But Harvard will try to get Menick's production out of a committee of runners this season. Junior Jared Lewis and sophomores Matt Leiszler, Nick Palazzo and Brent Chalmers will assist Nwokocha on the ground, with Leiszler assuming the primary backup duties.

"Leiszler has been an amazing discovery for us," Murphy said. "He has had two reconstructive knee surgeries, and where many guys would have just hung 'em up, he's come back stronger and faster than ever."

Though the quarterback and running back positions are somewhat unsettled, the receiver spot will be a strength for the Crimson this season.

Whoever lines up behind center will have a trio of effective sophomore wide receivers to throw to. Split end Carl Morris, flanker Sean Meeker and slot receiver Kyle Kremarosa all have good size, speed and hands downfield.

When Harvard lines up on offense, it will utilize a lot of multiple-receiver, one-back sets.

"Offensively, we're going to be a lot more like the '97 team." Murphy said. "It used a three- or four-wide-receiver set because we had that kind of depth at receiver, a good quarterback and a terrific offensive line."

Additionally, all of the Crimson tailbacks are small, quick players, more like scatbacks who will benefit from a spread defense.

The coaching staff may also be influenced by the success that opposing teams had against them using multiple-receiver sets.

Those offenses that spread the field will be toughest for the Crimson to handle this season. Looking at the schedule, Brown, Cornell, Penn and Yale should be Harvard's hardest games.

After opening at home tomorrow against a much-improved Holy Cross squad, the Crimson travels to Providence to take on the maligned Brown Bears.

The recruiting scandal that rocked the Brown Athletic Department didn't really affect the composition of the team and so the defending Ivy co-champions should be a tough Week Two test.

In Brown's only action thus far this season, it tallied 428 yards through the air on its way to a 50-0 win in a preseason scrimmage against Stony Brook.

Brown also returns senior wide receiver Stephen Campbell, who some consider to be the best receiver in all of Division I-AA football.

In Week Four, Harvard hosts a Cornell team that built up a lot of momentum in the 1999 season and is ranked No. 1 in the Ivy League in the preseason poll along with Yale.

"Their quarterback threw for almost 3,000 yards as a sophomore, so that team is going to get better." Murphy said. "They also had last-second victories against Brown and Harvard."