange seven, that’s seven, punts before princeton put together a five minute (4:48 by the timekeeper) drive and set up for a field goal. holder tom moak then took an intentional (to this scribe’s eyes) high snap, rolled to his left and hit des smith streaking down the west side line for a td. it was the play of the game. though the two squads played the additional 48 required minutes, it was effectively over. the lions, however, compounded their misery on the subsequent possession when they drove the field only to settle for a field goal on a fourth and goal. it was early, though, and the boys needed something for their effort but still a bit passive. the squibbed kickoff they subsequently chose to serve up to princeton, however, got the tigers started on their own 40 for a short drive to a field goal that quickly offset the lions’ paltry first salvo. there the half ended, 17 – 3, a spread that would be essentially mirrored in part the second as princeton put together a td and three field goals (the last with three and half minutes to go – how can one not hate them?) against a second, almost laughable, fg for columbia. it all added up to that sad 33 – 6 finale.
whence this catastrophe? it started up front on both sides of the ball. i’ve stressed that the offensive line does not pass block well. they have not given up more sacks only because sean brackett has scrambled out of frequent jams. on saturday they run blocked poorly as well. at this point, the personnel is the personnel (and one hopes that coach mangurian is identifying and recruiting big, mobile kids) and the hope for improvement up front can only come from practice, correction and more practice. let’s hope for this dull route to succeed. given the line’s deficiencies, however, i have to take another of my hobby horses out for a ride. sean brackett has to roll out of the pocket more. this is necessary because of the above stated inadequacy of the line, because he is an effective runner and because he throws better on the move. regarding his running skill, i’ll just point out that when marcorus garrett went off for 168 rushing yards against marist in the season opener, it was the biggest individual running day for a lion since brackett went for 171 yards in a game two years ago. as a thrower. sean seems comfortable on the run. he double clutched a few times in the pocket v princeton and even bounced two 12 yard tosses to receivers. at the same time, brackett was ill served by his wide outs who dropped, by my count, half a dozen passes. and i mean dropped not missed hauling in difficult receptions. i mean on the numbers and then on the ground. it looked like an open casting call for dez bryant’s understudy out there. even conor nelligan, who snagged 11 catches, dropped one. in addition to rolling brackett out of the pocket consistently, the skipper might want to consider going up tempo a bit. all three opponents this season showed the no huddle and its use has certainly contributed to columbia’s defensive woes. the lions might give some of that back. coach has shown a willingness to go with three wide receivers on certain plays, why not catch up to the other current trend in offensive thinking.
on the other side of the ball, the defensive line is banged up – both seti adebayo and chad washington walked the side line on saturday. these injuries have cost the blue quickness as well as strength, especially on the left side. that flank was turned by fordham’s koonce on his field length jaunt. princeton’s staff had studied the tape and that was the side they exploited when they needed yards. in the first two games, the linebacking corps, particularly zach olinger and mike waller, quickly filled the line’s gaps. on saturday, the tigers had them accounted for and their numbers were announced only infrequently. similarly, the defensive backs had been very active in weeks one and two, contributing sacks as well as pass coverage. this past saturday, they were frequently victimized by princeton’s receivers. ryan murphy, brian de veau and mike di tomasso struggled in coverage all afternoon and could not bring the same blitz that had led to numerous sacks against marist and fordham. another pattern in the defensive performance troubles me. they appear much tougher mid-game, the second and third quarters, than at the beginning and end. the team has given up 24 first quarter points, but one can argue that 14 of those have been the reponsibility of special teams on griffith’s kickoff return and moak’s faked fg for a td play. no such excuses for the last quarter where the team has given up 22, or virtually a touchdown per game. that the lions’ offense has been shut out in the fourth so far makes it all the more important for the d to get tougher late.
having discharged all that unhappy bile, i can now look forward rather than regret the past. lehigh is next up and will be the lions’ first contest on the road. we hope the rural scenery rejuvenates and reanimates the boys and sees them climb back to 2 and 2. we won’t be following them to pennsylvania’s picturesque eastern valley. we have a different, but very full football plate to enjoy and detail for you. stay tuned.
paulie b