2013 Princeton Football Week 1: #22 Lehigh (2-0) at Princeton (0-0)
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Princeton Game Notes 2013 Princeton Tigers Football 2013 Princeton Football WEEK 1: #22 LEHIGH (2-0) AT PRINCETON (0-0) Sept. 21, 2013 • 6 pm • powerS Field at princeton Stadium TV/Video ............................................ NBC Sports Network Last At Site ............................... Lehigh 34, PRINCETON 22 Radio/Audio ................... 103.3 FM/GoPrincetonTigers.com Last Five Years .........................................Lehigh leads 3-2 All-Time Series ............................ Princeton leads 39-15-2 Last Princeton Win .............Princeton 17, LEHIGH 14 (2009) Last Year ...................................... LEHIGH 17, Princeton 14 Current Streak .......................................................Lehigh 3 Following the tigerS on twitter Princeton Athletics ....................................... @PUTigers Princeton Football..............................@PUTigerFootball Lights, Camera, Action Saturday’s season opener for Princeton will be televised live on the NBC Sports Network in the Princeton opening game of the network’s Ivy League package. Randy Moss and former Princeton and NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker ’01 will call the game. Tigers Last season, Princeton hosted Brown on the NBC Sports Network and recorded a 19-0 shutout Head Coach ........................................ Bob Surace of Brown during the Tigers’ four-game win streak. Opening Night 2013 princeton Schedule The Ivy League schedule changed in 2000, and teams began to open their seasons against non- Sept. 21 Lehigh at Princeton ...................6 pm Ivy opponents, all of whom typically play at least twice before that game. Since Princeton went to Sept. 28 Princeton at Georgetown ...........2 pm that format, the Tigers have gone 3-10 in their season openers, and they have lost each of their last Oct. 5 Columbia at Princeton ...............1 pm six (including the last three to Lehigh). Oct. 12 Lafayette at Princeton ...............1 pm Princeton’s last season-opening victory came in 2006; the Tigers went on to win the Ivy League Oct. 19 Princeton at Brown ....................6 pm title that season. Oct. 26 Princeton at Harvard .................1 pm Nov. 2 Cornell at Princeton ..................1 pm Early Nerves Nov. 9 Princeton at Penn .................... 12 pm Though Princeton scored the final 14 points in the 2012 season opener, the Tigers fell 17-14 to Nov. 16 Yale at Princeton ........................1 pm Lehigh last season in large part because of how they played at the start of the game. In Princeton’s Nov. 23 Princeton at Dartmouth .......1:30 pm first six drives of the game, the Tigers gained a total of 19 yards and didn’t gain a first down until there were three minutes remaining in the second quarter. Lehigh Three’s Company Lehigh has won three straight games against Princeton, marking the second-longest winning Mountain Hawks streak for the Mountain Hawks in a series that dates back to 1887. From 1996 through 2003, Lehigh Head Coach ..........................................Andy Coen won seven straight, but Princeton followed with three wins over the next four games. Overall, Princeton leads the all-time series 39-15-2. 2013 lehigh Schedule Rank And File Sept. 7 LEHIGH 51, Cent. Conn. St. 44 (2 ot) Princeton is looking for its first victory over a nationally ranked team since Sept. 22, 2007, when Sept. 14 Lehigh 28, MONMOUTH 25 the Tigers went on the road and recorded a 20-14 win over 22nd-ranked Lafayette. Sept. 21 Lehigh at Princeton ...................6 pm Sept. 28 New Hampshire at Lehigh..12:30 pm Oct. 5 Lehigh at Fordham .................. 12 pm a princeton win would … Oct. 12 Lehigh at Columbia ................. 12 pm • give Princeton its first season-opening victory since the 2006 season Oct. 19 Georgetown at Lehigh ........12:30 pm • be Princeton’s first over Lehigh since the 2009 season Oct. 26 Lehigh at Bucknell ....................1 pm • be Princeton’s sixth win in its last nine games, dating back to last season Nov. 9 Holy Cross at Lehigh...........12:30 pm • be Princeton’s first victory over a ranked team since Sept. 22, 2007 (No. 22 Lafayette) Nov. 16 Lehigh at Colgate .......................1 pm • give Princeton a chance at a winning record in non-Ivy play for the first time since 2006 Nov. 23 Lafayette at Lehigh .............12:30 pm Week 1: #22 Lehigh (2-0) at Princeton (0-0) Princeton #22 Lehigh (2-0) at 1: Week GoPrincetonTigers.com 1 2013 Princeton Tigers Football Princeton Game Notes Week 1: #22 Lehigh (2-0) at Princeton (0-0) Princeton #22 Lehigh (2-0) at 1: Week Moving Four-ward Catapano is the 13th player from Princeton to ever get drafted, After winning only one game in both 2010 and 2011, the Princeton although the 10th in the modern era (post-merge), and the first since Den- Tigers won five last season. The four-win improvement is the program’s nis Norman was selected by Seattle in 2001. Since the modern era, only most since 1991, when Princeton went 8-2 after a 3-7 season. two Princeton players have been drafted before him: Jon Schultheis (Phil- adelphia, 1983, 182nd pick) and Bob Hews (Kansas City, 1970, 156th pick). Poll Position Princeton was picked to finish fifth in the Ivy League preseason poll, Playing The Percentages which is three spots higher than it was picked to finish last season. The Princeton scored 35 touchdowns last season and it returns players Tigers play all four teams picked to finish higher than them on the road, who scored 28 of them (80%). Fourteen returnees scored at least one last and all three teams picked to finish below them at home. season, including All-Ivy League wide receiver Roman Wilson, who led Lehigh was picked to finish second in the Patriot League preseason Princeton with seven scores in 2012. Wilson also led the Ivy League with poll, behind only Colgate. After winning its league in both 2010 and 2011, 17.5 yards per catch. the Mountain Hawks fell to Colgate last season. Quarterly Review Reid It And Weep At this point last season, the quarterbacks on the Princeton roster Senior defensive lineman Caraun Reid, a 2012 All-America and first- had started all of one game. Last season, three different underclass- team All-Ivy League honoree, was named to the Preseason All-America men played the position, with the majority of the time being split between team. Despite facing double teams throughout the season, Reid had 9.5 Connor Michelsen (1,634 yds, 6 TDs, Ivy Offensive Player of the Week vs. tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last season. Harvard) and Quinn Epperly (794 yds of total offense, 6 TD passes and 6 TD runs, threw winning touchdown pass against Harvard). Captains Of The Ship For the 11th straight game, both Michelsen and Epperly are listed as Caraun Reid joins senior safety Phillip Bhaya, who shared the team lead the co-starting quarterbacks. with three interceptions last season, as the 2012 Princeton co-captains. Passed Out Tackling The Issue Princeton averaged only 3.3 yards per passing attempt against Lehigh While Princeton returns plenty of experience in several areas, the Ti- last season. The next lowest total for Princeton in a game was 5.7 yards, gers did graduate their top two tackles last season (Andrew Starks and which came against Penn. The Tigers also averaged only 2.9 yards per Tim Kingsbury), both of whom earned All-Ivy honors. The top returning play; they averaged at least four in every game. tackler from 2012 is senior Alex Polofsky, who made 67 stops last season. Brian’s Song First Team, Second Time Senior Brian Mills, who earned the Ivy League Offensive Player of the It’s impressive enough to make the All-Ivy League First Team as a Week award after Princeton defeated Columbia in 2011, has returned to freshman, but it’s something special to do it twice. Sophomore Anthony running back after playing defensive back last season. Mills joins a back- Gaffney earned first-team honors as both a cornerback and a kickoff re- field that returns 2012 rushing leader Will Powers (114 for 455), DiAndre turn specialist last season. Atwater (39 for 181) and Dré Nelson (19 for 63). Gaffney recorded a team-high three interceptions last season, and he Nobody scored more rushing touchdowns last season than Quinn Ep- also opened the Ivy League season with a 93-yard kickoff return for a perly, who averaged 4.4 yards per carry and ran for six scores. Five of his touchdown at Columbia. touchdown rushes came in Princeton’s final five games of the season. Old Faces, New Places Driven Crazy Two names that grew quite familiar with Princeton fans last season While Princeton’s offense started to click midway through the season, were Matt Arends and Mike Zeuli. Both are back, but in new positions the Tigers will be looking for a far quicker start than it had last season. In for the 2013 season. Arends, who started the last six games at corner- the 2012 season opener at Lehigh, Princeton gained a total of 19 yards and back during his freshman season, is the starting strong safety. Zeuli, who zero first downs in its first six drives against the Mountain Hawks. played nickel cornerback last year, Whose Turn? has moved to the strong-side line- Pronunciation Guide Princeton went 3-1 last season when it was +1 or better in backer spot. (4) Epperly ........................................epp-er-LEE turnover margin, and it was 0-3 when it was -1 or worse. During (8) Bieck .................................................. BEEK Bob Surace’s three seasons at Princeton, the Tigers have gone Cat And Mouse (11) Caraun Reid .........................ka-RON REED 1-15 when they are at least -1 in turnover margin. One name Princeton fans will (12) Michelsen ................................MIKE-el-son certainly miss this season is Mike (40) Fekula ....................................... fa-COOL-a Just For Kicks Catapano, the 2012 Bushnell Cup (41) Kappatos ................................