Princeton Football Ready For Season Opener Vs. San Diego

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By Craig Sachson, PrincetonTigersFootball.com

For so many, the waiting is (almost) over.

The Princeton football team has won 35 of its last 40 football games, and it has done so with some very familiar names. John Lovett, Jeremiah Tyler, Andrei Iosivas and CJ Wall are just some of the memorable players who have dominated Saturdays over the last five years.

Those players were pushed daily by younger teammates whose time would come.

Helmets get traded in for diplomas each spring, and a new batch of Tigers prepare themselves annually for a chance to make their own mark on the sport's oldest program. Head coach Bob Surace couldn't have been happier with the way the 2023 team worked over the offseason, as well as the way it has battled every moment of the preseason.

They won't all be new names of course. 2022 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Liam Johnson and All-Ivy League quarterback Blake Stenstrom will be among the returning leaders ready to chase the program's 14th Ivy League title. Teammates Ozzie Nicholas and Jalen Travis also earned All-Ivy honors last season, and each of the four has shown impressive improvement over the offseason.

Four standouts alone won't bring a title to Princeton. Fortunately, Surace knows they are far from alone.

"We are excited to kick off our season," the four-time Eddie Robinson Jr. National Head Coach of the Year finalist said. "We measure our workloads every practice the last decade and we've never had a group with this volume. Credit our performance and medical staff and the player attitudes for the great offseason. Every year brings opportunity for inexperienced players. I'm very pleased with the growth and focus they've shown through camp and also excited to see them play against San Diego."

The University of San Diego will welcome Princeton Saturday afternoon (4 pm ET/1 pm PT) for the Tigers' 2023 season opener. The Toreros, who are 1-3 all-time against Princeton, are 0-2 on the season under new head coach Brandon Moore, the AFCA DII National Coach of the Year. The Toreros' lone win over Princeton came in their last home meeting, a 39-29 win in 2014.

While a successful season opener is the main goal, the trip offers Princeton an early-season bonding opportunity. The culture within the program has been a critical part of the success over the last decade, and weekends like these play a significant role.

Winning also plays a role. For many new faces, they'd love nothing more than to return home with the first of many this fall.

WEEK 1 NOTES

Opening Act • Princeton is 7-5 in season openers under Bob Surace, a remarkable feat considering the Tigers were once 0-5 in season openers under Bob Surace. Since a 2015 win at Lafayette, the Tigers have won their last six openers by an average margin of 27 points per game. The last season-opening loss for Princeton came on Sept. 20, 2014, a 39-29 loss at San Diego.

You Stay Classy, San Diego • Princeton is 3-1 all-time against the USD Toreros, including a win in the most recent matchup, a 27-17 home win in the 2017 season opener. The first two meetings were in back-to-back years (2004-2005), when the Toreros were led by current Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. Princeton won both games by one score apiece.

Flight Risk • This will be the first team Princeton has flown to games in back-to-back seasons. Princeton has made five flights in the 2000s and has gone 3-2 in those games (wins at San Diego (2004), Butler (2018) and Stetson (2022); losses at The Citadel (2008) and San Diego (2014).

O Captain, Our Captains • Princeton football has named four captains for the 2023 season, and each of the four earned either first- or second-team All-Ivy recognition last year: Liam Johnson, Ozzie Nicholas, Blake Stenstrom and Jalen Travis.

Familiar Face • Chad Kanoff completed 32 of 43 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns in Princeton's last meeting with San Diego, a 27-17 home win in 2017. Besides the connection with the opponent, that is also the last time that Princeton has started the same quarterback in back-to-back season openers. After four seasons of new starting quarterbacks (John Lovett, Kevin Davidson, Cole Smith, Blake Stenstrom), the Tigers finally have a two-year starter again. Stenstrom completed 69.4% of his passes last season for 2,742 yards (third-most all-time in a single season for Princeton), 16 touchdowns and only five interceptions in his debut as a starter.

Playing the Percentages • There are more connections between Stenstrom and Kanoff. Stenstrom completed 69.4% of his passes last season, second only to Kanoff, who completed 73.2% (still a crazy number six years later) of his passes in 2017. Stenstrom's 243 completions last year were second to Kanoff (284), and his passing yards were third to Kanoff (3,474).

New Faces • While the quarterback may have significant gameday experience, there will be many unfamiliar faces at the skill positions. The top returning rusher for Princeton is (you guessed it) Stenstrom, who had 156 rushing yards last season. The top returning receiver is AJ Barber, who caught 28 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown last year. Of course, Barber and his fellow receivers were playing behind two all-time greats in Andrei Iosivas (currently on the Cincinnati Bengals) and Dylan Classi.

Johnson & Johnson & Johnson • For the third time in five seasons, a Johnson brother will be co-captain for the Princeton football team. Thomas Johnson helped lead the 2018 Tigers to their first perfect season since 1964 and an Ivy League title, while James Johnson co-led the 2021 Tigers to a 9-1 record and an Ivy title. Neither entered their senior years with the distinction Liam earned as a junior, when he earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Tackling The Issue • Princeton returns its top two tackles from last season, both of whom will start at inside linebacker Saturday. Liam Johnson led the team with 90 tackles, while fellow co-captain Ozzie Nicholas had 75 stops. The next leading returner in tackles is another senior linebacker in Will Perez, who had 18 stops last season.

What About Bob • Head coach Bob Surace has led Princeton to one of its most remarkable decades in program history. Now in his 13th season, the Charles W. Caldwell Jr. '25 Head Coach of Football has led Princeton to a 73-47 record, including a 71-27 mark since Week 3 of the 2012 season (72.4%). He has led Princeton to four Ivy League titles, placed multiple players in the NFL, and helped eight Tigers earn Bushnell Cups. A 1990 graduate of Princeton, he is one of only two people to have won an Ivy League title as both a coach and a player.

Coming Up Next • Princeton will play its home opener next Saturday, Sept. 23, when it welcomes Bryant for a 3 pm showdown on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium. Tickets are available and can be ordered here.

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