THREE’S COMPANY: Princeton University quarterbacks, from left, sophomore John Lovett, junior Chad Kanoff, and senior Kedric Bostic pose together during the program’s media day earlier this month. The trio are competing for playing time and each figures to see action this fall. Princeton, which went 5-5 overall and 4-3 Ivy League last fall, kicks off its 2015 campaign when it plays at Lafayette (0-2) on September 19. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Slipping to fourth place in the Ivy League standings last fall after sharing the title in 2013 with Harvard, the Princeton University football team headed to Asia this spring to begin a hoped-for climb up the league standings.

The Tigers accepted an invitation to face the Kwansei Gakuin University Fighters, the national college champion of Japan in the “Legacy Bowl” at Kincho Stadium, in Osaka, Japan. It was the second meeting between the two programs this century; Taylor Northrop’s late field goal helped the Tigers rally for a 27-25 victory when the two teams met in March of 2001.

In the 2015 contest, which took place on March 21, the Tigers rolled to an impressive 36-7 victory.

As Princeton head coach Bob Surace reflected on the experience at the program’s recently-held media day, he saw the trip as a critical bonding opportunity for his squad.

“When were asked to go, we connected with a few of the guys who went the previous time, and every single guy talked about how it brought the team together,” said Surace, who guided Princeton to a 5-5 overall record and 4-3 Ivy League mark last fall in his fifth season at the helm of the program.

“It was a great part of their experience, maybe the best thing they did in their four years at Princeton. It was terrific; it helped us come together. When you are thrown into a culture, none of us, not one guy on our team spoke Japanese and very few of the Japanese players spoke English, maybe one or two at each position group. When you are not in your own element, it forces you to bond.”

Surace was heartened by his team’s terrific performance on the field in the decisive win over Kwansei Gakuin.

“It made us feel really good about this group that they were ready to go,” said Surace.

“They understood, when it was football time, it was football time. When it was being with the Zen guy or the sumo wrestlers or whatever else, you could have fun, you could enjoy yourself.”

While Princeton lost two stellar quarterbacks, Connor Michelsen and Quinn Epperly, the Bushnell Cup 2013 Ivy Offensive Player of the Year, to graduation, Surace is happy about his quarterback situation as junior Chad Kanoff, senior Kedric Bostic (2-for-4 passing for 17 yards in 2014) and sophomore John Lovett are all battling for snaps.

“Kedric, John, and Chad are getting better everyday,” said Surace, a 1990 Princeton alum who starred at center for the Tigers, noting that Kanoff is one of the best pure passers he has seen in his time around the program.

“I love their urgency, I love their tempo. They have never been thrust into that leadership position and the quarterback is automatically almost a leader because of what they have to do and they have handled it. They are competing against each other and with each other but also the way Connor and Quinn did, having a friendship when they are outside of the practice field.”

Offensive coordinator James Perry, a former star quarterback at Brown who spends a lot of time working with the signal callers, shares Surace’s enthusiasm for the trio.

“Right now the quarterback group is playing very well and practicing very well,” asserted Perry.

“All three of them coming out of spring knew what they needed to work on and have a done a very good job this summer to accomplish that. In order to play as fast as we want to play, we need quarterbacks who are athletic no matter what. Even if their strength is throwing the ball, you have got to be in great shape and you have got to be able to move.”

In Perry’s view, the Tiger running backs should be able to move the chains. The corps of ball carrier includes senior DiAndre Atwater (484 yards rushing in 2014), senior Dre Nelson (133 yards rushing), junior Joe Rhattigan (140 yards rushing) and junior A.J. Glass (120 yards rushing).

“We have a veteran group of running backs; we have two seniors with Di Andre and Dre, who are practicing at a fantastic level,” said Perry.

“We need guys who can run, play fast, play physical. It is a demanding way to play and those running backs are really, really practicing hard. We have a lot of guys who have played football at that position right down the line, with Joey Rhattigan and A.J. Glass.”

Former All-Ivy center Surace likes his veteran group of offensive linemen, which features senior Spenser Huston and sophomore Mitchell Sweigart at tackle, seniors Jack Woodall and Britt Colcolough at guard, and senior Tom Yetter at center.

“Those guys are really playing well together,” said Surace. “Tom Yetter had a great offseason and we said let’s look and see what he can do at center and he has really stepped up at the center spot and that was the one where we had some concerns. We moved Britt inside; he was All-Ivy, he was a really good tackle. I am hoping we can keep him at guard because it is a difference maker. Against the best defensive lines like Harvard and Dartmouth, we didn’t get the push we wanted. Britt is a guy who can knock people off the ball.”

The return of 6’4, 245-pound senior co-captain Seth DeValve (19 catches for 243 yards in 2014) at wide receiver should make a big difference for the Tigers.

“Seth is an incredible player, an incredible worker, and you can’t have a better captain,” said Perry, whose receiver group will also include junior split end James Frusciante (36 catches for 334 yards) and junior tight end Scott Carpenter (20 catches for 236 yards).

“He is in shape, he runs, he works. He is a very unselfish kid so his injury last year hurt us a lot. He is a rare person in this league, you just don’t see guys that big who run like he does. He is a very dynamic guy because not only is he a big, fast guy, he can really catch the ball.”

In the view of defensive co-coordinator Steve Verbit, the Tiger defensive line features some dynamic players in juniors Ty Desire, a second-team All-Ivy performer last season, and Henry Schlossberg along with sophomore Kurt Holuba.

“All the guys are developing this year; if you look back at last year, there was a little youth in these guys up front,” said Verbit

“Tyler was a sophomore, Holuba was a freshman, and Schlossberg was a sophomore so all three of those guys were playing for the first time so you get those 10 games under your belt plus spring practices. They are bigger, they are all stronger, they are faster so they should be able to provide a better pass rush for us.”

Defensive co-coordinator Jim Salgado is looking for Rohan Hylton, a second-team All-Ivy choice last season after making 75 tackles, to help fill the void left by the graduation of Mike Zeuli, the 2014 co-winner of the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Award.

“Rohan has been doing a good job, obviously he stepped it up last year,” said Salgado of the linebacker corps that will also feature senior co-captain Matt Arends, junior R.J. Paige, and senior Marcus Stroud.

“He brings speed to the position inside; he can run and track things down. He has good experience from being on the field last year. Everything is coming together for him and we are excited about him stepping up and being a leader inside on that defense.”

The secondary looks like a strength of the squad with senior Khamal Brown moving to safety alongside classmate Dorian Williams and seniors Anthony Gaffney, a former Pennington School standout and 3-time All-Ivy performer, and John Hill starting at the cornerback spot. Junior James Gales is a key back-up at corner along with junior Markus Phox.

“Khamal is moving over there at safety, he has played a lot of football here,” said Salgado.

“He is getting comfortable being on the inside, he has been so used to being on the outside. The other guys have played a lot of ball, Anthony Gaffney and Johnny Hill. James Gales is a younger guy who is in year three and is having a great camp. We are excited about those guys. We have depth; we just have to keep working hard.”

With Princeton heading to Lafayette (0-2) on September 19 to kick off the 2015 campaign, Surace knows that his team has its work cut out for it as it looks for its first opening day win since beating Lehigh 14-10 in 2006.

“We have to take advantage of every opportunity, every minute that we have together,” said Surace.

“We can’t get distracted in any way because it is an uphill battle.The teams we have played since I have been here the last five years have had two more games and probably about 40 more practices than we have. Some teams play a non-quality opponent in our predicament but not us. We have played league champions I think in three of the five years that I have been here. San Diego went to the playoffs, Lehigh went to the playoffs three times. We have played some pretty good opponents and Lafayette is a doggone good opponent. We better be ready.”