THE OPPONENTS: Dartmouth the favorite again

What Bagnoli did do was bring in new offensive and defensive coordinators and instill a change in the attitude of the Quaker squad. Bagnoli's efforts led to an unexpected 7-3 season and a third-place finish in the Ivy League. Now Bagnoli and his team will have to face the pressure of trying to repeat their 1992 performance against their usual Ivy foes and some new faces from the Patriot League. What follows is an in-depth look at Penn's opponents for the 1993 season: '92 Scoring average: 35.0 points per game '92 Opposition scoring: 20.6 ppg Returning starters: 13 Returning all-Ivy players: 4 Series record: Tied 29-29-2 · Overview: Dartmouth has either won the Ivy League football crown outright or shared the title in the last three years. With all-everything quarterback Jay Fiedler returning for his final season, the Big Green are definitely a favorite to capture the title once again. Head coach John Lyons, a 1974 Penn graduate, enters his second season with one of the best-ever quarterbacks in the Ivy League and a strong returning defense. If Fiedler stays healthy, look to Dartmouth to take the title. Offense: Fiedler is Dartmouth's only proven offensive weapon. Last season, Fiedler was the nation's top-rated quarterback in Division I-A and I-AA with an efficiency rating of 169.35. He racked up 2,748 yards and threw for 25 touchdowns. However, this season may be tougher for Fiedler due to the graduation of five top receivers, including first team all-Ivy selection Matt Brzica. Fiedler and Brzica connected on 53 receptions for 965 yards and eight touchdowns. Juniors Andre Grant and David Shearer along with senior John Hyland should be doing the bulk of the receiving for the Big Green. Dartmouth will also suffer from the loss of its top rusher, Greg Hoffmeister. Gone also is the fullback tandem of Russ Torres and Neal Martin. Taking the handoffs in 1993 will be senior fullback Chris Umscheid and Colorado State transfer Pete Oberle at tailback. Dartmouth's offensive line will be strong again in 1993. Gone will be all-Ivy first team right tackle Lance Brakee, but three starters return up front. Anchoring the offensive line will be 6-6, 275-pound senior tackle Andy MacDonald and senior center Nat Cook. Defense: Eight starters return for Dartmouth's defense, which allowed 317.1 yards per Ivy contest last season. Leading the way will be unanimous all-Ivy first-teamer linebacker George Neos, who notched 55 tackles and 12 sacks in 1992. The Big Green returns three of four starters in the secondary, including Jason Fell and Jim McGeehan. Dartmouth will be looking to lower its points allowed per Ivy game in 1993. Last season, it placed fourth with 22.2 ppg. '92 Scoring average: 18.3 ppg '92 Opposition scoring: 28.9 ppg Returning starters: 11 Series record: Penn leads 19-3 · Overview: Bucknell posted a weak record in the Patriot League last season, capturing only a single win in five contests. The Bison fared better out of conference and defeated both Brown and Columbia. Head coach Lou Maranzana may see things improve this year due to the comeback of quarterback and punter Travis Kopp. Kopp missed the last four games of the season with a broken ankle, but has lead the team to a 1-1 record so far in 1993. However, Bucknell's progress might be hampered by the departure of its four top rushers and its top receiver from 1992. Three starting offensive linemen are also gone. The linebacking duo of Dan Zappa and Russ Strohecker returns after a phenomenal season, but the Bison will be hurting due to the loss of three starting defensive linemen. Offense: Kopp was 92 for 140 while racking up 1067 yards and 11 touchdowns in only seven games last season. If he picks up where he left off, defenses across the Patriot League will have their hands full. Gone will be receiver Whitey Berardinelli who caught 42 passes for 735 yards and three touchdowns last season. But senior Damon Garner, who caught 19 passes in 1992, will return. Senior wide receiver Brad Bernardini should also be a factor on offense. Bucknell will have a big hole to fill in the backfield due to the departure of tailback Matt Walsh. Walsh ran for 839 yards last year and also performed the kick return duties. Filling the void will be freshman Rich Lemon and sophomore Darren Bloch. The Bison will also try to fill the shoes of two departing offensive lineman. Eric Rutter and Jeff Hart, both 6-4, 273 pounds, were all-Patriot League in their final season. Todd Hazlet will switch from defensive line to offensive to help replace the missing graduates. Defense: In order for Bucknell's defense to be effective, the linebacker pair of Zappa and Strohecker must repeat its brilliant performance of the 1992 season. They combined for 213 tackles, 7 sacks and 4 interceptions. The defensive line will be a weak spot for the Bison this season as they graduated three starters. John Lusk, Janne Kilpelainen, and Ted Malin combined for 94 tackles and 9 sacks last year. Senior tackle Cecil Boone, who collected 44 tackles last season, and junior Andy DeFalco, will try to help fill out the line. Bucknell's secondary will be led by senior free safety Todd Jessup and sophomore cornerback Mark Miller. Junior John Caldwell should stand out on the special teams unit, which allowed only 8.3 yards per return last season. Kopp, who averaged 36.7 yards per punt in 1992, will handle the punting duties for the squad again this season. '92 Scoring average: 14.7 ppg '92 Opposition scoring: 24.2 ppg Returning starters: 12 Series record: Penn leads 1-0 · Overview: Fordham shared the Patriot League cellar with Bucknell last season, but Fordham lost all of its out-of-conference games and posted a measly 1-9 overall record. The Rams look to be equally weak in 1993, considering they return only one starting running back and no returning wide receivers. Penn was victorious in last year's contest, the first meeting ever between the two schools, by the score of 13-10. Across the ball, Fordham seems stronger. The Rams field returning starters on the defensive line, at linebacker, and at defensive back. Last season, coach Larry Glueck hoped to make an impact on the Patriot League, but was able to notch only one win. With the loss of talent due to graduation, 1993 does not seem to promise much more for the Rams. Offense: Junior John Pohlman beat out two sophomores in spring practice, and will lead Fordham at quarterback. In his last five games last season, Pohlman went 62 of 151 for 641 yards and five touchdowns. If he slips at the beginning of 1993, look to see the sophomores vying for minutes. Returning in the backfield is the Rams' number one rusher from last season, junior tailback Chris Ross. Three-year starter fullback Tony Iasiello's presence will sorely be missed. Senior Adam Lang will replace Iasiello and sophomore Randy Zingo should see valuable time. The job for wide receiver will be wide open as Fordham will have to fill the void of the departure of the greatest receiving tandem in school history, Tom Garlick and John Potamousis. Inexperienced seniors Shawn Harris and Randy McKee will be called on to carry the brunt of the passing game. Defense: If Fordham is going to win any games in 1993, it will have to play excellent defense. The defensive line was realigned in the offseason. Returning starter Jason Jacobs will move to left end and will team up with Aaron Torgler to form a strong defensive end pair. In the secondary, the Rams return only one starting defensive back in Mike Wilt (33 tackles, 3 interceptions). The current linebackers will have a tough act to follow in 1993. The graduation of all-American Mark Blazejewski leaves a huge hole in the middle. Two other starters are gone and seniors Ryan Reinert and Aaron Daugherty will be called on to patch up the gaps. Sophomore placekicker Bob Hagan returns to his starting job, but Fordham must find a replacement for two-year punter Steve Muzzonigro. Senior Chris Savino or sophomore Peter Wilkinson should garner the honor. '92 Scoring average: 18.1 ppg '92 Opposition scoring: 26.1 ppg Returning starters: 10 Series record: Penn leads 3-2-1 · Overview: Coach Ed Sweeney has a real challenge ahead of him in his first season at the helm of the Red Raiders. Last season Colgate went 4-7 and this year it faces its toughest schedule in many years, including contests with Rutgers, Army, and Navy. Sweeney's previous coaching experience came at Dickinson College, a Division III program in Carlisle, Pa. His squad got off to a slow start, posting losing records in his first two years of rebuilding, but in his last six seasons at Dickinson, the Red Devils responded and Sweeney compiled a 51-8-3 record. Colgate is hoping Sweeney's magic will rub off on the Red Raiders. Improvements are likely to be seen over the long haul, but Colgate will probably suffer another losing season in 1993. Offense: With last year's starting quarterback Jim Russell graduating, Colgate begins the 1993 season with little varsity experience at this key position. Last year's backup, Chris Lane, gets the starting nod and looks to lead the Red Raiders' potent offense. Two-time first team all-Patriot running back Bill Sparacio is back for his third starting season at tailback. In 1992, he rushed for 820 yards and 11 touchdowns on 180 carries in only nine games. The Red Raiders have plenty of depth in the backfield, including junior Dana Farland and senior Jim Herrera. Farland's 1993 highlights included a 101-yard performance against Holy Cross. A big plus for Colgate is that five of last year's top six pass-catchers are back. Junior Tom Nash and sophomore J.J. Hope should see the majority of the action. Senior Barry Paquet and junior Glen Eisenberg will also push for time. The Red Raiders are losing both tight ends from last year. There is no stand-out at this position, but Jon O'Flynn had an impressive spring. Due to the departure of center Carlos Mollinedo and both starting guards, there is a huge hole where the offensive line used to stand. Seniors Eric Lachance and Ted Chmielewski are going to be counted on to plug the leaks upfront. Defense: Colgate's defensive unit will have a new look under coach Sweeney this year, as it switches from a 4-3 to a 4-4 front. Three of last year's starting front four on the defensive line have graduated, but sophomore Joe Kaszteejna and seniors John Soi and Matt Watts are ready to contribute. Inexperience is also a problem at defensive end. Joe Virgillo, Don Gunther, and Greg McNiff will be counted on to pressure the opposition. Graduation again takes it toll, this time on the Red Raiders' linebacking corps. Colgate loses its leading two tacklers from 1992, Kevin Scheffler and T.J. Donahue. Senior tri-captain and sophomore Brian Gianci will fill two spots but depth is lacking. On the other hand, the secondary is an experienced unit led by senior safety Ryan Cook. Two sophomores, Geno Monteiro and Todd Crowley, will see much action. '92 Scoring average: 20.5 ppg '92 Opposition scoring: 28.6 ppg Returning starters: 14 Returning all-Ivy players: 1 Series record: Penn leads 53-18-1 · Overview: Last season was the first time Columbia notched three wins since 1978. The Lions were 2-5 in Ivy competition and garnered their only other win against Fordham. Will coach Ray Tellier's squad be able to duplicate this feat for only the second time in 15 years? The good news for Columbia is senior Chad Andrzejewski is back to at the quarterback spot. The bad news is two-way phenom Des Werthman has been lost to graduation. Andrzejewski will have to post big numbers in 1993 if Columbia hopes to stay out of the Ivy cellar. The Lions will also have to improve on last year's dismal defensive performance if they hope to compete with preseason favorites Dartmouth and Princeton. In 1992, Columbia ranked seventh in the Ivies in scoring defense and dead last in passing yards allowed. Offense: Andrzejewski lead the Ivy League last season with 186 completed passes and 346 attempts. The athletic quarterback also racked up 1,897 yards and nine touchdowns. Werthman, Columbia's leading scorer with 11 touchdowns and five PATs, will be sorely missed. Gone also is leading receiver Mike Sardo, who hauled in 60 passes for 571 yards and four touchdowns. Columbia's rushing game is a glaring weakness. Starting fullback and leading rusher Joe Klosek is back, but he only gained 274 rushing yards in 10 games last season. Sophomore tailbacks Marcellus Wiley and Greg Evans advance to the varsity level and should see significant action. Four starters return for the Lion's sturdy offensive line. Junior guard Steve Miller and junior tackle Rich Weindel are the best of the lot. Junior punter Brian Bassett is back and junior Joe Aldrich will handle the placekicking duties. Defense: The departure of Werthman at linebacker leaves a gigantic hole in the middle of the Lions' defense. He had 449 career tackles, including 158 in 1992. Werthman also had three interceptions for 91 yards as a senior. Many new faces will be seen in Columbia's linebacker corps as senior Rick Brenders is the only returning player at this important position. Brenders was second behind Werthman with 82 tackles last season. The secondary seems pretty solid with three starters returning, including Mark Calveric. Senior free safety Joe Hill (3 interceptions) and senior cornerback Tim Hawkes (80 tackles) will try to shape up the Lions' weak pass coverage. All-Ivy first teamer Sean Nichols will shine on the defensive line in 1993. Nichols led the team with seven sacks and 14 tackles for a loss. Returning senior starter Adam Yeloushan will give needed experience to the line at defensive tackle. '92 Scoring average: 15.8 '92 Opposition scoring: 30.3 Returning starters: 16 Returning all-Ivy players: 1 Series: Penn leads 46-13-2 · Overview: Bear head coach Mickey Kwiatkowski came to Brown after a successful nine-year run at Hofstra, highlighted by a 35-9 record over his last four years with the Flying Dutchmen. Since then, however, Kwiatkowski's fortunes have soured significantly, as he has averaged just one win per year in his three seasons in Providence. Last year was truly a low point for Kwiatkowski, as his Bears managed a singularly unimpressive zero wins. Ouch. Brown's worst loss, in fact, came at the hands of the Quakers, as Penn handed the Bears a 38-0 home-field embarrassment. Offense: The big strength of Brown's attack this year will be the offensive line, and big is the operative word. Four starters return, and the quartet averages 275 pounds per man. Senior co-captain Walton Smith, an all-Ivy second teamer, leads the way at guard, and only the center position is up for grabs. As with the center slot, the status of the quarterback position is likely to be up in the air. Junior Trevor Yankoff is the only returning quarterback to have taken a snap for the Bears, but last season's freshman MVP, Gordie Myers, seems to be the leading candidate for the job. Myers played just six quarters for Brown's freshman squad, but in that time he passed for two touchdowns and ran for three others, as well as rushing for 214 yards while averaging 9.7 yards per carry. Both running back and receiver spots are deep but relatively inexperienced for the Bears, as leading rusher Brett Brown and leading receiver Nate Taylor are gone. In the backfield, juniors Dan Foreman and Kevin Sharkey totalled just 22 carries for 121 yards in 1992, and fullback Marquis Jesse will be the only freshman in the league at a starting position tomorrow. Receivers Brennan Nakane and Charlie Buckley, also juniors, are preseason all-Ivy selections. Defense: Kwiatkowski hopes that new defensive coordinator Jim Fleming, who comes to Brown from Boise State, will awaken the long-comatose Bear defense. Last season Brown finished last in the Ivy League in rushing yards, total yards and points allowed. The Bears' strong point defensively is in the secondary, where all four starters return from a unit that was brilliant compared to the rest of the Brown defense. Fleet-footed juniors Karl Lozanne and Eugene Smith anchor the Bears' defensive backfield. Brown lost three starters between the defensive line and linebacking corps, though, and both squads struggled last season. Senior co-captain Todd Hunter will spearhead the newly aggressive Brown linebackers and junior defensive end Shawn Birken should provide another bright spot on the traditionally gloomy side of the Bears' game. '92 Scoring average: 16.1 '92 Opposition scoring: 20.9 Returning starters: 7 Returning all-Ivy players: 1 Series: Yale leads 40-19-1 · Overview: Under 28-year head coach Carm Cozza, the Elis have finished below .500 just eight times. Six of those times, Yale has bounced back to post a winning mark the next season. This year that may be too much to ask of the Elis, who finished 4-6 in 1992. Yale returns just seven starters from a team that lost to Penn by a 13-10 count and tied Columbia for sixth in the league last year. Offense: In 1992 then-junior tailback Keith Price provided the spark for the Elis, rushing for 1,141 yards and also lead Yale with 16 receptions for 151 yards. Price was named to the all-Ivy second team, and the Elis had counted on his return and his leadership on the offensive side of the ball. But Price recently underwent surgery for a knee injury incurred in a preseason scrimmage against Union and is out for the season. That leaves senior David Dixon as Yale's most experienced running back, a frightening prospect for the Elis considering Dixon's 1992 totals of 23 carries for 71 yards. The situation on the outside, meanwhile, is only slightly better. Senior Dave Iwan and junior Dave Feuerstein, Yale's top returning receivers, totalled 17 catches for 300 yards between them last season. Considering Cozza's run-oriented I-Bone attack, those numbers are unlikely to improve significantly. At quarterback, senior Steve Mills and junior Chris Hetherington will vie for playing time. Mills started for much of 1992, while Hetherington proved to be the more talented athlete. Hetherington rushed for 200 yards on 60 carries, and was second to Price in both categories. Defense: The Eli line was hit hard by the loss of all three starters to graduation, including two all-Ivy performers. Fortunately, three Yale seniors have seen significant action, led by tackle John Lykouretzos, who tied for the team lead in sacks last season with three. Linebacker will probably be the Elis' strong suit. The two returning starters, junior Carl Ricci and senior John Saunders, placed first and second on the team in tackles in 1992 with 103 and 95, respectively. The secondary is an unknown entity. Junior Dan Mellish, who registered 56 tackles and intercepted a pass last year, is the only returning starter. Seniors John Patterson and Randy Burford, though, may give the squad a much-needed lift, though, as both missed all or part of 1992. '92 Scoring average: 26.4 '92 Opposition scoring: 16.5 Returning starters: 12 Returning all-Ivy players: 4 Series: Princeton leads, 59-24-1 · Overview: Last season's Tigers headed into their season-ending showdown with Dartmouth alone atop the Ivy League standings. A 34-20 defeat on their home field, though, left Princeton in a disappointing tie for the title. That loss may provide them with added incentive for 1993, and the return of several outstanding players at key positions gives the Tigers cause for optimism. Offense: One word -- backfield. Senior fullback Peter Bailey earned Honorable Mention all-Ivy status last season, rushing for 295 yards and two touchdowns while placing second on the Tigers with 16 receptions for 133 yards. If those numbers sound a bit low for an all-Ivy performer, keep in mind that Bailey was blocking for senior Keith Elias, and all Elias did was lead all of Division I-AA in rushing. Tiger co-captain Elias set Princeton records with 1,575 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last season, as well as racking up 299 yards on the ground against Lafayette. Those stats came despite missing almost an entire game due to an ankle injury, and for his efforts Elias was named a first-team all-American. Entering 1992, senior quarterback Joel Foote had never taken a varsity snap. He won the job, though, and should benefit from his newfound job security. Foote performed well last season, completing over 56 percent of his passes while throwing for just one interception as opposed to five touchdowns. Both the offensive line and receivers are major areas of concern for 1993. Among those eight positions, just two starters return. Those two players, seniors Chris Cyterski and Scott Miller, form the left side of the Tiger line. Defense: The line looks to be Princeton's defensive key, especially on the inside. Senior tackles Reggie Harris and Jim Renna were named to the all-Ivy first team and honorable mention rolls, respectively, and tallied 16 sacks between them. Joining them on the outside will be senior Matt McInerney, who added another seven sacks. That impressive trio is likely to be further improved by the return of senior end Brian Kazan. Much was expected of Kazan going into the 1992 season, but he missed the entire year with a knee injury. Both the linebackers and defensive backfield may be trouble spots for the Tigers, as just three starters return between the two. In the secondary, junior cornerback Jonathan Reid and senior free safety Brian Mangene are coming off impressive 1992 campaigns. '92 Scoring average: 16.7 '92 Opposition scoring: 24.0 Returning starters: 9 Returning all-Ivy players: 2 Series: Harvard leads 38-23-2 · Overview: Coach Joe Restic enters his final season with the Crimson after 22 years in Cambridge. While Restic would no doubt like to go out with a bang, that will be difficult considering he returns just nine starters from a team that managed just three wins a year ago. Offense: Senior quarterback Mike Giardi, an all-Ivy second-teamer, remains stuck behind Dartmouth's Jay Fiedler in his quest for recognition. Giardi passed for 1,271 yards last season while rushing for eight touchdowns. Giardi's impressive running skills, though, were virtually cancelled out by an extremely inexperienced offensive line. That shouldn't be Harvard's problem this year, though, as four starting linemen return, led by a second team all-Ivy tackle, senior Jason Slavik. Unfortunately, the Crimson can boast of returning neither a starting back or receiver. Both positions appear to be extremely weak, as does the kicking game. Senior Mark Hall nailed just four of 12 field goal attempts in 1992. Defense: On the other side of the line of scrimmage, the picture is not much brighter. In the secondary, senior cornerback James Ellis provides a rare bright spot. Ellis registered 58 tackles and two interceptions last year. The only other returning starter for the defense is senior captain Brian Ramer, who totalled 59 tackles and four sacks in 1992. Ramer is likely to be joined on the linebacking crew by senior Joe McClellan. On the line, senior Dehdan Miller and junior Ed Kinney both saw time in the starting lineup last season. McClellan tallied 31 tackles while Kinney made four sacks, and both are likely to start at the defensive end positions. '92 Scoring average: 26.3 '92 Opposition scoring: 18.3 Returning starters: 11 Returning all-Ivy players: 2 Series: Penn leads, 55-39-5 · Overview: Cornell has won more Ivy League games over the past seven years than any other team. Last season, the Big Red lost their opener to Princeton, then proceeded to go on a seven-win tear highlighted by a 26-16 victory over Dartmouth, the Big Green's only Ivy loss. Any championship aspirations that a seven-game winning streak may have fostered, though, were wiped out by season-ending losses to Columbia and Penn. Two returning stars key Cornell's hopes for 1993. Offense: Senior quarterback Bill Lazor lights the way for the Big Red attack. Honorable mention all-Ivy League last season, Lazor threw for 2,206 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions while setting 17 school records. This year, though, Lazor will have to make do without the 1992 team MVP, running back Scott Oliaro, and the second-leading receiver in Cornell history, Mike Jamin. In the backfield, senior Pete Fitzpatrick will attempt to take Oliaro's place. In 1992, Fitzpatrick was second on the Big Red with 70 rushes for 303 yards including a 105-yard performance in his only start. At the wide receiver spot, meanwhile, returning starter Ron Mateo caught 17 passes for 225 yards and four touchdowns a year ago. Mateo was also given an honorable mention in the Ivy Sophomore of the Year competition. The offensive line is in decent shape despite the loss of all-Ivy center Troy Thompson. Senior guard Rich George started every game last season, and senior Pat Paquette and junior Mike McKean both started games at tackle. Defense: Cornell returns the interior of a defense that ranked 16th nationally in opposition scoring. Middle linebacker Chris Zingo may be the best Ivy Leaguer west of New Hampshire. In 1992 Zingo topped his own school record with 179 tackles and added eight sacks to boot. He was rewarded with a unanimous election to the all-Ivy first team and a second-team spot on the all-East team. Zingo should break the Big Red career record for tackles (349) in the season opener at Princeton. Joining Zingo at the linebacker position is junior John Vitullo. Vitullo did it all for Cornell defensively in 1992, recording 84 tackles, a sack and an interception. At strong safety, senior Ryan Blattenberger tallied 55 tackles last season. Senior cornerback Terry Golden and junior safety Garrett Gardi will help Blattenberger in the defensive backfield. On the line, meanwhile, senior Dick Emmet and junior David Woods both saw time in the starting lineup last year.

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