Lebanon Valley Week!

Here's our first look-ahead to this weekends opener at Lebanon Valley College. The following is courtesy of D3Football.com's Kick-off Edition:

Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen

Last playoff appearance: None
Last year: 4-6, 3-4 MAC
Last conference title: None
2007 NCAA ranking, total offense: 130
2007 NCAA ranking, total defense: 150
Wins increase from 06-07: No change
Preseason ranking: 99 of 239
Players who started camp: 110
Head coach: Jim Monos, 16th year, 58-89-2
Starters returning: 15 (six offense, eight defense, one specialists)

Position battle to watch: Surprisingly, it's running back where Lebanon Valley would love to find someone to complement and lighten the load for conference rushing champion Charlie Parker. The junior had 24 carries per game in 2007 but is a little small (5-foot-10, 190 lbs) to take a pounding over a full season. Cruz Mannherz is a candidate to be the thunder to Parker's lightening.

Pressure is on: The defensive line, which will be critical to the team's ability to improve its run defense. Last season the Flying Dutchmen surrendered a conference worst 180.2 rushing yards per game. Three of the four starters return, including sophomore Adam Shilling who led Leb Val linemen with 36 tackles in 2007.

Where did he come from? In 2006 Will Keylor transferred to Lebanon Valley from Division II Shippensburg and had an immediate impact with 56 tackles. Fellow Coatesville (Pa.) High School product Bruno Iozzo moved to Annville from Temple University where he wasn't playing football. This year the reunited teammates join senior captain Brian Cottone as starters in one of the MAC's better linebacker units.

Their season will be defined by: Oct. 4 at Wilkes. Lebanon Valley hasn't beaten the Colonels since 1992, though they came close in a 29-22 overtime loss last year. If the Flying Dutchmen are going to have a winning record in conference, they'll have to flip that result. They also need the momentum going into tough games at Delaware Valley and against Widener.

Predicted record: 4-6, 3-4

Capsule: After going 6-4 in 2006, the Flying Dutchmen fell back below .500 last season. One reason is that the defense took a step back, finishing second from the bottom in yards against per game (371.5). Lebanon Valley has strong linebackers in Iozzo, Keylor and All-Conference honoree Cottone. The coaching staff will move Cottone around to prevent offenses from scheming plays away from him and give him space to take advantage of his speed. Stopping the run is important and so is getting off the field. Opponents converted nearly 50 percent of their third down opportunities last season. Andrew Shambach, who moved from cornerback to safety midway through 2007, will stay there this year. Even with freshman quarterback Caleb Fick taking some lumps last season, the Flying Dutchmen moved the ball well. Parker used his skitter-and-dart style to lead the best rushing attack in the conference. He'll need his new blockers to come together to repeat that performance. The offensive line replaces three starters but has All-MAC left tackle Sean Tetreault back. Sophomores Andrew Scott and Jason Sneeringer will fill two of the holes. Although Adam Brossman graduates from Lebanon Valley with every major receiving record, don't expect the playbook to change significantly. Sean Donovan (30 receptions, 4 touchdowns) will step into those patterns and be Fick's primary weapon.