This Saturday, Princeton football will travel to Lafayette’s Fisher Stadium to finally begin its 2015 season. In their season opener, the Tigers hope to showcase a wealth of returning experience while also mitigating the graduation of star quarterbacks Quinn Epperly '15 and Connor Michelsen '15.
Fortunately for Princeton, Lafayette suffers from a seven-game losing streak to the Tigers. In fact, three of those victories occurred in the past five years. Of all of this season’s opponents, Princeton maintains the longest winning streak over the Leopards.
Despite the records and statistics, the Tigers are anything but relaxed heading into the season opener against Lafayette. While it would be very easy to look ahead to the Lehigh and Columbia games, the Tigers emphasize tackling each game as it comes. Princeton head coach Bob Surace '90 said the team hopes to “really focus and lock in”.
Providing extra motivation heading into Saturday’s game will be the fact that the Tigers haven’t won a season opener in eight years. Specifically, Surace has yet to begin a season with a victory.
Lafayette does maintain one advantage over the Tigers: familiarity. While Princeton will be the last Division I team to kick off its 2015 season, Lafayette has already played two games. Even though these games featured 34-7 and 19-9 losses to William & Mary and Delaware, respectively, the Leopards charge into Saturday’s game having resolved many early-season issues. Inevitably for the Tigers, the first game of the season promises potential surprises and pitfalls. Surace has promised to “keep errors to a minimum.”
In terms of individual players to watch in Saturday’s game, senior linebacker Matt Arends and senior wide receiver Seth DeValve will make their season debuts as team co-captains. Arends enters his senior season with over two years of experience as a starter for the Tigers. DeValve, on the other hand, returns from a year of injury after taking last spring off from school to rebuild. In his long-awaited return, DeValve will attempt to record his 1000th career yard.
Turning to the quarterback position, the Tigers must deal with the void left by Epperly and Michelsen, who started 31 consecutive games for Princeton. In line to fill the gaping void are junior Chad Knoff, senior Kedric Bostic and sophomore John Lovett. However, these three have combined for only two touchdowns in the past three seasons, while Epplerly and Michelsen scored 89 in the same time period.
While Saturday’s game will not answer all of Princeton’s questions and uncertainties this season, it does mark a new page in the Princeton football history book. Saturday’s game promises history in the making, the only question is whether Princeton will be on the right side of history.
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