By Greg Stevenson
Senior Writer
Last Saturday, over a decade after he last was an offensive coordinator for the Tigers, head coach Joe Susan returned to the school where he once coached and led the Orange and Blue to their most dominant win of the season, a 34-9 rout of Princeton.
“All wins are good wins, but having spent nine years at Princeton, living in the town for 19 years and having many of my family and friends being there brings some special sentiment from the win,” Susan said.
Even with the added pressure of playing at his old school, Susan had his team ready from the get-go. The Tigers got on the board with a field goal just five minutes into the first half, but it would be the last time Princeton would score until midway through the fourth quarter.
Defensive end Josh Eden ’12 tackled Princeton running-back Chuck Dibilio in the end zone for a safety to get the Orange and Blue on the board. On the very next drive for the Tigers’ offense, Eden recovered a fumble deep in Princeton territory, setting up the Bison’s first scoring drive of the contest.
“Our team looks to Josh as their leader,” Susan said. “He is someone who can take over a team in terms of the impact he can have on an opponent’s offense. Josh did just that on Saturday night.”
After the Princeton turnover, quarterback Brandon Wesley ’14 scored a one-yard rushing touchdown on just the third play of the series.
Up by seven, Eden would once again make a game-changing play, this time finding the endzone just before halftime. With under a minute left in the second quarter, his interception return for a touchdown would give the Orange and Blue a 17-3 advantage heading into the locker room.
The second half was a similar story for the Bison. A week after hitting a career-long 40-yarder, Drew Orth ’12 made a 35-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 20-3 midway through the third quarter.
Wesley added insurance points with two more rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Bison quarterback finished the game with 138 yards through the air and 84 more on the ground to go along with his three rushing touchdowns.
“Brandon has continued to improve every week and will continue to do so as he grows in this system,” Susan said. “His composure in the pocket has made him into a threat that is multi-dimensional. He is an athlete who can make time for himself and can make plays on his feet.”
Coming off the biggest victory in Susan’s tenure as head coach, the Orange and Blue return home this Saturday afternoon to face the Georgetown Hoyas in their Patriot League opener. The Hoyas look to avenge last season’s 24-21 loss at the hands of the Bison, the lone victory of the 2010 campaign for the Orange and Blue.
“We will prepare for the game like we prepare for each of them,” Susan said. “The biggest challenge in our preparation is us. We have to eliminate distraction and focus on making the most out of each day of preparation.”