.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Chad Kanoff (left) and John Lovett both bring added experience to the Princeton offense for the 2016 season.
Quarterback Duo Builds Off Experience, Ready To Lead Tiger Offense In 2016
September 02, 2016 | Football
Controversy sells these days, and few sports controversies are as juicy as the ones that surround a pair of quarterbacks. There could have been a great one at Princeton this fall.
In one corner, there's the 2015 starter who threw for nearly 2,300 yards, completed more than 57% of his passes, and had an injury-ravaged squad in position to beat two of the three eventual Ivy League champions on the road during the final month of the season.
In the other corner, there was the guy that the league coaches voted to the Ivy League First Team — despite the fact that he didn't even play in 60% of the league games.
Yep, it could have been a great one. But it isn't. Sorry.
Chad Kanoff and John Lovett could both stand alone at the quarterback position, and head coach Bob Surace would feel good about his team's chances. But Surace, Kanoff and Lovett all know that the duo has a chance to make this season something truly special because they bring in such a varied set of skills.
Kanoff looks like the prototypical quarterback you see in the NFL. The 6-4, 225-pound senior captain can scan the field from the pocket, shed a rusher and complete every throw possible. Late during a Wednesday afternoon, he threw a deep corner to senior Isaiah Barnes, who just happened to have three defenders around him. The opening between the three couldn't have been larger than two footballs.
Barnes caught the pass. The defenders would have been shocked if they hadn't been dealing with throws like that for more than a year.
Kanoff brings a greater comfort with the offense this season, as well as better chemistry with his targets (seven of his top eight receivers from last season are back), and he looks ready to take the offense to a higher level this fall. And he knows as well as anybody that Lovett will be a major part of that journey.
If Kanoff looks like the prototypical quarterback, Lovett looks like the first pick in any backyard football game. Your team needs a quarterback? Check. Running back? Check. Wide receiver? Check. Surace said on a podcast last preseason that he thought Lovett could be the first 100-100-100 (rushing-passing-receiving) player he's ever seen in one game. It seemed like hyperbole, until Lovett rushed for 59 yards, threw for 33 and added 71 receiving yards in his first home game ever.
Lovett accounted for 13 touchdowns last season, including nine on the ground, but he suffered an injury against Cornell that cost him the final three games of the season. The Tigers were competitive in each — they led in the fourth quarter of all three — but couldn't put any of the three games away. Obviously there is no proof that Lovett would have finished the job, but there isn't a single player in Orange and Black who doesn't believe he would have made a difference.
He's healthy now, throwing the ball as well as ever, running and catching in an offense he understands from every skill position. He'll likely be the top option inside the 10, possibly costing Kanoff opportunities to increase his touchdown total. Of course, maybe he lost out on potential yardage getting to the 10 because Kanoff hit seven different receivers on a 10-play drive.
Neither will matter if they walk off the field with six points.
And they'll expect to walk off the field with six points.
Â
In one corner, there's the 2015 starter who threw for nearly 2,300 yards, completed more than 57% of his passes, and had an injury-ravaged squad in position to beat two of the three eventual Ivy League champions on the road during the final month of the season.
In the other corner, there was the guy that the league coaches voted to the Ivy League First Team — despite the fact that he didn't even play in 60% of the league games.
Yep, it could have been a great one. But it isn't. Sorry.
Chad Kanoff and John Lovett could both stand alone at the quarterback position, and head coach Bob Surace would feel good about his team's chances. But Surace, Kanoff and Lovett all know that the duo has a chance to make this season something truly special because they bring in such a varied set of skills.
Kanoff looks like the prototypical quarterback you see in the NFL. The 6-4, 225-pound senior captain can scan the field from the pocket, shed a rusher and complete every throw possible. Late during a Wednesday afternoon, he threw a deep corner to senior Isaiah Barnes, who just happened to have three defenders around him. The opening between the three couldn't have been larger than two footballs.
Barnes caught the pass. The defenders would have been shocked if they hadn't been dealing with throws like that for more than a year.
Kanoff brings a greater comfort with the offense this season, as well as better chemistry with his targets (seven of his top eight receivers from last season are back), and he looks ready to take the offense to a higher level this fall. And he knows as well as anybody that Lovett will be a major part of that journey.
If Kanoff looks like the prototypical quarterback, Lovett looks like the first pick in any backyard football game. Your team needs a quarterback? Check. Running back? Check. Wide receiver? Check. Surace said on a podcast last preseason that he thought Lovett could be the first 100-100-100 (rushing-passing-receiving) player he's ever seen in one game. It seemed like hyperbole, until Lovett rushed for 59 yards, threw for 33 and added 71 receiving yards in his first home game ever.
Lovett accounted for 13 touchdowns last season, including nine on the ground, but he suffered an injury against Cornell that cost him the final three games of the season. The Tigers were competitive in each — they led in the fourth quarter of all three — but couldn't put any of the three games away. Obviously there is no proof that Lovett would have finished the job, but there isn't a single player in Orange and Black who doesn't believe he would have made a difference.
He's healthy now, throwing the ball as well as ever, running and catching in an offense he understands from every skill position. He'll likely be the top option inside the 10, possibly costing Kanoff opportunities to increase his touchdown total. Of course, maybe he lost out on potential yardage getting to the 10 because Kanoff hit seven different receivers on a 10-play drive.
Neither will matter if they walk off the field with six points.
And they'll expect to walk off the field with six points.
Â
Friday, May 22
Thursday, November 20
Wednesday, November 19
Tuesday, October 28