The Princeton football team (0–0 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) will open the season against the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks (2–1 overall, 0–0 Patriot League) on Saturday afternoon away in Bethlehem, Pa. This will be the 16th matchup between the two sides dating back to 2002, and the Tigers will be hoping to notch a fourth straight win against the Mountain Hawks.
With most of the offense and several key defensive players returning, the Tigers will aim to have a strong start to the season with this veteran squad. This is the Tigers’ first non-conference matchup for the season, and they will try to avoid the mistakes of last year against such opposition.
Will the Tigers claw out a win in the hawks’ nest? Assistant Sports Editor Alex Beverton-Smith ’27, Associate Sports Editor Hayk Yengibaryan ’26, Staff Sports Writer Lily Pampolina ’27, and Sports Contributor Zachary Meisel ’27 made their predictions for the game.
Princeton 30, Lehigh 6 — Alex Beverton-Smith, Assistant Sports Editor
The Tigers should come into this game with lots of confidence in their ability to get a win. Although ranked just fourth in the Ivy League preseason media poll, they have all the tools to do much better than that. Lehigh came off a tough 42–7 loss to Army (2–0 overall, 1–0 American Athletic Conference) to make two wins, but expect Princeton to be tough opposition for them too.
Expect to see some switches at the quarterback position throughout the game, as head coach Bob Surace ’90 tests out his talents on the roster. Nevertheless, do not be surprised to see junior QB Blaine Hipa eventually win this battle because of his ability to run the ball and his great passing arm, both of which make him a talented dual-threat option.
Ultimately, the strength of the QB position and the returning wide receiver duo of seniors AJ Barber and Luke Colella, who led the team in receiving yards last season, will make it very difficult for the Mountain Hawk defense to manage this triple threat. On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers should remain strong under longtime defensive coordinator Steve Verbit who enters his 39th season with Princeton.
If all of the challenges of a new offensive coordinator, a new starting linebacker group, and the new QB are worked out, the Princeton team could be dominant not just for this game, but for the whole season.
Princeton 30, Lehigh 19 — Hayk Yengibaryan, Associate Sports Editor
A new season is underway for the Orange and Black. All eyes will be on Tigers offensive coordinator Mark Rosenbaum, who replaced the outgoing Mike Willis. Last season under Willis, the Tigers struggled offensively, averaging just under 20 points per game.
Expect a big game from junior quarterback Blaine Hipa. Hipa — who featured briefly last season behind Blake Stenstrom ’24 — will likely have the keys to the offense this season. Before committing to Princeton, Hipa had an offer from SEC powerhouse Tennessee. With a strong returning offensive core highlighted by senior wide receivers AJ Barber and Luke Colella, Hipa should have plenty of options in the air. In the backfield will be senior running back John Volker, who ran for 447 yards on 93 carries en route to a third-team All-Ivy selection.
The main concern for the Tigers will be on the defensive side. With three key linebackers graduating this past spring, the Orange and Black must figure out their defensive identity. Last season, Princeton had the best defense in the Ivy League. With many moving parts, I expect the defensive unit to take some time to build their chemistry.
The last time Princeton lost its opening game of the season was all the way back on Sept. 20, 2014. I expect head coach Bob Surace and the Tigers to extend their opening-game win streak to nine games on Saturday afternoon behind a big game from Volker, who should find the endzone and rack up nearly 100 rushing yards against an awful Mountain Hawks rush defense.
Princeton 21, Lehigh 17 — Lily Pampolina, Staff Sports Writer
Coming off of back-to-back wins, it is with no doubt that Lehigh brings momentum coming into this game, but Princeton has the opportunity to find success in the offensive passing game.
Despite an abundance of veterans graduating this past spring, the one position that the Tigers still hold strong is at wide receiver. Princeton has four returning receivers who should fare well against the Lehigh defense, especially senior Luke Colella, who was All-Ivy recipient in the 2023 season. Colella is known for stepping up against in big moments — last season, Colella had two touchdowns against a strong Yale defense, ranked 24th in the FCS for pass efficiency defense.
Defensively, the Tigers should be ready for a strong Lehigh run game. In the Mountain Hawks’ last game against LIU, 13 of their 20 first downs came from rushing plays, including a touchdown. Princeton’s interior defensive line will have to use their athleticism to close gaps and limit the yardage they concede in the red zone, a place where Lehigh has gone three for four in scoring opportunities in the past two weeks.
This game is in the hands of the Tigers, if they choose to take it. Although the team is adjusting to young players stepping into new roles, Princeton still has a backbone of experienced players on both sides of the ball who can help carry the team to a win.
Princeton 28, Lehigh 10 — Zachary Meisel, Sports Contributor
After a disappointing season, the Princeton Tigers begin their 2024–25 campaign with a tough trip to Pennsylvania where they’ll face the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (2–1, 0–0 Patriot League). The Mountain Hawks are coming off two straight wins, but the Tigers will be confident against an opponent they’ve beaten three times in a row.
The key story will be the performance of Princeton’s offense, where new offensive coordinator Mark Rosenbaum will direct a unit filled with talented returnees. Players to watch include senior wide receiver Luke Colella, who received an honorable All-Ivy league mention last year. Can Rosenbaum lead his talented roster to the heights of 2021 and 2022, when Princeton’s offense was the class of the Ivy League, or will his scheme fail to improve on the dreadful offense of last year? Against the Lehigh defense, it will be interesting to see whether Rosenbaum continues the pass-heavy scheme of his predecessor against a team who has defended the pass quite well this season, notably forcing three interceptions over their last two games.
Bet on a quality start for Rosenbaum. Moreover, all of this doesn’t even take into account Princeton’s ridiculously talented defense, which allowed the fewest points per game of any Ivy League team last year — a paltry 17.5. The Tigers are set to take game one of their season 28–10.
Alex Beverton-Smith is an assistant Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Lily Pampolina is a staff Sports writer and staff Audience creator for the ‘Prince.’
Zachary Meisel is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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