Two weeks after they started watching other teams on television, Ivy League football players will finally get a chance to hit somebody not wearing a practice jersey.
"It seems like it's been forever since college football started," said Head Coach Phil Estes. "We're just very excited now to have a chance to open up and defend the title."
On Saturday night against Stony Brook, the Bears will kick off for the first time since the Columbia game that sealed their share of the Ivy League title last fall.
Stony Brook will be the first game in a 10 week campaign in what players and coaches hope will be a road to Brown's first ever back-to-back Ivy League titles.
The Bears are ranked third in the Ivy League Football Preseason Media Poll, behind perennial powers Harvard and Penn.
But the ranking doesn't seem to worry coaches and players.
"Coach said it — every time they've ever picked us third, we've won the championship," said Bobby Sewall '10, a first-team All Ivy-wide receiver last season.
The Bears return twelve starters, including six first- or second-team All Ivy players. But they lost nine All Ivy selections, most notably quarterback Michael Dougherty '09, who set the single-game Ivy League record for passing yards when he threw for 526 against the University of Rhode Island last year.
Dougherty's departure leaves a giant question mark under center — named Kyle Newhall-Caballero '11.
Co-captain Paul Jasinowski '10 said he thinks Newhall-Caballero will do well, especially given that the quarterback will be surrounded by one of the best receiving corps in the nation and behind an experienced offensive line that only gave up ten sacks last year.
Newhall-Caballero will see his first Ivy League action when the Bears take on Harvard in a night game on Sept. 25. The early-season match-up between last year's co-champions could have ramifications for this year's title.
"You don't want to look past Stony Brook," Sewall said. "But you know, Harvard under the lights, that's going to be pretty sick."
Harvard Head Coach Tim Murphy said his team is used to playing with a bull's-eye on its back.
"You never get anybody's B game," he said. "You're at a lot of homecomings. It's everyone's big game."
Sewall said every game in the hunt for an Ivy League title is critical. "You really can't afford to lose."
"We're the defending champs until we get beat," Jasinowski said. "We want to win every game. We want the trophy, and we don't want to share it."
Bears' Offense
With Newhall-Caballero taking over as quarterback, the Bears' attack may look different this season.
But the Bears have two first-team All-Ivy receivers in Sewall and Buddy Farnham '10, so Sewall said he expects the team to continue to pass often.
Estes told his team that Newhall-Caballero will likely see a number of blitzes coming his way before he proves himself, according to Sewall.
But the quarterback should have good protection behind a line in which every starter has started at least one game in his career, according to Jasinowski.
"We're a strong, veteran line," he said.
Sewall said of the 6-foot, 3-inch tall, 210 pound, Newhall-Caballero, "He can really stand in there and make the throws."
But Sewall is only judging from practice. Newhall-Caballero has never thrown a pass in a game. This fall, he has only faced practice defenses that aren't allowed to tackle him.
"We'll see how he does when guys are actually coming at him," said co-captain James Develin '10.
Newhall-Caballero has plenty of targets around him, including the Bears' top two receivers from last year. Sewall and Farnham combined for over 1,764 receiving yards and 132 catches last season.
"If you try to take one of us away, then the other guy is going to be open," Sewall said. But with a new quarterback, the Bears won't rely entirely on the passing game.
"If we can establish the run and take the pressure off Kyle, that's exactly what we plan to do," Estes said.
After the loss of second-team All Ivy running back Dereck Knight '08.5, the Bears will turn to some fresh faces in the backfield.
Zach Tronti '11 will start for the Bears, after having played on the junior varsity squad for the last two years.
Spiro Theodhosi '12 and Daniel Ball '11 will share carries with Tronti.
Bears' Defense
The Bears' defense will be led by first team All-Ivy defensive tackle David Howard '09.5, who Estes calls an "NFL prospect."
Develin, a defensive end, said the line will be stingy up front.
"We're strong. We're fast. We'll be the best D-line in the whole league," he said.
The linebacking corps will be anchored by inside linebackers Kelley Cox '10 and Andrew Serrano '11, both solid players who bench press over 400 pounds, according to Sewall.
The Bears were fourth in the nation in rushing defense last season, and they allowed only three rushing touchdowns all year.
But their passing defense allowed 243 yards per game, the most of any team in the Ivy League.
The secondary lost first-team All Ivy cornerback Nkosi Still '09, but will keep second-team All Ivy safety Chris Perkins '10. David Clement '10 will take over for Still as the Bears' No. 1 corner.
Stony Brook
The Bears will face Stony Brook (0-2), a team that awards athletic scholarships, in an away game under the lights this Saturday.
Stony Brook is two games closer to mid-season form, but Sewall said that doesn't worry him.
"Sure, they should be clicking more," he said. "But they're 0-2. They're struggling."
The game will be the Bears' first visit to Stony Brook's Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
"We're really eager to go out and play someone other than us," Sewall said. "We're starting to get that edge and that knack to go out there and hit somebody."