Local college football teams at a glance

BOSTON COLLEGE

Coach: Jeff Jagodzinski (second year, 11-3).
2007 record: 11-3, 6-2 (first).
Players to watch: WR Rich Gunnell (64 catches, 931 receiving yards, 7 TDs); WR Brandon Robinson (56 catches, 793 receiving yards, 5 TDs); WR Clarence Megwa (30 catches, 353 receiving yards, 2 TDs); TE Ryan Purvis (54 catches, 553 receiving yards, 4 TDs); OT Anthony Castonzo (14 starts as a freshman); DE Alex Albright (38 tackles, 8.5 sacks); DT B.J. Raji (ineligible in 2007); LB Mike McLaughlin (64 tackles, 5 for loss); LB Mark Herzlich (97 tackles); LB Brian Toal (medical redshirt in 2007); SS Paul Anderson (58 tackles, 2 INTs).
Key New Englanders: DT Ron Brace, Springfield; OG Thomas Claiborne, Randolph; WR/P Billy Flutie, Natick; DE Austin Giles, Marshfield; OT Rich Lapham, Amherst, N.H.; FB James McCluskey, Billerica; McLaughlin, Woburn; DT Damik Scafe, Windsor, Conn.; RB Jeff Smith, Plympton; DT Jerry Willette, Mansfield.
Outlook: It will be a decidedly different batch of play-makers from 2007. Senior quarterback Chris Crane brings limited experience into the huddle. The two featured ball carriers -- Smith (returning from a head injury) and freshman Josh Haden -- had zero rushes last season. But at least three of the top four receivers return, including Purvis, a preseason pick for All-ACC, to help ease Crane into his role. There was a large exodus from the secondary as well, but the defense will be strong up front and in the middle. The toughest division game (Clemson, Nov. 1) is at home; that outcome should determine whether back-to-back roadies against Florida State (No. 15) and Wake Forest will be worth a second straight trip to the ACC title game.

UCONN

Coach: Randy Edsall (10th year, 50-55).
2007 record: 9-4, 5-2 (tied for first).
Players to watch: QB Tyler Lorenzen (2,367 passing yards, 13 TDs); RB Donald Brown (821 rushing yards, 8 TDs); RB Andre Dixon (828 rushing yards, 3 TDs); DE Cody Brown (7.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss); DE Julius Williams (8.5 sacks); LB Scott Lutrus (Freshman All-American, 107 tackles); LB Lawrence Wilson (freshman All-American, 113 tackles); CB Darius Butler (54 tackles, 2 INTs).
Key New Englanders: WR D.J. Hernandez, Bristol, Conn.; OL Zach Hurd, Waterford, Conn.; OL Dan Ryan, Franklin, Conn.; FB Anthony Sherman, North Attleboro; LB Dahna Deleston, East Hartford, Conn.; Lutrus, Brookfield, Conn.; FS Robert Vaughn, North Attleboro.
Outlook: No one picked the Huskies to bounce back from a 1-6 Big East record in 2006 and win a share of the league crown last year, but that's what happened. The Huskies should compete for the title again behind the tailback tandem of Dixon and Brown, a pair of New Jersey juniors who combined for more than 1,600 yards last season. The defense is strong with Brown and Williams off the edges and a pair of young, talented linebackers in Lutrus and Wilson, who combined for 220 tackles as freshmen.

HARVARD

Coach: Tim Murphy (15th year, 88-51).
2007 record: 8-2, 7-0 (first).
Players to watch: QB Chris Pizzotti (2,134 passing yards and 14 TDs); RB Cheng Ho (722 yards, 7 TDs); WR Matt Luft (721 receiving yards, 6 TDs); TE Jason Miller (335 receiving yards); DT Matt Curtis (40 tackles, 5.5 for loss); LB Peter Ajayi (34 tackles, 9.5 for loss, 6 sacks); LB Glenn Dorris (53 tackles, 10 for loss, 4 sacks); CB Andrew Berry (29 tackles, 8 pass breakups, 2 sacks, 1 INT).
Key New Englanders: Pizzotti, Reading; OT James Williams, Chestnut Hill; Curtis, Peabody; LB Matthew Thomas, Dracut.
Outlook: The Crimson have the defense to repeat as league champs. Eight starters return on that side of the ball, including three first-team All-Ivy players: Curtis, Dorris, and Berry, whom teams didn't throw toward for a four-game stretch last season. First-team All-Ivy QB Pizzotti is steady (just 4 INTs in 260 attempts last season) and Ho is an emerging threat in the backfield.

HOLY CROSS

Coach: Tom Gilmore (fifth season, 23-21).
2007 record: 7-4, 4-2 (tied for second).
Players to watch: QB Dominic Randolph (3,604 passing yards, 30 TDs); WR Brett McDermott (56 catches, 727 receiving yards, 5 TDs); WR Jon Brock (45 catches, 537 receiving yards, 2 TDs); RB Terrance Gass (881 all-purpose yards, 10 TDs); LB Marcus Rodriguez (69 tackles); CB Kyle Mushaweh (57 tackles, 4 INTs).
Key New Englanders: OG Chris Poole, Scituate; McDermott, Mansfield; LB Ryan Stewart, Wayland; T Mike McCabe, Watertown, Conn.; TE Ryan McGuire, Woburn; Mushaweh, Woodbury, Conn.
Outlook: Gilmore's offense ranked first in almost every category last season, and the results should be similar with Randolph returning along with receivers McDermott and Brock, four linemen, and all-league running back Gass. The Crusaders lost five defensive starters from a team that allowed 33.3 points in its four losses, so expect some high-scoring affairs. Randolph threw for more than 300 yards seven times last season and had six games of three or more TD passes.

MASSACHUSETTS

Coach: Don Brown (fifth year, 36-14).
2007 record: 10-3, 7-1 (first).
Players to watch: QB Liam Coen (3,091 passing yards, 30 TDs); WR Warren Wilson (transfer from Boston College); OT Sean Calicchio (All-America candidate); OT Vladimir Ducasse (started 12 games); DT Brandon Collier (62 tackles, 4.5 sacks); DT Raymond Jones (transfer from Delaware); CB Sean Smalls (first-team All-CAA, league-best 10 passes defended); CB Courtney Robinson (26.1-yard average on kickoff returns).3 INTs).
Key New Englanders: Coen, Newport, R.I.; RB Tony Nelson, Wakefield; Ducasse, Stamford, Conn.; OT Ben Coblyn, Amherst; OT Rob Getek, Pepperell; TE Ian Jorgensen, Wollaston; K Armando Cuko, Beverly; DT Kyle Harrington, Salem; DE Darnel DeLaire, Bloomfield, Conn.; LB Andrew Resende-Gomes, Brockton; LB Josh Jennings, New Britain, Conn.; DB Eric Dickson, Southbridge.
Outlook: The loss of Matt Lawrence (1,585 rushing yards and 16 TDs) is softened by the return of Coen, one of the nation's top QBs who completed 64.4 percent of his passes last season. UMass's year will be defined not by Coen, though, but by the defense, which returns eight starters. Defending their back-to-back conference titles will be easier with Smalls and Robinson in the secondary, a cornerback tandem Brown calls the best in the country.

NORTHEASTERN

Coach: Rocky Hager (fifth year, 15-29).
2007 record: 3-8, 2-6 (tied for fifth).
Players to watch: QB Anthony Orio (1,558 passing yards, 8 TDs); RB Alex Broomfield (253 rushing yards, 267 receiving yards); TE Brian Mandeville (second-team All-CAA, 411 receiving yards); DL Jason Vega (returns after missing last season, had 46 tackles and 6 tackles for loss in 2006); LB Craig Kenney (54 tackles); DB Cord Parks (63 tackles, 2 INTs).
Key New Englanders: LT Greg Niland, East Bridgewater; RG Matt Allain, Worcester; DL Corey Thomas, New Britain, Conn.; FS Nate Thellen, Brockton; CB Rashad Jordan, Dorchester; P Ron Conway, Norton; RT Kevin Newhall, Malden; LG Art Dias, Brockton; DL Will Colon, Lowell; Mandeville, Walpole; Vega, Brockton; Kenney, Branford, Conn.
Outlook: For the first time in a long time, the Huskies are without a stud running back. All-time leading rusher Maurice Murray was the last to leave, and his replacement likely will be Broomfield, a fine receiver out of the backfield. The offense returns nine starters in all, and Orio has his top four receivers back. The Huskies open their season on the road against Ball State, Georgia Southern, and Syracuse.