Veteran Tigers open up Saturday

DePauw senior quarterback Matt Hunt looks to pass against Wabash last season.

DePauw returns 15 key starters from 8-2 squad

DePauw returns 39 lettermen including 15 starters from last year's 8-2 squad that tied for second in the North Coast Athletic Conference standings and posted an 8-2 overall record.

The Tigers will open their season on Saturday by hosting Mount St. Joseph as they open the season with five of their first eight games at home before playing the final two regular-season games on the road.

Six starters return to an offense that broke the school record with 393 points and scored at least 35 points in seven contests.

Senior quarterback Matt Hunt, a three-year starter, completed nearly 65 percent of his passes for 2,413 yards with 26 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Senior Ian Good and junior Jake Hagan return as starters at receiver, while sophomore Andy Hunt, who came off the bench last year, is back after earning NCAC Newcomer of the Year honors and leading the team in receiving.

Senior Jason Kirchhoff led the Tigers with 757 yards for the most by a DePauw back in eight seasons, while senior Cody Campbell is back at left guard and junior Jeremy Trudell returns to the right tackle spot.

Eight starters are back on a defensive unit that recorded three shutouts for the first time since 1985.

All four starters are back to the defensive line including seniors Kevin Kiyosaki (end) and Peter Nelson (tackle) and juniors Chris Hawk (tackle) and Joel Kauth (end).

Senior Michael Mitsch, a first team all-NCAC tackle in 2014, missed last season's final nine games due to injury, but returns for a final season.

Seniors Thomas Gray and Will Longthorne are back at linebacker. Longthorne paced the Tigers with 104 tackles making him the first DePauw player to top triple digits since 1998. Gray was third with 52 tackles last season.

Returning to the secondary are seniors Zachary Reichle and Cody Baker.

Senior Marko Adams will again handle the Tigers' placekicking chores after connecting on 45-of-50 extra points and 8-of-17 field goals.

The Tigers were picked third in the pre-season NCAC poll, receiving one first-place vote.

2016 DePauw schedule

Sept. 10 -- Mount St. Joseph (1 p.m.)

Sept. 17 -- at Wooster (2 p.m.)

Sept. 24 -- Hiram (1 p.m.)

Oct. 1 -- Kenyon (1 p.m.)

Oct. 8 -- at Wittenberg (1 p.m.)

Oct. 15 -- at Allegheny (1 p.m.)

Oct. 22 -- Ohio Wesleyan (1 p.m.)

Oct. 29 -- Denison (2 p.m. )

Nov. 5 -- at Oberlin (1 p.m.)

Nov. 12 -- at Wabash (1:07 p.m.)