Last year could have been a coronation for Brown. The Bears returned their All-Ivy quarterback, Joe DiGiacomo, and chunks of the previous year's Ivy Championship defense, including future NFL talent Zak DeOssie.
It was nothing short of a disaster.
A 2-2 start to the Ivy campaign was inauspicious at best, but it only got worse from there. After a loss to eventual champions Yale, the Bears choked twice, losing to Ivy doormats Dartmouth and Columbia, the latter at home. That didn't sit well with coach Phil Estes in the offseason.
"It's one of those things where you take your vacation in early July: . The first week you enjoy it. The second week, you start getting the ants for football."
Estes may have "the ants," but one thing he doesn't have is momentum, particularly after last season's collapse.
And instead of the first back-to-back title team since Penn in 2002-2003, he now brings question marks to the table.
The most imposing is at quarterback. DiGiacomo has graduated, leaving behind two juniors and a sophomore. Junior Michael Dougherty was tapped for the job relatively early after a promising preseason.
"What [Dougherty's] got to understand is that he doesn't have to make every play," the coach said. "Just put the ball in the area and let [the receivers] go to work."
The running back and offensive line - the best friends to a new quarterback - are largely unknown quantities. Brown's highest returning rusher, current captain Dereck Knight, gained only 216 yards on 49 carries last year. He'll run behind a line that will be a shadow of last year's, which started three seniors and now must be rebuilt.
Elsewhere, the news is more reassuring. The receiving corps has four players that Estes maintains "could be All-Ivy caliber," headlined by senior Paul Raymond, who returns from a 45-catch year in 2006.
The Bears return most of last year's defense, and while DeOssie is not in the fold this year, the bulk of the defensive line and secondary is. Each unit has an All-Ivy selection returning this year.
As usual, the special teams unit is solid, as Penn found out last year. Steve Morgan will again handle the punts and kicks; he's thrice All-Ivy in the former and Brown's highest scorer ever in the latter. Good thing. Every point will count.
