On paper, this year's team resembles the 2013 team that won a share of the Ivy League championship with an 8-2 record.
PRINCETON - The Princeton University football team has finished 5-5 the past two seasons, but this year's team should be much better than average.
On paper at least, this year's version of the Tigers more resembles the 2013 team that won a share of the Ivy League championship with an 8-2 record. That team was coming off a record of, what else, 5-5.
Injuries cost Princeton a shot at last year's title as it lost four of its last five - losing leads in all four - to Dartmouth, Yale, Penn Brown.
"Last year a lot of guys played a lot more snaps then they normally would have played,'' said Steve Verbit, Co-Defensive Coordinator and long-time Princeton assistant coach. "So they have a lot of growth and confidence. Guys pressed into duty got a lot of quality reps and experience, and that's the name of the game.''
The prediction game places Princeton fifth in the preseason media poll. But that is deceiving as the Tigers received just two fewer votes than Yale and four fewer than defending tri-champion Dartmouth.
Last year's tri-champs Harvard and Penn are picked in that order, although Penn received nine first-place votes and Harvard seven.
Princeton doesn't play a league game until next month, opening at Columbia Oct. 1.
Princeton's first two games are at home, against Lafayette on Sept. 17t and Lehigh on Sept. 24. Its Ivy League home opener is against Brown on Oct. 15.
Aiding Princeton in its quest for a championship is that it will face Harvard, Penn and Dartmouth at home.
For the Orange and Black to be in the hunt, the relative inexperience on the offensive line and in the secondary are the primary areas of concern.
A strong and experienced front seven and talented set of linebackers are clearly the strength of the defense. The skill positions are the strength of the offense, including a two-headed quarterback that at times will both be in the game.
With its fast-paced philosophy, the offensive line will have to develop depth for a team that has over the past three seasons averaged 80 plays per game.
Senior captain Chad Kanoff and junior John Lovett will run the show at quarterback, not an uncommon approach in head coach Bob Surace's system.
"As they get older they become more accurate and better decision-makers,'' Offensive Coordinator James Perry said. "And they play faster and kind of get how to put their foot on the throttle for us.''
Aspiring to reach 90 snaps per game, the offense has an attack that can come at teams with a deep lineup of talented receivers, including a solid tight end, and a skilled group of running backs.
They may not be able to match the 43.7 point average of 2013, but should likely surpass the past two years when the offense averaged 29 points per game.
Freshman kicker Tavish Rice, although possessing a very strong leg, is still an unknown quantity when the whistle blows. Punting chores will be handled by senior Tyler Roth, who for the past two seasons made honorable mention All-Ivy.
The defense, for now, is the strength of this team.
"We have to stop the run, first and foremost,'' offered Co-DC Jim Salgado. "If we do that, then we can get after the quarterback. In the grand scheme of things, no explosive plays over the top. That's what has to be done for us to have a chance to have a good year.
"I tell them they have to go as hard as you can for four to six seconds, from point A to point Z. If you do that, and master the fundamentals...It's not about what defense is called, it's about out-playing the guy who's in front of you. Playing hard is the most important thing. That's what we have to do.''
That, and finish games; win the close ones. And prove the so-called experts wrong.
So can Princeton be more than average this year and win the Ivy League.
Said Surace with clear confidence, "Absolutely.''
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