Rhattigan, Lovett Run Princeton To 35-31 Season-Opening Win Over Lafayette

Saturday, September 17

Princeton, N.J.

5:00 PM

Princeton University

1-0

Lafayette

1-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Lafayette

Princeton

Princeton rallied from three different deficits to defeat Lafayette 35-31 in the 2016 season opener on Powers Field.

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Rhattigan, Lovett Run Princeton To 35-31 Season-Opening Win Over Lafayette

September 17, 2016 | Football

Box Score

Senior tri-captain Joe Rhattigan rushed for a career-high 137 yards and three touchdowns, while junior quarterback John Lovett added a pair of rushing touchdowns of his own, to lead the Princeton football team to a 35-31 home victory over Lafayette Saturday night in front of 13,420 fans at Princeton Stadium on Community & Staff Night. Most stayed for the postgame fireworks show, even though they were treated to plenty of fireworks on Powers Field as well.

Princeton (1-0) trailed three different times to a Lafayette (1-2) team playing its third game of the season, but the Tigers used a 21-3 run over a 15-minute span to take control of the game. Lovett capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive right before the half with a one-yard score to even the score at 21-21 at the break.

Lafayette took its third and final lead of the game at 24-21, but a sack by Luke Catarius — who led Princeton with 13 tackles, including two explosive ones deep on kickoff returns — killed a Leopards drive in the red zone. Rhattigan scored from one yard out on the ensuing drive to open a 28-24 lead, and then he broke through the line and down the left side for a 17-yard scored with only 48 seconds left in the third quarter.

The defense, which settled impressively after Lafayette controlled the first quarter, took care of business throughout most of the second half. Lafayette quarterback Drew Reed, who impressed the Tiger coaching staff with his poise and accuracy throughout the game, hit top target Matt Mrazek for a 24-yard score with 5:24 to go, but the Princeton offense kept the ball the rest of the way.

Lafayette's final opportunity would come after a holding penalty negated a 30-yard run by sophomore Charlie Volker. Lovett rushed for six yards, and Rhattigan followed with five, to set up a 3rd and 9 with two minutes remaining. Kanoff bought time and hit Lovett on a crossing route, and the All-Ivy do-everything specialist dragged a Lafayette defender the final two yards for the game-clinching first down.

"We spent a lot of time this preseason talking about not flinching," said Bob Surace, the Charles W. Caldwell Jr. '25 Head Coach of Football. "Don't press the panic button. Stick together and play, and that's what they did. I was very proud of them, and that was my message after the game."

SEE INTERVIEWS WITH BOB SURACE AND JOHN LOVETT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY.

The revamped Princeton secondary received interceptions from both Dorian Williams and Markus Phox, both of which set up touchdowns for the Tigers. Catarius led the defense with 13 tackles, while Rohan Hylton added 11 in his first game since a season-ending injury at Brown last season. Both Catarius and Kurt Holuba, who returned from a season-ending injury against Lafayette last season, recorded sacks, while Ty Desiré had a quarterback hit on the Williams interception, one of his two quarterback on the night. Hylton forced a fumble that was recovered by Quincy Wolff.

Princeton returns to the field next Saturday at Lehigh, which scored 49 points at Franklin Field during a 21-point win over Penn Saturday night. You can hear the game live on WPRB.com.

NOTES: Princeton has now won back-to-back season openers for the first time since 2005-2006; between 2006 and 2015, the Tigers had gone 0-8 in the opener … Princeton has now won nine straight games against Lafayette … senior Isaiah Barnes posted the second 100-yard receiving game of his career; he caught five passes for 102 yards, including a 28-yard catch on third down during Princeton's touchdown drive before halftime … TJ Floyd led all freshmen with three tackles while playing a significant amount of time at the safety position, while classmate Tavish Rice went 5-for-5 on PAT attempts … Phox, who recorded the first interception of his career in his first start, joined his father and grandfather at midfield before the game; his grandfather, Floyd Phox, was a ceremonial captain for Princeton after spending more than 25 years working for the University in Building Services.