Scarlet Knights at a glance

2001 schedule Aug. 30 at Buffalo Sept. 8 at Miami (Fla.) Sept. 15 vs. California Sept. 22 vs. Virginia Tech Sept. 29 vs. Connecticut Oct. 6 vs. Syracuse Oct. 13 at Temple Oct. 20 vs. Navy Nov. 3 at West Virginia Nov. 10 vs. Pittsburgh Nov. 17 vs. Boston College 2000 results (3-8, 0-7 Big East) Villanova W 34-21 Buffalo W 59-0 at Virginia Tech L 49-0 at Pittsburgh L 29-17 Miami (Fla.) L 64-6 Temple L 48-14 at Navy W 28-21 at Boston College L 42-13 West Virginia L 31-24 Notre Dame L 45-17 at Syracuse L 49-21

For the astute and hard-working Schiano, reversing the losing ways is a challenge he's prepared for. The former Bucknell linebacker worked under Joe Paterno as Penn State's defensive backfield coach for seven years before taking that same position with the Chicago Bears in the late '90s. He then moved back to the collegiate ranks in '99, coordinating the defense for Butch Davis with the Miami Hurricanes.

The key for Schiano with the Scarlet Knights is gradually building the personnel base. This is a program that has never produced a first-round NFL draft choice. In addition to landing 13 players from New Jersey, Schiano has brought in seven prep standouts from Florida.

OFFENSE
One of the key newcomers figures to be highly regarded freshman QB Ryan Cubit, a 6-3, 195-pounder with the arm strength and overall athleticism (excellent baseball player) to figure in the mix for the starting job soon. He's in line to direct a Scarlet Knight attack that will be coordinated by his father, Bill Cubit. The elder Cubit was offensive coordinator at Western Michigan in the late '90s before moving to Missouri last season. He was directly responsible for the success of Western Michigan's tremendously productive offense that scored 30 or more points in six games. In that same year, the sophisticated Broncos pass offense accounted for 405 yards against Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators.

Junior Chad Schwenk figures to open the campaign as Rutgers' No. 1 signal-caller. Schwenk is a tough, gritty overachiever who started four games over the last two seasons while filling in for the injured Mike McMahon. Chris Dapolito, a redshirt freshman who was expected to be in the equation at QB, transferred to Duke.

At tailback, senior Dennis Thomas, who finished strong last season, will look to hold off talented freshmen Rikki Cook, Clarence Pittman and Marcus Jones for the starting job. In the two-back set, 6-1½, 240-pound senior Seth Stanton will operate at FB.

Seniors Delrico Fletcher and Antoine Lovelace enter fall practice as the starting wideouts. But freshmen Tres Moses, Bryan Wilson and Jerry Andre should contribute with speed and big-play ability.

In the multiple offense that will be employed, look for Schiano and Cubit to involve talented senior TE L.J. Smith as a vital pass-receiving option. The athletically gifted veteran reportedly has his weight up from 225 to 243, now combining a chiseled frame with the speed to provide matchup advantages. Last season, Smith had 34 receptions and one TD. If the QB gets him the ball, those totals should improve significantly, with 50 catches certainly possible.

Up front, Schiano isn't overly concerned with size. He's stressing agility, quickness and strength, with several players checking in lighter than last season. This is a veteran group led by junior C-G Mike Esposito and junior LT Howard Blackwood. Of the freshmen, Mike Clancy and Mark Segaloff appear to have starting potential. Both are in the 6-4, 290-pound range.

DEFENSE
Last year, the Scarlet Knight defense allowed more than 40 points on six occasions (Virginia Tech 49, Miami 64, Temple 48, Boston College 42, Notre Dame 45, Syracuse 49). That's how you end up with an 0-7 Big East record.

Schiano and defensive coordinator Paul Ferraro (spent last two years as the defensive backfield coach at Georgia Tech) have shifted to a 4-3 scheme that will look to feature rangy 6-5, 222-pound senior DE Torrance Heggie. After an excellent spring on the heels of a junior campaign that saw him record five sacks and 10 stops behind the line, Heggie could be ready to establish himself as one of the more effective pass-rushing DEs in the Big East. Of the freshmen, it will be interesting to see if 6-4, 285-pound Davon Clark can be an impact first-year performer.

At LB, a major boost could be provided by junior Raheem Orr. The 6-4, 235-pounder hasn't yet played a down of college football (sat out last two seasons while focusing on academics), but he was reportedly one of the key surprises of the spring for Schiano.

If there is an overall strength on defense, it could be the secondary. Three starters return in CBs Brandon Haw and DeWayne Thompson and FS Shawn Seabrooks. Moving in at SS will be converted LB Tarell Freeney, who finished second on defense last year with 82 stops. Freeney is regarded as a real intimidator in the deep patrol with his hard-nosed, rugged style.

SPECIAL TEAMS
On special teams, the Scarlet Knights return both kicker Steve Barone and punter Mike Barr, while versatile tailback Dennis Thomas excels as a kickoff returner.

Overview: When a program has produced just four winning seasons over the past 20 years and hasn't been to a bowl game since '78, it would be unrealistic to expect Schiano and his staff to turn things around overnight. But with his successful recruiting efforts, particularly in Florida, and the knowledge, enthusiasm and confident approach he brings to coaching, I definitely believe the 35-year-old Schiano is the ideal man for the job.

Regarding this season, the Scarlet Knights will be adapting to new systems on both sides of the ball, with a number of freshmen figuring to be incorporated gradually into the mix. On offense, Schwenk has a chance to be a workmanlike signal-caller, with Cubit in line as the QB of the future. Thomas has proven to be a very capable, multi-talented back, but some talented freshman could be ready to push for playing time. This is also the case at WR. The emphasis must be on getting the football to blue-chip senior TE L.J. Smith. Up front, you would expect a veteran line returning four starters to be able to perform at an adequate level. A few incoming freshman are also ready to push the incumbents.