Princeton University

It was a quiet, crowded locker room Bob Surace I walked into one on a Friday evening twelve years ago. A double-digit lead had been squandered in a last-second loss to Georgetown, and Princeton’s head coach knew he couldn’t miss out on a third straight season from his alma mater.

There were a lot of doubts from the outside. Princeton had a 2-20 record since the start of the 2010 season. The Tiger offense, coordinated by one of the Ivy League’s all-time great quarterbacks, had scored over 30 points just twice in that 22-game span.

But Surace and this coordinator saw the improvements and believed better days were ahead. However, perhaps they hadn’t expected what would happen in the next five games; Princeton went 4-1 in that stretch and averaged more than 32 points per game (including 39 in a wild comeback win against Harvard). A decade unrivaled by any Tiger football of the last century had begun.

Surace and his 2012 offensive coordinator James Perry will meet again at Powers Field at Princeton Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m., but this time on opposite sidelines. Both are head coaches at their alma mater and will begin a six-game Ivy League sprint in front of a nationally televised audience (ESPNU).

Brown enters the weekend with a 2-2 record, but its 31-28 comeback win over Harvard in Week 2 was easily one of the wildest games of the early season. The Bears trailed 28-10 midway through the third quarter but scored the final three touchdowns, including a 27-yard pass from Jake Wilcox to Mark Mahoney in the final seconds, to secure a 31-28 victory.

Princeton is 1-3, and the Ivy margin of error is minimal after the loss at Columbia two weeks ago. The Tigers battled top-10 Mercer on the road last weekend and will be looking to test their progress against a very talented Brown squad.

“Brown has played great football this year,” Surace said. “They have always been excellent in the passing game and this year is no different. They are strong and physical on both ends, and that pays off in their running game and run defense. “They’re in good shape, including their special teams.”

A Princeton win would do more than end a two-game losing streak and move the team to .500 in the Ivy League. It would send the Tigers into the second half of the season with momentum and confidence and keep them in the Ivy League race.

A lot has changed since then Bob Surace He coached a Princeton football game for the first time on a Friday night. Back then, he had only won two games as a Tiger. He enters this matchup with four Ivy League championships, which is the most in program history. And just like that day in 2012, he believes early struggles can lead to a strong finish for this year’s team.



Game notes for week 5



History lessons • Princeton holds a 60-29 lead over Brown in a series dating back to Oct. 29, 1896. The Tigers had won six straight in the series before losing 28-27 in overtime at Providence last year.



Friday Night Lights • In the 2000s, Princeton is 10-5 on Friday nights, including 5-2 at home. Two of those home wins came to Brown, including a 35-19 victory in 2022 that included two touchdowns each for Dylan Classi and Ryan Butler.



Coaching tree • Princeton head coach Bob Surace will face two of his former offensive coordinators in the next two weeks. James Perry served as Princeton’s offensive coordinator for seven seasons, helping the Tigers win the 2013 and 2016 Ivy League titles. Next week, the Tigers face Harvard and their new head coach, Andrew Aurich ’06, who spent eight seasons as an assistant coach, including offensive coordinator in 2019, and helped win three Ivy League titles.



Strength vs. Strength • The Ivy League’s top-ranked passing offense (Brown, 255.5 yards/game) will face the league’s top-ranked pass defense (Princeton, 183.0 yards/game) on Friday night. Brown quarterback Jake Wilcox has thrown for at least 270 yards in three of four games this season, while against Princeton only one quarterback has thrown for over 200 yards this season.



I am honored • Freshmen AJ Pigford was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week following the Mercer game last Saturday. The linebacker recorded four tackles, including three for losses, and added a sack and a fumble recovery.



Fresh faces • Pigford wasn’t the only underclassman to impress against seventh-ranked Mercer. Sophomore running back Ethan Clark Rushed for 117 yards on 21 carries against the FCS’s top-ranked rush defense. Clark also scored his first career touchdown in this game.



Barber shop • Senior wideout AJ Barbera two-time All-Ivy League honoree, caught seven passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in Princeton’s Ivy League opener at Columbia. He needs 17 receptions in the last six games to reach the 100-catch mark for his career.



Double trouble • The senior receiver duo Barber and Luke Colella have combined for 24 catches for 337 yards and three touchdowns this season. The only other Princeton player to receive a touchdown this season is the senior tight end Tyler Picinic. Both Barber and Picinic had touchdown catches against Brown last season.



crystal ball • Princeton travels to Boston next weekend for a showdown against Harvard (3 p.m., ESPN+). Princeton leads the rivalry 60-48-7 against Harvard in a series that dates back to April 28, 1877. The Tigers have won each of the last six meetings, their longest winning streak since seven games between 1947 and 1953.