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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Football Hopes To Create More Fireworks In Home Opener v. Lehigh Saturday
September 22, 2015 | Football
Of course, those were planned out months ago. Saturday, besides being the home opener for the Princeton football team, is Community and Staff Day. Besides the Family Fun-Fest and Youth Sports Clinic that took place prior to the game, there will be a fireworks show following the game.
But you could see some fireworks during the game as well.
The last time these teams met was the 2013 season opener, when Princeton raced out to a 22-3 lead, only to have Lehigh score in the final three minutes to complete a 29-28 win. The game was a thriller, even if it ended in disappointment for the home crowd.
Both team's fan bases left last weekend's games feeling elated. While Princeton routed Lafayette 40-7 (read more on page 37), Lehigh scored 42 points in a convincing home win over Penn. There are dynamic players on both offenses, and aggressive defenses ready to stop them.
We're only six days away from the start of the Ivy League season — Princeton hosts Columbia next Friday night on the NBC Sports Network — but that doesn't mean tonight's game isn't significant. The last time Princeton started a season 2-0, it took that momentum into an Ivy League championship season (2006).
You have waited long enough. Your team is back.
And they may just have some fireworks of their own for you.
| Lehigh Mountain Hawks (2-1) at Princeton Tigers (1-0) |
| Game Time/Location | Sept. 26 • 5 pm • Powers Field at Princeton Stadium |
| Game Coverage |
Video: Ivy Digital Network l Radio: WPRB 103.3 FM l Live Stats l @PUTigers_Live |
| All-Time Series | Princeton leads 39-16-2 |
| Last Meeting |
Lehigh 29, PRINCETON 28 (9/21/13) |
| Last At Site | Lehigh 29, PRINCETON 28 (9/21/13) |
| Last Five Years |
Lehigh 4-0 |
| Current Streak |
Lehigh 4 |
| Princeton Links |
Game Notes l Roster l Schedule l Stats |
| Lehigh Links |
Game Notes l Roster l Schedule l Stats |
| Last Week | Princeton 40, Lafayette 7: Game Story l Interviews l Highlights |
| Next Week |
Oct. 2, 7 pm • Columbia at Princeton • NBC Sports Network l Tickets |
Four & No More
Lehigh has won four straight meetings in this series, including that 29-28 comeback win in 2013 (the teams did not meet last season). Princeton leads the all-time series 30-10-2, but 25 of those Tigers wins came before the '06 season.
That would be the 1906 season.
Over the last two decades, Lehigh owns a 12-3 advantage over the Tigers, including a 6-1 mark at Princeton Stadium.
Streaking
Princeton has some experience in ending droughts. The four-game losing streak against
Lehigh was only half the streak that Princeton ended last weekend in Easton. After losing eight straight season openers, the Tigers scored the first 40 points of the game and outgained Lafayette
573-220 in a 40-7 win over the Leopards.
Patriot Games
Now in his sixth season as the head coach at Princeton, Bob Surace has a 5-8 record vs. Patriot League teams. Princeton has won four of its last five against Patriot League teams, including
Saturday's 40-7 win at Lafayette, but four of Surace's eight Patriot League losses have come against Lehigh.
Oh What A Night
Princeton is currently in a stretch of three straight night games to open the season. Under Bob Surace, Princeton is 6-4 in night games. The Tigers have won three straight night games since the 2013 season opener, when Lehigh rallied for its 29-28 comeback win.
First Impression
Junior quarterback Chad Kanoff became the fourth Princeton quarterback to win his first start since the 2001 season. The other three (Matt Verbit, Jeff Terrell and Brian Anderson) won their first start by an average margin of four points per game, and two of the three went to overtime.
Kanoff, who completed 20 of 31 passes for 256 yards and one touchdown, won his opener by 33 points. And it didn't go to overtime.
Dr. Dré
Senior back Dré Nelson rushed for a career-high 116 yards, scored one touchdown and set up another on a 30-yard run, to help Princeton run for 308 yards over Lafayette. Nelson, a standout for the Ivy League champion track & field team as well, averaged 14.5 yards per carry and had more rushing yards than any Ivy League tailback last weekend.
Bittersweet Symphony
Senior running back DiAndre Atwater, who joined both Dré Nelson and Kurt Holuba on the All-Ivy Honor Roll last weekend, had one of his best games at Princeton in the 2013 opener against Lafayette. He rushed for 111 yards, the second-most as a Tigers, and a career-best two touchdowns against the Mountain Hawks; the second score gave Princeton a 28-23 lead with eight minutes remaining, but Lehigh scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
Ground Attack
Princeton rushed for 308 yards against Lafayette last weekend; the Tigers hadn't rushed for more than 300 yards in a game since Week 3 of the 2013 season against Columbia.
Over the last six games of the 2014 season, Princeton never rushed for more than 200 yards, and only rushed for more than 130 once.
Lovett Or Leave It
Princeton sophomore quarterback John Lovett made his varsity debut against Lafayette. He had two touches that accounted for a total of two yards, one rushing and one passing.
Both also went for touchdowns.
The Three Musketeers
Despite the losses of Quinn Epperly '15 and Connor Michelsen '15, Princeton clearly has no plans of abandoning its multiple-quarterback system. Chad Kanoff (20), John Lovett (1) and Kedric Bostic (1) each completed at least one pass against Lafayette. Both Lovett and Kanoff attempted rushes, while both Bostic and Lovett caught at least one pass. Bostic tied a career high with three catches against Lafayette.
Yard Marker
Seth DeValve went over 1,000 receiving yards for his career last weekend at Lafayette, and he needs 511 receiving yards to move into the Top 10 all-time at Princeton.
He also has 95 career catches; he needs five more to become the 12th Princeton player with at least 100 career catches. He needs 10 receptions to tie Brendan Circle '08 and join the Top 10 all-time at Princeton.
First And Goal
Junior Trevor Osborne scored the first touchdown of the Princeton season, as well as the first touchdown of his Tiger career, to give Princeton a 7-0 lead in the second quarter against the Leopards. Osborne came into the game with five career catches, but he made three in the win over Lafayette.
Oh Captain, Our Captains
Seniors Matt Arends and Seth DeValve were selected co-captains for the 2015 season. Arends earned a starting job during his freshman season, and he has played both cornerback and safety before being moved to linebacker during the past offseason. DeValve returned after playing only two games during an injury-plagued 2014 season, and he earned Preseason Third-Team All-America honors by the Sports Network this year. He led Princeton in receptions (six) and receiving yards (72) at Lafayette.
Conversion Chart
Last season, Princeton converted 36% of its third-down attempts, and it didn't have a single game where it converted more than 50%. In the win over Lafayette, Princeton converted 78% (14 of 18), and one of the four misses came when the Tigers ran out the clock.
Seventh Heaven
Princeton's first two offensive drives of the season ended with an interception and a punt. Its last drive of the game served to run out the clock.
The seven drives in the middle went for five touchdowns and two field goals.
A Kurt Welcome
Sophomore Kurt Holuba led a defensive effort that limited Lafayette to only 58 rushing yards last weekend. He recorded six tackles, including five solo stops, and had one of four sacks in the game. It was the second-most tackles in a game for Holuba, who had eight in the 2014 finale vs. Dartmouth.
None of those was the big talking point surrounding Holuba, though. In the first offensive play of his Tiger career, he caught a one-yard touchdown pass to open a 23-0 lead just before halftime.
Turn The Paige
Junior RJ Paige moved from outside linebacker to a starting inside position this season, and the move paid immediate dividends Saturday. He led the defense with seven tackles in the win over Lafayette.
Last season, Paige ranked fifth on the team with 54 tackles in 2014, including 6.5 for loss.
Mr. Jones
Junior Brannon Jones made his first career start a memorable one last weekend. He led the team with 1.5 sacks and had four tackles in the victory over Lafayette.
Four of Princeton's defensive linemen (Jones 2.0, Holuba 1.0, Henry Schlossberg 1.0, Dan Dreher 0.5) recorded a tackle for loss against the Leopards.
Backs Are Back
Princeton returns a defensive backfield with significant starting experience. Senior Anthony Gaffney has started every game of his Princeton career, and he is a three-time All-Ivy honoree at the position. Classmate John Hill, the reigning Ivy League 100-meter champion in track, has started each of the last 21 games opposite of Gaffney.
Sophomore Dorian Williams was the starting nickel cornerback as a freshman, and he earned All-Ivy honors last season in his first year as the starting free safety, while Khamal Brown, who started 14 games at cornerback early in his career, has been moved to the strong safety position.
Shut The Dor-ian
Junior Dorian Williams earned second-team All-Ivy League honors last season after ranking sixth in the Ivy League with 7.6 tackles per game. After playing nickel cornerback as a freshman, Williams is in his second year as the starting free safety. He had three games with at least 12 tackles last season, including one against the Tigers' only Patriot League opponent (Colgate), and he had five solo tackles in the victory over Lafayette.
Just For Kicks
Senior placekicker Nolan Bieck is Princeton's lone returning first-team All-Ivy League selection from last season. Bieck was 13 for 14 on FGs in 2014 (his lone miss hit the upright), including 4 for 4 on kicks from 40 or beyond, and he had two 46-yard field goals over the last month of the season. Last weekend, Bieck went 2 for 2, including one from 45 yards.
Investing In Roth
Junior Tyler Roth didn't need to punt often against Lafayette, but he made his lone kick matter. With the game scoreless in the opening quarter, Roth booted a 53-yard punt that was returned only three yards. You need an average of 3.6 punts per game to qualify for the NCAA statistics, but his 53-yard average would lead the nation by more than five yards.
Help Us Tackle Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
The Princeton coaches are joining thousands around the nation by wearing patches on their sleeves today to raise awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It is part of the one-day “Coach To Cure MD” event that hopes to serve as both a fundraiser and an awareness builder.
You can help the fight against this deadly disease by texting the word CURE to 90999. By replying YES to the message, you will donate $5 to the battle against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The $5 is added to your next cell phone bill. Standard text rates may apply.
Please visit www.CoachToCureMD.org for more information or for full terms and conditions.
The Crystal Ball
Princeton will stay on Powers Field over the next two weeks, including next Friday's Ivy League opener against Columbia. The game will begin at 7 pm, and it will be televised live by the NBC Sports Network. Former Princeton offensive lineman Ross Tucker '01 will join Paul Burmeister in calling the game.
Columbia made the biggest offseason splash in the Ivy League by hiring longtime Penn coach Al Bagnoli to become the Lions' new head coach. Though Columbia didn't win its opener, the Lions were highly competitive last Saturday against a Fordham team that has been nationally ranked over much of the last few seasons.
Tickets are available by calling 609-258-4TIX.