Big Red Autumn

The receiving end of another Ivy League championship is where Cornell might find itself at the end of this season. The Big Red will once again go as far as the legs of tailbacks John McNiff and Scott Oliaro will carry it.

McNiff earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors after running over Harvard last year, was runner-up for Ivy League Player of the Year, and missed rushing for 1000 yards by only six feet. His average of 161.6 all-purpose yards placed him second in the country.

Oliaro's big game came against Yale, when he rushed for 288 yards on 35 carries and amassed 395 total yards, both Big Red records.

Cornell is also experienced at the receiver position, with senior wideouts Mike Grant, Andy Martin and Pete Reynolds all having starting experience.

The quarterback picture, as it seems to be with every Ivy League team, is cloudy. Chris Cochrane is gone, and who is going to fill his shoes is anybody's guess.

The offensive line is led by first team All-Ivy center Greg Finnegan (6'2", 247), right tackle Rob Schroeder (6'4", 258) and right guard Jason Jenkins (6'1", 248).

With 13 starters returning, the Big Red offense is in good shape. The same cannot be said for the defense.

Second-year coach Jim Hofher returns only five defensive starters. The hardest hit area is the defensive line, which does not have one starter returning.

But, Cornell does have experience at the outside linebacker position, returning seniors Mark Broderick and Chris Mazoue.

Big Green Title?

If Cornell's defense does not hold up, the door could be wide open for Dartmouth to capture another Ivy title this year.

That is, if the Big Green's own inexperienced defense can weather the Ivy League storm.

It was the Big Green defense that paved the way to Dartmouth's share of the Ivy title with Cornell last year. In seven league games, the defense gave up only 65 points and notched two shutouts (of Harvard and Brown).

But this year, only four starters return on the defensive side. Like Cornell, Dartmouth does not return one starter on the defensive line.