It’s two days before the season opener, and the most important man on the practice field is a mystery. Last season, he barely saw the field on gameday, let alone lead the Bomber offensive attack.

After having thrown all of 14 passes in his collegiate career, he holds the keys to one of the most storied institutions in Division-III football.

Welcome to the world of sophomore quarterback Dan Juvan — understudy one year, “big man on campus” the next.

Juvan is from Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., where he shepherded his team to a state title as a high school senior. Less than two years from his greatest triumph, the 6-foot-3 signal caller takes the reins from Josh Felicetti ’06, who single-handedly rewrote Ithaca’s record book. Felicetti set the career records for passing yards, completions and touchdown passes, among others, during his four-year run as Bombers starter.

Juvan, though, is not trying to be the next Felicetti.

“I’m just going to play my game,” Juvan said. “I’m a different player than Josh. For now, I’ll take it one week at a time.”

Having won a state title in front of a packed Carrier Dome crowd, he said that playing in the low-key environment of Butterfield Stadium should not be too much of a challenge. Juvan said adjusting to the speed of the college game will be his greatest challenge.

“Playing on a state championship stage is a lot of pressure, but I feel the same pressure on the collegiate level,” Juvan said. “I can’t get too ahead of myself. The game has already slowed down for me.”

The confidence is apparent in Juvan’s voice. He walks, talks and acts like the superstar many expect him to be. As a relative youngster on the team, he has already earned the respect of his more experienced teammates.

But respect can be fleeting. Juvan, for all the unpolished skills and athleticism, is still a mystery on the collegiate level. The coaches and his fellow players know they’ll only go as far as his right arm takes them.

“We like to recruit young men from successful athletic programs,” Head Coach Mike Welch ’72 said. “Dan knows what it takes to be successful. There is some uncertainty there because Dan hasn’t played in a starting role, but I feel very confident that he’ll be able to handle it.”

Juvan, unlike his predecessor, has the capacity to beat teams with his legs, adding another dimension to a potentially explosive backfield.

“I’m a pass-first player, but if things break down, I’ll look to make a play and scramble outside of the pocket,” Juvan said. “I’ll always look through my reads first.”

Even if Juvan falters, he’ll find a reprieve in one of the best running back combinations in the country — seniors Jamie Donovan and Alex Baez. Donovan and Baez combined for 1,543 yards and 14 touchdowns during their junior campaign. If the South Hill squad hopes to win its first NCAA championship since 1991, Donovan and Baez will be the jockeys that drive the horse to the finish line.

“You got to have a solid run game to win ballgames,” Juvan said. “First, you have to establish the run, then you can worry about the passing game.”

But Donovan and Baez will have to flourish this year without senior fullback Dustin Ross, who is out for the season with an undisclosed injury.

Juvan will have no shortage of weapons to throw to with senior Kelly Gordon heading the receiving corps. Gordon, who notched 544 receiving yards last season, emerged as a pass-catching threat after an injury sidelined Jeff O’Hara ’06.

Senior tight end Mike Oertel, who caught 22 passes for 213 yards last season, will provide Juvan with yet another outlet.

Perhaps an even greater question mark than Juvan’s right arm is a defensive unit that gave up more than 26 points per game last season and 59 during their NCAA first-round playoff exit against Union College.

Making the task even more difficult is the fact that the Blue and Gold will be without any of its starting linebackers from last year’s team, most notably All-American middle linebacker Jose Colon ’06, who made 85 tackles and forced three fumbles despite only playing eight games. Last year’s defensive unit was marred by inconsistency, something this year’s squad is hoping to improve upon.

“As a defense last year, we were kind of disappointed”, senior cornerback and captain Joe Napoleone said. “Our intensity was not always where it needed to be. That’s what we are going to try and improve on. As a unit last year, we did not gel as well together as we should have.”

With Colon absent from the mix, it will be up to the fresh faces to make an impact. But the learning curve for the newcomers has to be small, as the Bombers open up the season Saturday against Huntingdon College, a small Alabama school playing only its fourth year of collegiate football. But with a 7–2 record last season that saw them contend for an at-large birth in the NCAA tournament, the Hawks are not the usual easy first opponent.

Come Saturday, Juvan and the rest of his teammates will embark on the quest for their program’s first NCAA title in 15 years. With 35 consecutive winning seasons hanging in the balance, the pressure is on for Juvan to follow in the accomplished footsteps of his predecessors.

With a confident, bordering on cocky, disposition, Juvan is ready for any questions about his ability. Whether he has the right answer is Saturday’s story.