Princeton vs. Brown preview

(Photo courtesy Flickr.com)

Princeton (1-3, 0-1 Ivy) at Brown (2-2, 0-1 Ivy) Oct. 17, 12:30 p.m. Brown Stadium Providence, R.I. TV: Versus

Both Princeton and Brown faced off against undefeated, nationally ranked teams from the Patriot League last week. The Tigers matched No. 23 Colgate for four quarters but lost in overtime, 21-14. The Bears avoided overtime against No. 19 Holy Cross by kicking a field goal in the closing seconds of a 34-31 victory.

The Colgate loss included some encouraging signs for Princeton, which outgained the Raiders with a season-high 358 yards on offense. Brown has momentum building as well: Last week, junior quarterback Kyle Newhall set an Ivy League record with 46 pass completions.

Number 21

Several Princeton players and coaches wore "21" stickers at the Colgate game to show their support for team captain Jordan Culbreath ’10, who was hospitalized with anemia and is now receiving bone-marrow treatments, according to head coach Roger Hughes, who said the senior's condition could be life-threatening. Receiver Trey Peacock ’11 said that Culbreath's health has been prominent in the thoughts of his teammates. "He's always with us, he's always in our hearts," Peacock said. "We're praying for him."

History

Brown won last year's matchup handily, 31-10, but Hughes has a winning record (5-4) against the Bears. The most important historical number may be two -- as in, the loser of this game will have two Ivy League losses. The last time that the Ivy football champions had two losses was in 1982, when Dartmouth, Harvard, and Penn split the title, each with a 5-2 league record.

Players to watch

Princeton strong safety Wilson Cates ’10

The entire Princeton secondary will be under pressure against Brown's dynamic passing game, and Cates, a team captain, could be the leader who holds the group together. So far this year, Cates has a team-best two interceptions and has broken up two other passes. He's also a threat to blitz the quarterback; he made a sack in the Lehigh game.

Brown junior quarterback Kyle Newhall

Newhall has the benefit playing with several talented receivers, including Bobby Sewall, Buddy Farnham, and last week's breakout star, Trevan Samp. But his extraordinary statistics -- 114 completions, 50 more than the next-best Ivy quarterback -- speak to his own special talents. "He's a good athlete, so he buys extra time," Hughes said, "and he has a knack for getting the ball out at the last second."

Familiar voice

The Princeton-Brown game will be broadcast nationally on Versus, and alumnus Ross Tucker ’01 will provide color commentary, teaming up with play-by-play announcer Mike Crispino. Tucker, a former NFL lineman and current sports radio host, served as Princeton's color commentator on radio broadcasts in 2007.

Around the Ivies

Penn travels to Columbia for a meeting of 1-0 Ivy teams. The winner will join 2-0 Harvard at the top of the league standings. The Crimson host Lafayette this week. Other Ivy teams in action against non-league foes include Yale (at Lehigh), Cornell (home vs. Fordham) and Dartmouth (at Holy Cross).

Final quote

On Jordan Culbreath ’10's illness: "It's been difficult to see a young man with all of his attributes, and as special as he is, to have to go through this. It gives all of us a chance to reflect on the priorities of our lives and understand how fragile ... life is. That's been very sobering for our team."

-- Princeton head coach Roger Hughes

Princeton's probable starters