Lions Take Away One Hand, but Princeton Has Another Ready

To say that victory slipped through Columbia’s grasp Saturday would be an understatement. The Lions did everything they could to deflate Princeton’s offense. Tragically, the Tigers had another one armed and ready.

Columbia’s succeeded in climbing out from a 21-3 deficit by taking Princeton out of its offensive game plan. The defense adapted to both the Tigers’ inside running game and their option passing game, forcing an emotional battle that Princeton narrowly won.

Princeton quarterback Bill Foran had a first quarter that made both head coaches cringe. Foran consistently held on to the football too long, scrambled around the backfield, and made passes that could not have been in the playbook. Unfortunately for Columbia, Foran’s haphazard play was quite effective.

On third-and-seven on the first drive of the game, Foran was wrapped up trying to run up the middle, but he tossed a lateral to Will Thanheinser, who took the ball 27 yards down field. Later on in the second quarter, Foran was hit from both sides, but managed to flick a pass to a wide-open Brendan Circle, as two defenders dragged him to the ground.

Columbia also missed tackles all over the field, and Foran was drawing defenders into the backfield to open up space for the running game. This is the intended outcome of Princeton’s spread-option offense, and it appeared that if Columbia couldn’t stop Foran, the plan would work all game long.

Tigers head coach Roger Hughes said that Foran’s elusiveness is one of his best assets, but that his decision-making Saturday was definitely cause for concern.

“When Bill has the ball, something’s going to happen,” Hughes said. “He made a couple bad decisions tonight. He has to understand when to say when. He creates some things with his speed, and that’s sometimes what you get. We love having him in the offense, because something’s going to happen, and usually it’s pretty good.”

If Columbia football has proven one thing as a program, it’s that it won’t let a risky offensive strategy go unpunished for long. In the second quarter linebacker Andy Shalbrack caught one of Foran’s mistakes, returning an interception for a touchdown. Shalbrack’s touchdown shifted the momentum of the game to the Lions’ side, as the Tigers now found their offense sputtering.

The Tigers headed into the game expecting to open space on the side against Columbia’s weak run defense by spreading the field. The Lions were able to eliminate Foran’s tap-dancing in the backfield, and the Tiger’s inside running game. Princeton head coach Roger Hughes was at a loss to find something that would work.