Football Returns Saturday Night; Tigers Host Lafayette During #OrangeOut On Powers Field

After 42 weeks of waiting, the Princeton football team returns to Powers Field Saturday night for a showdown against Lafayette on the Ivy League Digital Network and WatchESPN.

Photo by: Bill Corso

Football Returns Saturday Night; Tigers Host Lafayette During #OrangeOut On Powers Field

September 13, 2016 | Football

After watching two weekends of college football, and then the first Sunday of the NFL season, Princeton is more than ready for its own opening day.

A brand new Powers Field (with the sharp new end zones) will serve as host for tonight's showdown between Lafayette (1-1) and a Princeton team ready to begin another chase for the Ivy League title. The Tigers dealt with injuries and missed opportunities late in games during a 5-5 season last year, and they've spent nine months preparing themselves for much greater success this fall.

The preparation is finished. The opportunity is here.

Princeton Football is back.

Week 1: Lafayette Leopards (1-1) at Princeton Tigers (0-0)

Date • Time • Location	Sept. 17 • 5:00 pm • Powers Field at Princeton Stadium
Watch Live	Ivy League Digital Network l WatchESPN l RCN TV
Tickets	Princeton Ticket Office l 609-258-4849 (4TIX)
Radio	103.3 FM l WPRB.com
Game Coverage	Live Stats l @PUTigers l @PUTigers_Live l @PUTigerFootball
All-Time Series	Princeton leads 41-4-3
Last Meeting • Current Streak	Princeton 40, LAFAYETTE 7 (2015) l Princeton 8 straight wins
Princeton Information	Game Notes l Roster l Schedule l Statistics
Lafayette Information	Game Notes l Roster l Schedule l Statistics
Last Week	no game l Delaware 24, LAFAYETTE 6
Next Week	Princeton at Lehigh, 12:30 pm (WPRB 103.3 FM)

Lights, Camera, Action
Princeton will make its 2016 season debut Saturday at 5 pm, and the game will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network (subscription required) through a partnership this weekend with the Lafayette Sports Network. It will also be available on ESPN3 and WatchESPN, as well as locally on RCN-HD and WBPH-HD. Gary Laubach and Mike Joseph will have the call for LSN, while John Leone will serve as the sideline commentator.
The Princeton radio call will also be available on both WPRB 103.3 FM and on WPRB.com. Cody Chrusciel and Dave Giancola will provide commentary, while Patrick McCarthy will be on the sideline.

Orange You Glad It's The Opener?
Saturday will be one of two #OrangeOut games for Princeton Football this season. Fans are urged to wear their Tiger Orange for the game, and all fans will receive a free Orange schedule cup & magnet, while supplies last.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Community And Staff Day
As part of Saturday's season opener, Princeton University faculty and staff, as well as the local community, are invited to 2016 Community and Staff Day, a celebration of sports, entertainment and community. It will begin at 3:30 pm, and it will feature a Youth Sports Clinic (open to ages 5 to 12) and a Family Fun-Fest featuring activities from local non-profits and University departments, games and more.

Light Up The Sky
As part of the Community and Staff Day festivities, there will be a fireworks show following the conclusion of the game.

Opening Statement
Princeton had lost eight straight season openers when it made its way to Fisher Stadium last fall to open its season at Lafayette. The Tigers put an end to that drought in stunning fashion, accumulating 573 yards of total offense in a 40-7 win over the Leopards.

Elite Eight
Princeton has now won eight straight games over Lafayette, dating back to a 35-18 win in Week 2 of the 2004 season. Among that stretch was a 36-33 overtime win on Powers Field in 2010; that was the first victory for head coach Bob Surace at Princeton.

O Captain, Our Captains
Princeton will be led by a trio of captains this season. Returning quarterback Chad Kanoff and Joe Rhattigan represent the offensive side of the ball, while four-year starter Dorian Williams represents the defense.

Armed And Ready
Starting quarterback Chad Kanoff returns for Princeton after posting the sixth-most single-season passing yards (2,295) in program history. Kanoff, who threw for 256 yards and a touchdown in the 40-7 win over Lafayette last season, completed 57.2 percent of passes and had eight touchdown throws during his first year as a starter.

Cup Of Joe
Senior Joe Rhattigan rushed for 612 yards and seven TDs last year, and he earned second-team All-Ivy League honors for the first time in his career. He had 66 yards and a rushing touchdown in the win over Lafayette, and he had back-to-back 100-yard games vs. Cornell and Penn.
Joining Rhattigan in the backfield is sophomore Charlie Volker, who won two Ivy League sprint titles last year and is the Princeton record holder in the 60 meters.

Lovett Or Leave It
Junior John Lovett played in less than 60% of the Ivy League games last season due to injury, but he made enough of an impact to earn first-team All-Ivy League honors. Lovett rushed for 286 yards, recorded 318 receiving yards and completed 11 of 15 passes for 94 yards. He accounted for 13 touchdowns, including nine on the ground.

Make 'Em Count
John Lovett had one rush and one pass in last season's win over Lafayette. Both went for one yard.
Both were touchdowns.

Call In the Carpenter
Senior tight end Scott Carpenter, a two-time All-Ivy League honoree, enters the season with 44 catches for 461 yards and four touchdowns in his career. He leads a cast of upperclassmen who should be key threats in the receiving game:
• Isaiah Barnes led the team in both receptions (33) and receiving yards (466) last season.
• Trevor Osborne shared the team lead in touchdown receptions (three) with Carpenter.
• James Frusciante leads all returners with 45 career receptions, though only nine came during an injury-plagued 2015 season.

Go Fourth
Senior tri-captain Dorian Williams has started every game of his career, and he is the unquestioned leader of the defensive backfield this season. After starting at nickel cornerback during the 2013 Ivy championship season, Williams has started at free safety in each of the last two years and will do so again tonight.
Williams has 210 tackles (131 solo), eight tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions over his impressive career. He had five solo tackles in the victory over Lafayette last season.

Welcome Back
Princeton returns two defensive players who seemed destined for All-Ivy honors last year before suffering season-ending injuries.
Junior Kurt Holuba, who had six tackles in the win over Lafayette and caught a touchdown pass in his first collegiate offensive play, recorded 17 tackles and two sacks before getting hurt against Columbia during the Ivy League opener. Senior Rohan Hylton earned All-Ivy League honors in 2014 and started 15 straight games at middle linebacker before suffering a knee injury at Brown. Both players were able to practice fully last spring and this preseason.

Turn The Paige
Senior RJ Paige led Princeton with seven tackles in the win over Lafayette last season, and he returns for his third straight season as a starting linebacker. He has 102 career tackles, and he returned an interception for a touchdown in Princeton's 2015 home opener (a win over Lehigh).

Corner The Market
For the first time since 2012, John Hill will not be a starting cornerback for Princeton this weekend. And he was the new guy.
Anthony Gaffney started 40 straight games for Princeton at cornerback, dating back to his 2012 first-team All-Ivy League season. Hill joined him as a starter during the 2013 Ivy championship season, and the two started the next 30 games for Princeton.
Seniors Markus Phox and James Gales, both of whom were regulars in the rotation last year, are slated to make their first starts Saturday night.

Sly As a Phox
Markus Phox won't be the only member of his family on the Princeton sideline tonight. His grandfather, Floyd Phox, will join the Tiger captains for the coin toss before the game. Mr. Phox worked at Princeton for 25 years as a member of Building Services, and has been a valued member of the Princeton Community for decades.

Just For Kicks
Princeton's Nolan Bieck was the first-team All-Ivy League placekicker in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons, and he will be replaced this season by freshman Tavish Rice, an all-county placekicker from Belen Jesuit Prep in Florida.
There will be at least one similarity between the two; like Bieck, Rice will wear the number eight.

Poll Position
Princeton was picked to finish fifth in the Ivy League media preseason poll. The top three teams — Harvard, Penn and Dartmouth — all shared the 2015 Ivy League title, and each will be visiting Princeton Stadium during the second half of the 2016 season.

Working Sundays
Mike Catapano '13, Caraun Reid '14, and Seth DeValve '16 each found playing time Sunday with theirrespective teams, marking the first time three drafted Princeton players were all on active NFL rosters for the same weekend since the 1980s. Reid recorded his first sack for San Diego and shared the team lead with two quarterback hits, while Catapano started at outside linebacker. DeValve, who became Princeton's highest-drafted player of the modern era (fourth round) last April, saw time on offense for Cleveland.

The Crystal Ball
Princeton will play its next three games on the road, beginning next weekend in Bethlehem against Lehigh. While Lehigh has won four of the last five meetings, Princeton claimed a 52-26 home win over the Mountain Hawks last season. The game will not be televised, but you can listen in on WPRB 103.3 FM.

Home Sweet Home
Princeton returns home Oct. 15 for a 3 pm showdown with Brown. The first 1,000 students will receive a 'Tiger Up' t-shirt. Former head coach Bob Casciola will be honored at halftime of the game.