Penn Quakers Set For Saturday Season Opener At Lehigh

By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The 2015 college football season for the Penn Quakers will kickoff on Saturday afternoon when they travel up to Bethlehem to take on Lehigh University.

Ivy League teams always start their seasons later than everyone else, so while this is the first game for Penn, Lehigh has two games under its belt and they are 1-1 on the campaign.

Saturday will also be the first game as Penn head coach for Ray Priore. He has spent the last 28 years with the Quakers as an assistant coach, defensive coordinator and associate head coach.

"It's exciting," Priore tells KYW Newsradio. "It's exciting as we start coming into the true game week right now. My focus is on trying to keep my excitement down to a low roar and keeping things focused on the day-to-day operations. Making sure we hit our punch list of things to get done before we get on the bus on Saturday morning."

Listen to the entire interview with Penn's Ray Priore

Penn is coming off a 2-8 season (2-5 in the Ivy League), but Priore likes the look of the 2015 Quakers.

"I think the strength of the group is in the leadership, I really do," Priore says. "I think we have a real great core of upper class leaders that are doing real well and I see that as being the fiber of any good program that we've had and have put through, through the years here at Penn. You've got to think the strength has to be with your quarterback (junior Alek Torgersen) coming back after having ten games under his belt last year. I really like my linebacker core on defense, which are the guys who will really do a lot of the heavy lifting on the defensive side."

Lehigh opened its season with a victory over Central Connecticut State before losing last week to a talented James Madison squad, 55-17. The Mountain Hawks are coached by Andy Coen who, prior to taking over the program at Lehigh, spent six seasons as the offensive coordinator at Penn while Priore was the defensive coordinator.  Priore scouts the Mountain Hawks.

"I know the quarterback (junior Nick Shafnisky), after watching him off of all the tape last year, is really talented," Priore says. "They have some receivers, some young running backs and a really good, solid defense. The challenge is it's our first (game), their third and our kids will be focused and ready for the game."

This will be the first meeting between the Quakers and the Mountain Hawks since 2003.  Penn won that day, 32-24.

Saturday's game in Bethlehem will kickoff at 12:30pm.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.