Princeton University Football Team Opens Season Saturday at San Diego

One of the most anticipated Princeton University football seasons in recent memories begins this weekend.

The Tigers open their season at the University of San Diego Saturday afternoon, 4 p.m.

The Tigers were 8-2 overall in 2013, and sported a 6-1 record in the Ivy League. The Tigers were conference co-champions.

Senior quarterback Quinn Epperly threw a single season record-tying 25 touchdown passes and rushed for another 19 as he led the Tigers to their first conference crown since 2006 and 10th overall.

He was the first quarterback in the history of the conference to account for 40 or more touchdowns in a season.

He set an NCAA all-divisions record with 29 consecutive completions in the Tigers’ 53-20 win over Cornell last season, and was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week six times, including five weeks in a row.

He was named a preseason all-American and is on the 2014 Walter Payton Award Watch List.

Epperly was one of 17 all-conference selections in 2013, and one of nine returning this season.

Princeton’s leading receiver, Roman Wilson, graduated, but Epperly has plenty of targets. This includes senior receiver Matt Costello, who ranks eighth all-time in receptions at Princeton, and is on pace to have the third highest number of career catches in school history.

Senior receiver Seth DeValve caught 38 passes, four of which were greater than 75 yards, over the last five games of the 2013 season, and senior receiver Connor Kelley caught six touchdown passes last year.

Three dependable running backs join Epperly in the backfield.

Junior running back Di Andre Atwater earned second-team all-conference honors last season, averaging more than 50 yards a game.

Junior running back Dré Nelson led the team with 6.5 yards per carry last season.

Senior running back Will Powers averaged 4.6 yards per carry last year and had three receptions.

Five returners are back on the offensive line, including first-team All-Ivy League honoree senior Spenser Huston, senior Mike Ramos, senior Jack Woodall, senior Taylor Pearson and senior Joe Tull.

On defense, junior cornerback Anthony Gaffney became the seventh player in Princeton history to be named to the all-conference first team three times, even though he has played just two seasons.

He is a two-time all-conference player at cornerback, and was named to the 2012 all-conference first team as a return specialist.

He’s started every game of his college career, and has 57 tackles, 12 breakups and five interceptions.

He is also a pre-season all-American.

This season, he, junior John Hill, junior Matt Arends and junior Khamal Brown bring experience to the defensive backfield, according to goprincetontigers.com.

Brown returns to the field after undergoing life saving surgery immediately following an injury last season.

A pair of seniors will lead the linebacking corps. Garrit Leicht and co-captain Mike Zeuli had 133 combined tackles last season. Leicht returns as a middle linebacker, while Zeuli will plays his third position in his college career. He takes over the role of weak-side linebacker after playing safety and strong-side linebacker previously.

Leicht has great responsibility in the middle with no starters returning on the defensive line.

The most experience on the defensive line belongs to juniors Evan Kappatos and Ian McGeary, who has played for three years. Kappatos has one year of experience. Sophomore Ty Desiré starts after playing behind Caraun Reid, who is now with the Detroit Lions.

Nolan Bieck returns at kicker and Tyler Ruth returns at punter.

It is the third game of the season for the Toreros, who opened the season with a 23-17 win over Western New Mexico, followed by a 35-18 loss to Jacksonville.

San Diego quarterback Keith Williams has 340 yards passing and three touchdowns this season.

Receiver Brandon White has two touchdown catches this year, and running back Jonah Hodges has rushed for two scores, according to usdtoreros.com.