The beginning of an era

Ivy League football has never been a friend of change. Off the field it has frowned on changes in the tenor of college football nationwide. On the field it has been the forum for some of the most consistent programs in the country, whether good (Princeton) or bad (Columbia).

The 1994 season marks a radical departure from the past on both counts.

Off the field, league officials allowed teams to hold spring sessions for the first time since the 1950s. Joining what Brown alumnus Joe Paterno called "the real world," each squad was granted 12 spring training days to work out kinks and digest x's and o's.

And on the field, and perhaps even more significant, league play is a good bet to be unpredictable. Defending champ Penn is a shoo-in for top honors and defending cellar dwellar Columbia is a shoo-in for the bottom, but nothing else is certain.

Harvard and Brown enter new eras with new coaches. Cornell continues its surge upwards after 20 years of slumber. Princeton will be fighting to finish in the top tier for the first time in a decade. And Yale will be fighting for a middle spot within the fray.

In other words, the league will be interesting. In itself, that development represents a departure from the past.

1. Penn:

Simply put, The Quakers have the look of a league dynasty.

They went undefeated in ten games last year. They cruised through league play without as much as breaking a sweat. And they return 12 solid starters from that learn this season.

In other words, the rest of the league doesn't have a chance.

The Quakers will be paced by its dominating defense, from which it returns five starters. Last season the team finished in the top 10 nationally in Divion I-AA in every major defensive category: fourth in scoring defense (13.1) and rushing defense (96.7), fifth in total defense (281.6) and ninth in pass efficiency defense.

The offense will be no slouch either. Despite a heated quarterback controversy, the team's attack should be as potent as ever, with senior all-Ivy running back Terrance Stokes leading the charge. Stokes used the team's multiple-one-back alignment to rush for 1,211 yards last season, including a school record 272 against Princeton.

Harvard coach Tim Murphy says it best: "There's no doubt about it--Penn is the team to beat."

2. Dartmouth:

Before there was Penn, there was Dartmouth: the Big Green had won three league championships in a row before last season. The sudden loss of prestige attending the team's close 10-6 opening-season loss to the Quakers has Hanoverites hungry for revenge, but don't bet on it. The team lost several key players and will have a tough time fending off Cornell for the number-two position.

Foremost among the Big Green's Class of 1993 was quarterback Jay Fiedler. Fieldler took virtually every snap the last three years and set 12 school records, including Ivy League marks for touchdown passes in a game (five) and career (45) and total yardage (5,371). His departure leaves a gaping hole in the team's offense, made worse by key losses on the offensive line and among the receiving corps.

On defense, the team promises to be stronger. Senior leading tackler Josh Bloom returns to anchor a linebacking corps that may be the best in the league, and the defensive line seems to be in solid shape, too. The only question mark is the backfield, but some solid recruits are eventually supposed to fill the three holes left by graduation.

3. Cornell:

Cornell's is the program to watch in the league these days. The team was downrights miserable up until a few years ago, but has climbed back to respectability. Last year it went 4-6 overall, 3-4 in league play and whipped the Crimson 27-0. This season, expect the Big Red to make similarly large strides.

On offense, the team loses star quarterback Bill Lazor but returns just about everybody else. Nine players who have started for the Big Red on offense return to action this fall. Foremost among those are sophomore tailback Chad Leavitt (475 yards) and senior wideout Aaron Berryman (38 catches).

Defensively, the team will be similarly well off. It loses all-American linebacker Chris Zingo, but Zingo's two linebacking partners, seniors John Vitullo and John Wagner, are back and should almost compensate for his loss. The squad's defensive line and secondary--both extremely experienced--should take up the rest of the slack.

4. Princeton:

Attention, Yalies and Harvardians: this is the year to get back at our mutually-hated rival to the south. The Tigers will be in for a tough year across the board as they return fewer players than any other team in the league. Still, the team's recruiting proficiency should ensure it a spot in the middle of the league standings.

The offense will be starting from square one. It lost six starters to graduation last year, including running back Krith Elias, now of the New York Giants. Elias solidified his reputation as one of the best players in league history last season by rushing for 1,731 yards (second in the nation) and scoring 21 touchdowns. In addition to Elias, the team lost virtually everyone at the skill positions and half of its offensive line. Senior tackle Carl Teter, an NFL prospect, is a big exception.

Defensively the Tigers will be even worse off. Only three starters return from last year: junior linebacker Dave Patterson, senior strong safety Mark Berkowitz and senior cornerback Jonathan Reid. Princeton also lost its defensive coordinator, Mark Harriman, who has joined Murphy's Harvard staff.

5. Brown:

Like Harvard, Brown enters a new era this season. Mark Whipple, a former-Brown quarterback, assumes the coaching duties, promising a more wide-open offense. Expect him to deliver to the tune of a middle-of-the-pack finish: his University of New Haven team averaged 50.5 and 52.5 points per game, respectively, the past two years.

Whipple should have plenty of bodies around to fill his explosive offense. Brown returns ten starters on offense from a team that tied with Cornell for fourth in the league last year (4-6 overall, 3-4 Ivy). Heading that list are senior quarterback Trevor Yankoff and sophomore second-team all-Ivy running back Marquis Jessie. The line should be strong, too, as it is one of the largest and most experienced in the league.

On defense the Bears will also return 10 starters. Headlining that unit will be senior defensive and Brett Atkins (eight sacks), junior linebacker Bill Robertson (66 tackles) and senior linebacker Mike Youssef. In addition, the entire secondary returns, led by honorable mention all-Ivy corner back Eugene Smith.

6. Harvard

7. Yale:

Carm Cozza's back for his 30th season, and Yale's woes should continue. Last year's Bulldog team went a horrible 3-7, its second-worst record in 30 years. Although it beat Harvard, it did little else, and it should do even less this year.

The Eli offense returns only six starters from last season. It lost its quarterback, fullback, three linemen and laser-quick wide receiver Dave Iwan, who set a single-season record with 873 yards on 46 catches. A few members of the backfield sidelined with injuries last season will return, including quarterback Chris Hetherton, but whether the team's Swiss cheese line gives them time to shake off their rust is another question.

The team's defense should be slightly better. The squad returns four defensive linemen, the leading tackler of 1993 in senior Carl Ricci (166 stops) and the entire defensive backfield.

8. Columbia:

When you think of a loser in college football, you think of Columbia. The Lions have not had a winning season in 23 years and are one of only two programs in the country that has been in existence for more than 20 years and still has a winning percentage below 400. This year will be no exception: the Lions will be praying for even one win in a much-improved league.

Last year the team went 2-7 overall, so any boasting of "returning starters" smacks of pointlessness. Still, by Lion standards, the team's offense will be good. It will return two good quarterbacks in senior Jamie Schwalbe and junior Mike Cavanaugh, will replace only the center position on the line and will feature maybe the best tight end in the league in senior Brian Bassett.

Through defense, though, the team should regain its place in the Ancient Eight criler. The team loses its entire line, two linebackers and two defensive backs.

It could always surprise with a brilliant recruiting class, but 23 years of futility is likely to put bets in the other corner.