As a rule, a school will schedule a bad team for its Homecoming weekend so it can post a big win for parents and alums who attend the game. But Brown, which will take on Princeton this weekend, doesn't seem to have gotten the message. The 3-1 Tigers (1-0 Ivy League) have beaten the Bears three straight years.
"They're excellent," said Head Coach Phil Estes. "They have the best defense we have seen to date. They're a pressure defense and they like to put zone pressures on you and force you to throw into their coverages. I haven't really seen anyone run the football against them. These are the kind of games that you want. ... We don't deserve to be champions unless we can beat Princeton."
Both teams head into Saturday's showdown with plenty to play for, as the race for the Ivy League Championship is wide open following Cornell's 27-13 upset of Harvard last weekend. The Ivy League's seven-game schedule does not leave much room for error, so a favorite like Harvard suffering an early-season loss opens things up for any team that catches fire.
"This is a big game for us," said All-American linebacker Zak DeOssie '07. "With Harvard having lost and us back in it, this is going to be the game that starts us on a six-game winning streak."
As last weekend's 37-14 pounding of Fordham confirmed, Bruno's offense has more than enough weapons with which to attack Princeton. Tailback Nick Hartigan '06 broke Brown's all-time rushing record last week and already has seven touchdowns. Jarrett Schreck '06 and Lonnie Hill '07 have combined for 700 yards receiving and six scores, and kicker Steve Morgan '08 leads the league with 11 field goals.
If the Bears are not careful when they line up with Princeton's defense, the Tigers will be a threat to put points on the board. Defensive back Jay McCareins has five interceptions this season and has returned two of those picks for touchdowns. His interception on the 1-yard line and subsequent 99-yard dash preserved Princeton's win over the University of San Diego earlier this season. If that is not enough, McCareins had scoring ability in his blood as his older brother, Justin, has scored 14 times in his five-year NFL career.
"He's an excellent corner," Estes said of McCareins. "He's someone that we look at and say, 'Where is he on the field?' He's also a kick returner and a punt returner. ... He's an excellent athlete.
To scheme solely for McCareins, however, would be to ignore the heart of Princeton's defense. The Tigers' linebacking corps is led by three seniors, none more important than Justin Stull, who was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after last season's Brown-Princeton matchup.
"They have a great defense," Hartigan said. "It's always one of the best in the Ivy League and they have those great linebackers in Stull and (Abi) Fadeyi."
"It's very hard to find a weakness (in Princeton's defense)," Estes added. "I'm on my second page of notes right now trying to find something consistent in what they do."
If the Brown offense-Princeton defense match-up ends in a stalemate, the Bears will turn to their defense. Brown's own linebackers have been banged up as of late, with starters DeOssie and Frank Nuzzo '08 sitting out the victory over the University of Rhode Island while the other starting backer, David Healy '07, was knocked out of last week's win with a separated shoulder. All are slated to line up against Princeton, however.
"We're fresher than ever on defense," DeOssie said. "And we're going to be blitzing from everywhere (on Saturday). We're going to be sending everyone. We feel like we have one of the best defenses in the Ivy League and probably the fastest defense, so we're going after them."
Pressure defenses have given the Tigers' young offense trouble this season as they sport first-time starters at both quarterback and running back this year. If the Bears can pressure Princeton quarterback Jeff Terrell into some early mistakes, Brown's defense can play into its offense's hands.
Although this year's Homecoming match-up will not be a blowout, there will definitely be some fireworks. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Brown Stadium.
