Yale's Losses Might Not Include Ivy Title

Football coaches and fans at most Ivy League schools have been anticipating this season since the fall of 1979.

For the last three years, the Yale roster has looked like a Xerox of the All-Ivy list. But last spring, the gifted individuals responsible for three consecutive Eli championships finally left New Haven.

The departure of 18 starters--seven of whom signed pro contracts--leaves Coach Carm Cozza with the least experienced squad in the league.

"We're still far from a unit, and we're certainly not where we were last year," Cozza said at the conclusion of training camp.

Despite Cozza's apprehensions, Yale's "rebuilding" year will hardly be material for Gibbon. With only four returning starters from last season, the Elis still managed to top the Ivy coaches' preseason poll. And Cozza's youthful corps was ranked ninth nationally in an AP sportswriters' Division I-AA poll, which listed no other Ivy team in the top 20.

How the mighty have fallen.

Most of Cozza's colleagues seem concerned that he can actually replace players like tailback Rich Diana and quarterback John Rogan.

Diana rushed for over 1400 yards in 1981; won the Bushnell Cup, which is awarded annually to the league's outstanding player, and is currently with the Miami Dolphins. While it seems unlikely that tailback Paul Andrie will duplicate Diana's achievements, he is generally regarded as one of the top three running backs in the league.

Rogan's replacement, however, quarterback Joe Dufek could make Yale partisans forget last year's second-team. All-Ivy signal-caller. Rogan stayed in the New York Jets' camp until the final round of cuts, but Dufek constantly pressured him for the Elis' starting job last season.

"The biggest difference between the two is that he [Dufek] lacks game experience. And also he doesn't have the surrounding cast John had. There is no Grieve for him to throw to" Cozza said, referring to split end Curtis Grieve, the All-Ivy selection who is currently on the Philadelphia Eagles injured reserve list.

The Elis might miss the class of '82 even more on defense and special teams. Yale led the league in rushing defense last season holding its seven Ivy opponents to 657 yards on the ground. The loss of linebackers Jay Snyder and Jeff Rohrer (a second round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys) particularly disturbs Cozza.

"Right now, our linebackers are our biggest area of concern. We still haven't made any definite decisions in that area," he said.

He adds that the graduation of placekicker-punter Tony Jones is yet another reason his favored Elis are apprehensive about the upcoming season.

"This season is going to be a real challenge for us," Cozza says. "We aren't the same team, but because we've won so much, everyone wants to beat us."

Along with Harvard, Dartmouth is considered the best bet to unseat the Elis. A 6-1-0 mark left the Green co-champions with Yale last year, and seven returning offensive starters give Dartmouth one of the league's most potent attacks.

Junior quarterback Frank Polisinello won five of six games for the Green (which finished 6-4 overall) last season, after taking over for injured starter Rick Stafford.

Stafford underwent knee surgery, and Coach Joe Yukica says, "I have not designated Rick as my No. 2 in the preseason. I really have to see him be more active before counting on him."

A knee injury also sidelined All-Ivy punter Rick Bayless at the beginning of the Dartmouth training camp, but Yukica expects Bayless to be ready for the opener with Penn.

Polsinello's chief responsibility will be handing off to halfback Sean Maher, who tied for second place in the league in scoring last season.

The outcome of the 1982 Ivy League race could hinge on the Dartmouth defense. If Yukica can construct an adequate squad from the unit that returns only one player. Dartmouth will become the team to beat.

Dave Neslund, who started as a linebacker in '81, will probably move into the line at noseguard, while Yukica searches among the younger players for an entirely new secondary.

"We are seeing some really interesting battles in the secondary, but nothing has been resolved. Only one guy [cornerback Jim Bloomer] has a job so far," Yukica said.

Three coaches Cozza Brown's John Anderson and Penn's Jerry Berndt--have referred to Cornell as the "sleeper of the Ivy League." With 16 players back, the Big Red has several reasons to expect an improvement on last year's 2-5 (3-7 overall) mark.

At the top of the list is junior tailback Derrick Harmon, who rushed for 893 yards in nine games as a sophomore, despite an injury that prevented him from practicing regularly.

We're still hesitant to push him really hard in a practice. Coach Bob Blackman said. "He is so important to us that we have to be very careful."

Blackman is equally cautious when discussing the quality of the rest of his personnel.

"We have standouts at a couple positions and then there is a drop-off," he notes. "We are also extremely thin in some positions because of injuries."

Cornell lost first-string roverback Mike Beekman in a preseason scrimmage, further weakening a defense that, after ranking seventh last year, is Blackman's primary concern.

"We have three fellows at each position in the secondary, but there are very few standouts," he says. "On the other hand, at the positions where we have talent--quarterback, tailback, center--we have nobody behind them."

Brown coach Anderson faces a similar situation. The Bruins return five offensive and eight defensive starters from an identical 2-5, 3-7 1981 season. The offensive line is deep and stronger than Cornell's, with returning tackles Bob Mangiacotti and Bob Giunta. Defensively, the Bruins are solid although "hurting at linebacker," according to Anderson. Captain Dan Nelson is out for the season with torn ankle ligaments, and to compensate Anderson plans to insert speedster Jeff Rolley at one of the outside spots.

Brown has an even bigger hole at quarterback. Senior Rank Landers was the Ivy's second-rated passer last year, but last spring he signed a major league baseball contract with the Minnesota Twins, a decision which made him ineligible for any Ivy League athletic program.

"I think it's the most ridiculous rule I've ever heard," Anderson says. "Only the Ivy League considers an athlete who goes pro in one sport ineligible for all others. It's ridiculous that Hank is on campus this fall as a senior, that he comes to practice to watch us, and then he can't play."

Anderson still isn't sure who will quarterback the Bruins, so despite the presence of impressive wide receivers Paul Farnham and Kelly Brothers, Brown will have to rely on its backfield to generate offense on the ground. The offensive line should facilitate a good running game, but without a Harmon or an Andrie, Brown will find it difficult to contend with Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale and Harvard.

As Cornell moves further from the cellar, Princeton should drop from the ranks of the Ivy elite. Without graduated quarterback Bob Holly, the team that stunned Yale, 35-31, on the strength of 501 yards passing, is likely to find its offense sputtering. The Tiger defense boasts eight experienced starters, but experience from a unit that finished sixth in the league defensively--giving up 384 yards per game in 1981--is only worth so much.

All-Ivy split end Derek Graham generated a lot of excitement with the '81 team, and the other Princeton receivers drew rave reviews. However, the Princeton press guide describes quarterback Brent Woods merely as the person who nicknamed Bob Holly's offense ("Air Holly"), not an encouraging sign for the Tiger receivers.

Actually Holly's former back-up is reported to have the savvy of a distinguished quarterback, but a suspect Princeton offensive line might make Woods' talents a well-kept secret.

Columbia's quarterback, junior John Witkowski, is unquestionably All-Ivy material, and his arm should help a Columbia offense that ranked last among Ivy teams in '81.

In addition, three starters return to the Lions' defensive secondary, which led the league in pass defense.

Penn has 16 starters back from last year's 1-6 squad (1-9 overall). Coach Jerry Berndt's first season with the hapless Quakers.

The Penn backs proved they could not move the ball on the ground last year, and so Berndt has mapped out a passing game, featuring quarterback Gary Vura and wide receivers Karl Hall and Rich Svrek, a trio of promising juniors.