Princeton's Lovett to take hand-off, then give them

(STATS) - The loss of a league offensive player of the year would devastate many teams, but Princeton is in a unique situation with John Lovett's return in the 2018 season.

Like quarterback Chad Kanoff did as a senior last year, Lovett won the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League's offensive player of the year in 2016, though in a "slash" role as a junior - quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

Lovett was sidelined last season following left arm surgery in the offseason, and Kanoff went on to take full reins of the offense to set Princeton and Ivy League single-season records for passing yards (3,474) and completion percentage (73.2).

Lovett, who accounted for 31 touchdowns when Princeton won a share of the 2016 Ivy title, is expected to be back as the No. 1 quarterback this fall. To retain his final season of eligibility, he is out of school this semester under league rules, and won't participate in Princeton's spring practices which begin Tuesday.

During the spring, coach Bob Surace and his staff will evaluate several younger quarterbacks in the program, and Surace has a history of utilizing more than one regularly. Kevin Davidson was the sophomore backup in 2017.