The Quakers football team lost its last four games in 2005, and the offense was a big part of the problem. In the final two games, they only managed to put 10 points on the board.
Now add the graduation of the team's leading passer and rusher and the departure of the leading receiver.
Finally, add a new offensive coordinator to the mix, and it leaves plenty of questions for the Quakers' offense in 2006.
1. Will the running back depth chart turn into a medical chart?
It certainly did last year, with three backs - Sam Mathews, Joe Sandberg and Von Bryant - succumbing to the curse of the shoulder injury.
Hard to tell if it's the man-eating turf or bad luck, but it's something that the Quakers can't afford if they are to win the Ivy League.
Mathews graduated, and if Sandberg is once again affected, well, that leads right into the next question.
2. Will youth step up at running back?
When Mathews went down last season, Joe Sandberg was able to back him up, averaging an impressive 5.2 yards per carry, compared to Mathews' 3.8.
Now, if Mathews goes down, or even if he doesn't, the Quakers will need a second and possibly third option out of the backfield.
With no more seniors or juniors at the position, the responsibility will fall on a trio of sophomores with Kelms Amoo-Achampong being the most experienced of the group.
The north-south back had 82 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries last season, mostly in garbage time against Bucknell and Yale.
The lightning to his thunder is Sam Shepherd, a speedster whom the Quakers tried at receiver last year and who returned the opening kickoff of the scrimmage against Widener for six.
In addition, coach Al Bagnoli said that 5-foot-9 back Chris Ashley, who saw time on special teams coverage last season, could get some carries.
If any of the three of them turns out well, it could do wonders as a second option - or as an insurance policy.
3. Who's picking up Dan McDonald's catches?
Good news in this department despite the absence of last year's leading receiver.
The diminutive Matt Carre, last season's second most productive wideout returns as does Sandberg, who was third on the team in receiving yardage and tight end Chris Mizell, who was fourth.
Added to that is more experience in wideouts Braden Lepisto and Billy May. So while the 2006 squad may lack a go-to guy, whoever does play quarterback won't be short on experienced options.
4. But who will that quarterback be?
Expect an answer to that one this week. Bagnoli intended to wait until after the Widener scrimmage to decide between Bryan Walker, who saw time when Pat McDermott went down last season, and Robert Irvin.
The sophomore Irvin saw a lot of time during the scrimmage, and even if he doesn't get the starting nod, he'll be prepared.
"We're really going to emphasize making sure that second kid is ready," Bagnoli said. "We've been burned the last couple of years when McDermott's gotten hurt. It's tough if you don't have a second kid with experience."
5. Will there be major changes with the debut of new offensive coordinator Shawn Halloran?
Trick question.
While there was an agreement upon Halloran's hiring to avoid major shake-ups, bigger changes may come with the arrival of new offensive line coach Jon McLaughlin, who came from Iowa.
"Between him and John McLaughlin, we've tapered it toward the Iowa run game," said Bagnoli, who added that the majority of the changes will involve communication on the offensive line.
"The pass game, we basically kept."
