BUILDING BLOCKS RUNNING BACKS: Stokes looks to fill void left by Rush

When the Penn football team begins its season this Saturday, the familiar face of Sundiata Rush will be noticeably absent in the backfield. The all-Ivy powerhouse was an integral part of the Quaker offense last season, rushing for 960 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns. Now, he is gone, replaced by a rising star and several promising new faces. Junior Terrance Stokes will be expected to lead the revamped backfield squad. As a sophomore last season, Stokes saw significant playing time, with 454 yards (good for seventh in the league) and three touchdowns to his credit. Yet despite his exciting play, especially towards the end of the season, Stokes was never really able to escape the shadow of Rush. Even after Rush suffered a season-ending ankle injury in last year's penultimate game against Harvard, Stokes was viewed as a mere substitute. This season, as the spotlight shines on him, he modestly refrains from calling himself a star. "I'm the only back with varsity experience, but the main thing is to concentrate on doing my job rather than thinking about leading the team," Stokes said. "I see myself as a link in a chain trying to win an Ivy Championship. I will be looked upon to do more than I did last year, but I don't feel any additional pressure. I just hope I have a decent season. All I want to do is help the team." However, because he is the only experienced back returning, Stokes will indeed be leading the running game. To prepare for the rigors of being the featured tailback, the 5-10, 168-pound Stokes underwent an intense weightlifting and conditioning program this summer. "You will obviously see Terrance on the field more than you did last year," offensive coordinator Chuck Priore said. "Terrance understands that he needs to be a complete back, and he worked very hard in the offseason. He's an excellent blocker, he's an excellent receiver, and, as you've seen, he's an excellent runner. He understands his new role. He expected it and wanted it and worked hard to get it." Joining Stokes in the backfield will be two previously unknown players who figure to see a fair amount of playing time this season. Sophomore Joe Allen led the freshmen team in rushing last season, and with his size, at 6-0, 235 pounds, may remind many people of Rush. Senior Brian Kozmor sat out last season after transferring from Arizona, and like Stokes, he is a quick slash-and-cut player. Several freshmen also look to play a role in the backfield. Perhaps the only benefit of losing Rush is that this season's backfield is much more of an enigma. Last season, with the Quakers in a tight situation, the ball would almost invariably go to Rush. This season, the offense will have many more options. "This year's group of running backs has more potential than last year's," Stokes said. "We're younger, so we have more time to digest the system. We also have a wide variety of running styles. Last year, Sundiata was the focal point of the offense, and much of it was on his shoulders. This year, we have a much better complement of players. We don't have to really rely on one player to carry the offense. That's good for the program." In addition to having the different players, the backfield will be much more involved in the passing game. Whereas last season the backs were blockers or last resorts, this season they will have specific plays created for them. "We are actually involved in the pass patterns," Stokes said. "It's kind of interesting and new. At Dartmouth, they have [quarterback Jay] Fiedler, and he's a strict passer. At Princeton, they have [running back Keith] Elias, and they run. We definitely have an offense at Penn that is not one-dimensional." This season's backfield will be out to prove that life can indeed go on without Sundiata Rush. "The key thing about this offense is that there's not really a name that will jump out and get you," Stokes said. "I'm not saying last year was bad, but now we have more creativity with the offense. We will be much more unpredictable." Saturday will tell if unpredictability can translate into success. Stokes and the rest of the backfield aim to prove that it does.

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