Sparked by Green’s Receiving, Moore’s Big Plays on Defense, PU Football Tops Brown, Will Play for Ivy Lead at Harvard

While Jackson Green stars as a defensive midfielder for the national champion Princeton University men’s lacrosse team, he helped jumpstart the offense for the Tiger football team as it hosted Brown last Saturday.

On the third play from scrimmage, senior receiver Green hauled in a 42-yard pass from Wyatt Becker to get the Tigers to the Brown 29-yard line.

“I saw the corner widen out to Aidan Besselman and I thought I was one on one with the safety,” said Green. “I ended up making a play. Wyatt Becker has been great for us this year and he ended up putting it on the money.”

On the next play, quarterback Becker connected with Paul Kuhner for a 29-yard touchdown pass as the Tigers jumped out to a 7-0 lead.

Green ended up making four catches for 79 yards, including two key grabs on drives that led to field goals by Esteban Nunez Perez as Princeton built a 16-0 halftime lead. The Tigers went on hold off a late rally from the Bears as they prevailed 16-10 to earn their fourth straight win in moving to 4-1 overall and 2-0 Ivy League.

Coming into Saturday, Green sensed that the Tiger passing game was primed to click.

“We practiced really hard all week, we came out on Tuesday and came out on Wednesday really flying,” said Green. “We got some great looks in the scout. We have a lot of weapons on offense. Coach [Brian] Flinn always harps on playing harder for longer and beating them with all of the receivers in the room. We were fresh out there and it ended up working out for us.”

Having totaled four catches for 67 yards in four games before Saturday, Green viewed his performance against Brown as a breakout game.

“I have had some injuries this year and I was pretty limited,” said Green. “It is a great opportunity for all of us, not only me, to break out.”

Green has relished the opportunity to be a two-sport star on the college level. “I have made some great progress, it is tough going from lacrosse to football and playing two sports,” said Green, a 6’3, 200-pound native of Rochester, N.Y., who is the first Princeton athlete since Mike Neary ’82 to tally at least one goal in lacrosse and one touchdown in football for the Tigers. “I don’t really have an offseason to rest. Both sports complement each other well, so I feel like I am getting better even when I am not playing football. The coaches are pretty good about that, letting me focus on whatever season I am in. I feel like whatever sport I am playing, I am helping the other one.”

For Green, helping the Tiger lax team win the NCAA title this past spring has impacted his mentality as he has hit the football field this fall.

“It is a totally different perspective; I feel like I know what it really takes to make it to the top and make it to the pinnacle of each sport,” said Green, an Honorable Mention United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-American and an Honorable Mention All-Ivy League selection last spring. “It is really more of a mindset thing, learning how to think competitively and learning how to do whatever it takes to win.”

As the Tigers have won four straight games, Green believes that team unity has been a key factor in that success.

“We are looking to build on the momentum, I don’t think we have reached our potential yet,” said Green. “I have never been part of such a close team. Our chemistry off the field is what’s producing results on the field. No matter what, people are holding people accountable. We are being resilient through adversity.”

Against Brown, the Tiger defense showed its resilience as it bent but didn’t break in producing another solid effort, having yielded a total of just 30 points in the last four games.

Junior linebacker Jake Moore cited gang tackling as making the difference for Princeton.

“We never stopped pushing forward, everyone was pursuing to the ball,” said Moore. “When you rely on one guy to make a tackle and if he misses then for everyone else to fly in and make the tackle for no gain, it is really incredible to see. Our defense doesn’t stop, it is a competitive battle every game. There is a reason we are holding teams to such low scores. It is incredible.”

Moore competed hard against the Bears, making four tackles with two sacks and one pass breakup. The Tiger defense held Brown to three points until Brown got a touchdown pass on a halfback option pass from Matt Childs with 1:05 left in regulation to narrow the gap to 16-10. After Princeton turned over the ball on downs, Brown got a last gasp possession which ended when the Tigers recovered a fumble by QB James Murphy.

“With the contain piece we have to trust that our interiors are going to get pressure,” said Moore, a 6’4, 240-pound native of Nashville, Tenn. “If that quarterback ever leaves the pocket or escapes that is on us on the edge to defend and contain the edge. I think we did an awesome job of constricting pass lanes today. Fortunately, I was able to get through on a couple of plays. I worked a couple of moves that I haven’t really shown yet so it was super fun.”

In reflecting on Princeton’s strong start in the wake of having gone 3-7 in consecutive seasons, Moore believes that senior leadership has fueled the reversal of fortune.

“It is really awesome to see this team put it together,” said Moore. “This run is something we really expected going into the season. When a team faces adversity like we had the last two years, there is a question mark over the top of our heads. Like what can Princeton do to overcome this. Who are the players who are going to be able to step in when it matters most. I think we have seen that with our senior leadership, it is really reflected on our play on defense. We have two senior captains who are cornerbacks in Evan Haynie and Torian Roberts. Their leadership and that of the rest of the senior class has really been able to instill this player-led dynamic where everyone is doing it for each other. It is really awesome to see.”

Princeton head coach Bob Surace liked what he saw from Tiger offense in the win over Brown, especially in the first half.

“I thought we really executed well, the penalties really hurt us,” said Surace. “I got a little too conservative, I am going to have to look at that piece. We lost a little balance and then we missed some plays we can make. We will work through that, that is a great defense. At times we were really good.”

The Princeton defense did a really good job containing the Brown ground game, holding the Bears to 44 yards rushing on 27 carries.

“I didn’t think we were quite active last week as we were against Albany and Columbia,” said Surace. “We challenged the guys up front and my goodness when they play like that, it just aids our defense so much.”

At quarterback, the tandem of freshman Becker and sophomore Ty Ciongoli played well once again as Becker connected on 8 of 15 passes for 128 yards and one touchdown while Ciongoli was 12 of 19 for 127 yards.

“They are practicing so well,” said Surace. “I think we saw it in the first half. How well they are playing, that is how they are practicing. I put them behind the sticks a lot, we were too conservative. We were in too many third and longs. You are balancing young guys with what they are doing and not trying to do too much and the fact that they are very mature.”

In Surace’s view, the team’s mature approach on a daily basis has helped spark its hot streak.

“I feel like we have gotten a little bit better,” said Surace. “There are little things that we have to get better at and we have to continue to improve. The schedule is not getting any easier. We are practicing so well. The attitudes are so good. It is really fun. The guys have been so awesome to coach.”

With Princeton playing at No. 15 Harvard (5-0 overall, 2-0 Ivy) this Saturday in a battle for first place in the Ivy standings, the Tigers will have to keep getting better to defeat the powerhouse Crimson.

“They are playing great, they have a terrific team,” said Surace. “Andy (former Tiger offensive coordinator and current Crimson head coach Andrew Aurich) has done a great job. I know they have a freshman Nathan Bailey who has been Rookie of the Week most weeks. He had a 16-catch game. The quarterback’s (Charlie Smith) completion percentage (71.25 percent) is great. I see the stats; I just don’t know how they are getting those things. You have to watch the film and diagnose it like anything else. They are a quality team.”

Moore, for his part, believes the Tigers have the quality to overcome Harvard.

“In order to beat Harvard, we have to continue to keep points off the board and defend our end zone,” said Moore. “Since I have been at Princeton, they have been one of our biggest competitors. I really can’t wait. With this next week of training without class, it is going to be all football. Respect to Harvard but I really think we have what it takes to go up there and get the job done.”