Harvard coach Tim Murphy described the reality of this season the best.
"It's life after Clifton Dawson."
Now with the Cincinnati Bengals, the All-Ivy tailback lead the team last year with 1,277 rushing yards on his way to breaking the league's all-time rushing record handily.
And his graduation leaves some big holes for Murphy.
"On offense, we're going to be by committee," he said.
Cheng Ho, who had 145 yards and a touchdown last season, will take over Dawson's position, but sophomore Mike Clarke and Charles Baakel should also get some carries.
The team's primary receiver from last year, Corey Mazza, will return to start along with sophomore Matt Luft.
Quarterback was another position for the taking going into the season. Senior Liam O'Hagan has won the starting nod for week one, but has not progressed the way Murphy would have liked.
"Two years ago, I thought Liam O'Hagan would be a great Ivy League football player right now," he said.
Instead, he split time with senior Chris Pizzotti last year, throwing for 679 yards and five picks in five appearances.
"I expected, at least in a practice context, it would have been more of a competition" between O'Hagan and Pizzotti this year, Murphy said. "But Liam was clearly the best guy in practice."
To keep the job, he will have to put up better numbers, especially because of a larger emphasis on the passing game with Dawson gone.
Murphy hopes, though, that his team's defensive strengths will be able to make up for some of the offensive weaknesses.
Some questions on the line last year were answered and the Crimson proved to be one of the better defenses in the league - and the nation.
Harvard led the league with 43 sacks - almost double the next team's total - and also topped the rushing defense category.
The Crimson allowed just two yards per carry and held teams to just over 66 yards on the ground each game.
With seven starters back, including the trio of Andrew Berry, Steven Williams and Doug Hewlett in the secondary, those numbers could even improve.
On special teams, junior Matt Schindel doubled as a punter and place kicker, going 8-for-14 on field goals and missing one extra point.
However, the school record-holder in field goals was put second on the depth chart this year behind sophomore Patrick Long.
The Crimson were picked to finish third in the preseason poll. With a shorn-up defense, an offensive spark may lead Harvard to exceed those expectations.
