"Because we were Coach Murphy's first lass, it was just a special group," Bibro said. "We came together really well, and the team is really a lot tighter than it has been since I've been here."

Harvard's defensive line is not its only strong suit on the defensive side of the football. The Crimson returns a young, but effective linebacking corps that opened a lot of eyes last season. Inside linebackers Scott Larkee, a junior, and Isaiah Kacyvenski, last season's Ivy Rookie of the Year, finished one-two on the team in tackles.

For the fourth consecutive season, free safety Jeff Compas will headline the Crimson's defensive backfield. He will be joined in the secondary by sophomore Aaron Natale, who racked up 70 tackles out of the strong safety position, and juniors Derek Yankoff and Glenn Jackson should start at the two corners.

Special Teams: Room for Improvement

Harvard's kicking game was perhaps its most obvious weakness a season ago. The Crimson lost several close games last year that could have swung the other way had the team been able to make its field goals and push opponents back with deeper kicks.

"When we really need a field goal, we really need to be able to knock that thing through," Murphy said. "I feel like our kids definitely have the capability to do that, but ultimately to get over that hump, you have to kick a big one."

Harvard will need more consistency from junior Ryan Korinke, who returns as the team's starting placekicker. Korinke converted on 10 of 18 field goal attempts last season, but one of the three misses came in a 6-3 loss to eventual Ivy-champion Dartmouth, which finished the season undefeated.

Murphy also hopes another year of experience adds some distance to the punts of sophomore Michael Giampaolo, who averaged 34.6 yards per kick last season.

Murphy's Team

The 1997 season is a pivotal one for Murphy as well. Known for his excellent recruiting, Murphy is finally in a position where the seniors are truly his seniors. Nothing short of an Ivy title contender will shield him from the criticism of fans who have grown wary of seeing mediocrity take the field every Saturday.

"When [this year's senior class] first came, there were a lot of players from this area on the team, but Coach Murphy did a great job at nationwide recruiting," Skelton said. "He recruits kids who are like him: disciplined and tough. They want to play football and are ready to win."

The football media has recognized that this is a team replete with senior leadership at several key positions, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, rewarding Harvard with a number two ranking in the annual preseason media poll (Penn was ranked first). All that remains for the Crimson is to live up to its considerable billing.

"You can throw all that media stuff in the garbage," Compas said. "I don't think Columbia's going to be like, 'Oh, they're ranked number two, we can't beat them. ' We've just got to go out there and play ball.