A Peak at Denison

From the D3Football.com Kickoff, here's what they said about Denison in the pre-season:

Denison Big Red

Last playoff appearance: 1985

Last conference title: 1986

Head coach: Nick Fletcher, sixth year, 15-35

Starters returning: 15 (nine offense, four defense, two specialists)

Position battle to watch: At tight end, where Alex Weaver and Nick Paolini are fighting to back up Frank Roe.

Pressure is on: Quarterback Larry Cappetto, who threw for 1,378 yards and 14 touchdowns last season and is the director of Denison's wide-open attack.

Their season will be defined by: A road game at Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 15. A win here could move The Big Red into a tie for third place in the final standings.

Predicted record: 6-4, 4-3

Capsule: After snapping a string of 13 losing seasons last year, can Fletcher's squad take the next step? With Cappetto and Roe (24 catches, 287 yards, four TDs) back on offense and a wealth of experienced backups who will become starters on defense, Denison should expect to stay above .500 again this season. It needs to take advantage of games against Hiram, Earlham, Oberlin and Kenyon.