Princeton Opens With A 23-12 Win At San Diego

Saturday, September 16

San Diego, Calif.

4:00 PM ET/1:00 PM PT

Princeton University

1-0 , 0-0

San Diego

0-3 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Princeton

San Diego

Luke Colella celebrates his second-quarter TD reception with Tyler Picinic in Princeton's 23-12 win at San Diego.

September 16, 2023 | Football

Box Score

If one play ever typified what Week 1 of a football season is all about, it came early in the fourth quarter of Princeton's opener at San Diego Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Blake Stenstrom dropped back, looked deep, saw Luke Colella and fired a perfect spiral that was … incomplete. Just a bit overthrown.

That's what Week 1 is all about. For Princeton, though, Week 1 is also about winning, something the Tigers did for the seventh straight year.

Stenstrom threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns as Princeton defeated San Diego 23-12 at Torero Stadium to begin a 10-week run towards another Ivy League championship. The seven straight opening day wins followed a streak of five straight opening losses in Bob Surace's first five years.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Princeton led 14-9 at halftime after Blake Stenstrom threw two first half touchdowns, first from 20 yards to Tamatoa Falatea and then from 32 yards to Colella, while San Diego had a TD of its own in between, with an extra point attempt that was blocked by Collin Taylor. San Diego placekicker Aidan Lehman atoned with a 55-yard field goal just before the half, making it 14-9 at the break.

Princeton's first drive of the second half was the Jon Volker Show, as the junior running back ran for five, 51 and then two yards for the score. Volker's three carries made up the entire drive, and Jeffrey Sexton added the extra point for a 21-9 lead.

Lehman knocked in another long field goal, this one from 48 yards, with 5:44 left in the third. From that point, San Diego's final six drives went punt, punt, punt, missed field goal (47 yards), turnover on downs and lastly a safety, when Princeton's Bakari Edwards tackled USD freshman quarterback Dom Nankil in the end zone with 3:08 to play.

WHAT THE BOX SCORE TELLS YOU
Stenstrom was 23 for 38 for 240 yards and the two scores, completely at least one pass to an amazing 11 receivers. There were three Tigers who had four catches: JoJo Hawkins, A.J. Barber and Tyler Picinic, in addition to the TD receptions for Falatea and Colella.

Volker led Princeton with 91 rushing yards and the touchdown. Defensively, Nasir Hill had five tackles, and there were nine other Princeton players who had three or four tackles. Princeton held USD to minus-15 rushing yards.

Brady Clark averaged 40.2 yards per punt on eight attempts.

USD's Ja'Seem Reed caught 11 passes for 105 yards on a day when Nankil was 20 for 37 for 209 yards.

The leading tackler in the game? That was No. 3 for San Diego, who had 10 tackles, eight of which were solo. His name? Jayden Wickware, a Princeton alum who had 15 tackles a year ago for the season who is now a USD grad transfer.

THINGS THE BOX SCORE DOESN'T TELL YOU
Here are just a few:

* Stenstrom became the first Princeton quarterback to start opening day in two straight seasons since Chad Kanoff in 2016 and 2017

* The safety from Edwards was the first for the Princeton defense since ... last opening day, when Carter Christopher caused one at Stetson.

* The 91 rushing yards from Volker were a career high.

* Bob Surace now has 74 wins as Tiger head coach, leaving him one behind Hall-of-Fame Dick Colman for third. Ahead are only Bill Roper (89) and Steve Tosches (78).

PLAY OF THE DAY
Princeton led 21-9 midway through the third when San Diego was able to put together three straight first downs to reach the Tiger 32. The drive took a major turn the other way when Will Perez chased down Nankil for a 14-yard loss on a sack, and even after a 16-yard gain on a third down, the Toreros had to settle for a the 48 yard field goal by Lehman.

UP NEXT
Princeton will host Bryant in its home opener this coming Saturday, Sept. 23, at 3 pm. It is the first meeting ever between Princeton and Bryant.