In a preseason interview, Penn coach Al Bagnoli said that Dartmouth "arguably has the best offensive skill kids coming back."
He was referring to tight end Casey Cramer and wide receiver Jay Barnard, seniors who have ravaged opposing defenses for the past four years.
"Cramer was the best tight end in the league last year," Bagnoli said. "And I suspect he's going to be the best tight end in the league this year."
Bagnoli said Cramer's size, quickness and tenacity make for a particularly formidable defensive matchup.
Standing at 6'2" and weighing 235 pounds, the tight end earned unanimous first-team All-Ivy honors last fall for the second straight year.
He caught 72 passes for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns last season and was named first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and the Sports Network, and second team All-American by The Associated Press.
Cramer is also the only tight end and Ivy League player among the 16 players on the "Watch List" for the Walter Payton Award, an honor given annually to the top player in Division I-AA.
In losses to Colgate and New Hampshire this season, Cramer has reeled in a combined 10 receptions for 92 yards.
"Cramer is not a typical tight end," Penn junior safety Seth Fisher said. "He's got wide receiver speed and athleticism. They can use him in a lot of different positions, lining up in different spots to do different things for the offense."
Despite a dominating 49-14 Penn victory, the explosive tight end managed nine receptions for 117 yards last season at Franklin Field.
Cramer "is a good athlete," Quakers defensive back Rudy Brown said. "He is definitely the strength of their offense."
Although the Quakers do not seem as concerned with receiver Barnard, he enters tomorrow's game with impressive credentials. The 6'2", 210-pound Dallas native holds the Dartmouth record for career receptions with 164.
Last season, he caught 83 passes for 899 yards.
Bagnoli likened Barnard to Penn receiver Dan Castles due to their comparable size.
Barnard "is a step slower than Castles, but he's that kind of body type," Bagnoli said. He has "that deceptive gait so that you really don't know how fast he's going."
"He's talented," Fisher said. "He catches a lot of balls for them. He's their go-to guy. He's a decent athlete, runs good routes and is a good possession receiver."
The Big Green's talented duo must be salivating at the prospect of facing an inexperienced, shorthanded Penn defense on Saturday.
But despite costly injuries to defensive leaders Kevin Stefanski and Steve Lhotak -- players who probably would have shared the responsibility of covering Cramer -- the fledgling Penn defense remains confident that it can overcome the talent and experience of Cramer and Barnard.
"As far as our defensive personnel is concerned, we're not worried about missing those guys," Fisher said.
"We have guys who can step in there and do the job. He's going to catch passes. We're not looking to totally shut him down -- you know zero catches for zero yards. He's going to catch some balls, but we want to limit the times he touches the balls and where he gets it on the field."
Bagnoli emphasized that containing Cramer and Barnard will be crucial to a Penn victory.
Losing Stefanski and Lhotak "makes the job a little bit harder," Bagnoli said.
"We've got a lot of younger kids in the game. To completely shut both of them down is unrealistic. They are both quality kids and will certainly make their share of plays. You just have to hope to minimize them."
Casey Cramer School: Dartmouth Year: Senior Height: 6'2" Weight: 235 pounds Position: Tight end
One of 16 players on Walter Payton Award "Watch List" First team All-American last year with 1,017 yards Seven touchdowns on 72 catches last season
