Harvard has something this year that every other Ivy League team but Penn wishes it had -- balance.
Harvard coach Tim Murphy's squad returns 10 starters and 31 total lettermen from a 2003 team that ranked third in the Ivy League in offense and second in the league in defense last season.
If someone is going to end Penn's two-year reign atop the Ancient Eight, expect it to be the Crimson.
But don't tell that to Murphy. He doesn't want to hear about his team's Nov. 13 matchup with Penn at Franklin Field -- a battle that has determined the Ivy champ two of the last three years.
"The only big game I know about is the upcoming game with Holy Cross this weekend," the Crimson coach said.
Harvard is the only team in the Ancient Eight that returns both a league-leading quarterback and running back.
A preseason candidate for the Walter Payton Award, which honors the best player in Division I-AA, Ryan Fitzpatrick is the 131st captain of Harvard.
The Gilbert, Ariz., native averaged 314.3 yards of total offense in 2003; however, he missed several games with a fracture in his right throwing hand.
Despite playing hurt, Fitzpatrick still completed 17 of 34 passes for 250 yards against Penn last season.
Lining up behind Fitzpatrick is running back Clifton Dawson, who became the first freshman in Ancient Eight history last season to earn first-team All-Ivy honors.
Last season, the Scarborough, Ontario, native rushed for 1,187 yards, only fumbling the ball once all season -- in the season opener against Holy Cross.
While Murphy had confidence in his young tailback entering last season, he said he couldn't have predicted just how successful Dawson would be.
"We expect him to get even better," Murphy said. "Though it's not like he can get much better."
In the offseason, the Harvard coaching staff has been working on improving Dawson's strength and catching ability.
Other members of the Crimson offense that figure to help out Fitzpatrick and Dawson are receiver Brian Edwards -- a solid Penn recruit that got away -- and senior left tackle Mike Frey, who was hampered by injuries last season.
On defense, the Crimson have the onerous task of replacing All-American linebacker Dante Balestracci, who graduated in May.
However, Harvard has a handful of All-Ivy caliber players ready to fill the void.
A first-team All-Ivy and All-New England selection in 2003, linebacker Bobby Everett will take over as the leader of the Harvard defensive unit. Last year, he ranked fourth in the Ancient Eight in both tackles and sacks.
Others figured to play a large role on defense are cornerback Gary Sonkur, linebacker Matt Thomas and defensive lineman Matt McBurney.
As for Harvard's role as an Ivy frontrunner, Murphy says it's too early to call.
"There's enough parity in this league that any one team can beat any other team in this league on any given day," he said.
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