Sept. 15, 2015
THE OPENING KICK
MATCH-UP: Searching for its first win, Lafayette hosts Princeton on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Fisher Stadium. The Leopards' ledger rotates each week between home and away games, finally breaking that pattern with two straight home games in weeks nine and 10.
LAST TIME OUT: Lafayette battled CAA foe Delaware late into the fourth quarter before a fumble and subsequent Delaware drive led to a 19-9 final at a soggy Delaware Stadium. Three field goals of 40-plus yards by freshman Jacob Bissell provided all of the Leopard scoring, while Delaware kicker Frank Raggo hit four field goals including one with 28 seconds left to seal the Leopards' fate.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Freshman Jacob Bissell has been named Patriot League Special Teams Player of the Week. Bissell accounted for all of Lafayette's 19 points, hitting three field goals of 40-plus yards amid a driving rain storm at Delaware. His 47-yard field goal was the Leopard' longest since 2012. Additionally, Bissell had two kickoffs for touchbacks and an onside kick that the Leopards recovered.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore LB Brandon Bryant made a career-high 18 tackles on his way to the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award. The Cherry Hill, N.J. native made a pair of third-down tackles that helped Lafayette finish off goal-line stands and hold the Delaware to field goals. He was coming off a 13-tackle performance against William & Mary in week one and is currently ranked fourth in the NCAA with 15.5 tackles per game.
MORE ABOUT FG'S: Jacob Bissell is the first player in the Frank Tavani era to convert three field goals or 40-plus yards. Since 2000, Lafayette is 21-of-53 from 40 yards or longer. In 2008, Davis Rodriguez was the closest to the feat, making kicks of 41 and 46 yards vs. Columbia while missing a 45-yard attempt. Rick Ziska owns the longest field goal during the Tavani tenure, a 51-yarder in 2005. (Research credit to Paul Reinhard).
THE SERIES: After taking 2014 off, Lafayette and Princeton resume a series that began in 1883. Princeton leads the series 39-4-3, having won seven straight. The Leopards and Tigers have played fairly consistently since 1992, with 15 meetings in that stretch.
QB OR NOT QB?: Lafayette head coach Frank Tavani said it will be an open competition to be the starting quarterback entering the Princeton game. Juniors Blake Searfoss and Drew Reed have split time through two games. Reed was suspended for the opener when Searfoss was 31-of-45 for 243 with one touchdown and two interceptions. Against Delaware, Searfoss was 13-of-24 for 171 yards and an INT. Reed saw limited action, completing 5-of-8 for 44 yards.
AGAINST THE PASS: The Lafayette defense was solid against the pass at Delaware, surrendering just 58 passing yards. Coincidentally, in week two of 2014, Lafayette allowed just 66 passing yards against Robert Morris. The last time Lafayette allowed fewer than 60 yards passing was Sept. 24, 2011, giving up 35 yards at Stony Brook.
RED ZONE: The red zone has been more of a red light for the Leopards, who have scored twice in six attempts. Defensively, the Leopards have allowed opponents to score on 7-of-8 attempts, but just two of those have been touchdowns.
ABOUT PRINCETON: • Princeton is coming off a 5-5 campaign in 2014 when the Tigers finished 4-3 and in fourth place in Ivy League play. This is the opening weekend for all members of the Ancient Eight, as the teams will play 10 straight weeks.
• The Tigers return six starters on offense and 10 on defense after losing just one defensive starter to graduation. Princeton also welcomes back 39 lettermen, including four All-Ivy returners on defense, two on offense and one on special teams.
• The Tigers are looking to junior Chad Kanoff to take the reins at quarterback. Kanoff missed all of 2014 with an injury. The Princeton coaching staff is looking to fill the spots left by the graduation of Quinn Epperly and Connor Michelsen, mobile QB's who split time. Neither Kanoff nor his backup John Lovett has thrown a collegiate pass.
• Senior TB DiAndre Atwater led the Tigers' rushing attack in 2014, despite playing in only seven of his team's 10 games. Atwater carried the ball 65 times for 484 yards and one touchdown, setting a high-water mark against Colgate with 18 carries for 131 yards.
• Princeton is coached by Bob Surace (Princeton '90) who is starting his sixth season with the school. Previously, Surace coached at Western Connecticut State.
