FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2005: And So It Begins

GAME OF THE WEEK: PRINCETON

at LAFAYETTE (2-0)

The Tigers’ start was almost perfect.

A win at home against Patriot League champ Lafayette kicked off a 4-1 start in 2004 that saw Princeton fall just three points short—at then-top 15 Colgate, no less—of an undefeated first half.

Despite having three of its final five contests at home, the Tigers managed just a 1-4 finish for a disappointing 5-5 record that left many calling for coach Roger Hughes’ job.

With four of its last six on the road this season, including each of its contests against the top three teams in the league—the Bears, the Crimson and the Quakers—Princeton must get out to a quick start this year.

While Lafayette has not looked particularly dominant in its opening two wins, it won’t have to be to top a Tigers squad that has just one impact skill position player returning from a year ago.

Princeton should be able to keep the game close due to its stingy defense, but the Leopards will be able to muster enough offense to win by 10.

BROWN at GEORGETOWN (1-1)

Nick Hartigan must be drooling over facing this Georgetown defense.

The Hoyas have given up 450 yards rushing in two games, and if they aren’t careful the All-American Hartigan could pick up at least half of that total himself.

Brown should have little trouble with Georgetown, even if the squad is more focused on the task ahead—a matchup with Harvard in Cambridge on Sept. 24—than the job at hand.

The Bears will roll by three scores.

DUQUESNE (2-0) at PENN

While the Dukes might be the best I-AA mid-major in America, a mid-major they remain nonetheless.

Duquesne dismantled Patriot League middling Fordham last weekend to move to 2-0 on the season.

The Dukes, however, have yet to venture beyond the friendly confines of Pittsburgh, Pa., and have yet to see a team of Penn’s caliber. Duquesne’s attempt to shake the mid-major stigma will have to wait another week—Columbia looms on the horizon—as the Quakers should remind the Dukes to which of I-AA’s two sub-divisions they belong.

A healthy Pat McDermott should lead Penn to a 20-plus point win.

YALE at SAN DIEGO (2-0)

Why an Ivy League institution would waste a valuable out-of-region trip on a game against a I-AA mid-major absolutely defies logic.

Furthermore, why a team like Yale—which will enter its first game with lingering question marks at all of its skill positions—would risk going up against a gun-slinging upstart, to which it could possibly lose, also defies logic. Throw in the fact that many Bulldogs supporters feel that coach Jack Siedlecki should be packing the contents of his desk into cardboard boxes, and you’ve got the makings of a disastrous opener.

Yale will win, but the margin should be tight enough to make the Bulldogs reconsider using the Toreros as a tune-up in the future.

COLUMBIA at FORDHAM (1-1)

Lions coach Bob Shoop finally settled the quarterback controversy by picking sophomore Craig Hormann over co-captain Joe Winters. Sadly, neither was named Sid Luckman, because that’s what it would have taken to make the offense even remotely respectable.

Fordham has looked downright awful as well, but the Rams will take the Liberty Cup by a field goal in what should be an offensive game to watch.

BUCKNELL (0-2) at CORNELL

The Big Red has lost five straight non-league games dating back to the 2003 season. The last win was a 21-19 nail-biter over visiting Bucknell. Two years later, Cornell should end the streak as the Bison limp into Schoellkopf Field after dropping two straight games to mediocre competition.

Spurred on by its strong defense, the Big Red will slip past Bucknell by a field goal, sending the Bison home with their third straight three-point defeat.

COLGATE (1-1) at DARTMOUTH

The second Buddy Teevens era gets underway in Hanover this weekend, but it likely won’t begin with a victory.

The Big Green entertains the Raiders, who are fresh off a 17-14 win over No. 15 Massachusetts. Despite losing former Payton Award winning running back Jamaal Branch and dropping the season opener to mid-major Central Connecticut, Colgate seems to be back on the right track.

It will be tight, but the Raiders have too much talent to fall to Dartmouth.

—Staff writer Michael R. James can be reached at mrjames@fas.harvard.edu.