With Josh Felicetti ’06 sitting in the stands, there was one question on the minds of the 1,423 spectators at Butterfield Stadium: Is sophomore quarterback Dan Juvan the next big thing, or the next big bust?

If Saturday’s season-opening 31–12 win against Huntingdon College is any indication, the former is the more likely scenario. Juvan passed for 303 yards and scored three touchdowns. His teammates and coaches are already excited about the prospect of him leading this program for three more years.

“He looked like he felt very comfortable and poised out there,” Head Coach Mike Welch said. “He made the right checks and handled the offense really well for his first game. I was very pleased with it.”

After jumping out to a 3–0 lead, the Bombers offense appeared to be stymied by a Hawks defense led by one of the premier cornerbacks in the Division III, senior Jamaal Jemison.

When a 56-yard punt pinned the Bombers at their own six-yard line, it was gut-check time for the young signal caller from Dobbs Ferry.

With a steely confidence and calm demeanor, Juvan led his troops down the field with surprising efficiency for a man making his first collegiate start.

The scoring drive, the longest for the Bombers since 2001, was punctuated on a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Oertel.

With a two-possession lead, the Blue and Gold continued their offensive charge with 12 minutes to go in the half, when junior Patrick Heenehan snatched a 28-yard laser from Juvan to extend the lead to 17–0. Juvan seemed pleased with the all-around play of the team.

“We did a great job today considering the weather conditions,” Juvan said. “Our defense did a tremendous job of stopping a solid offense.”

After years of running the 4–3 defense, today marked the Bombers’ foray into the 3–4 formation. Though senior quarterback Zach Golson burned the Bombers for 299 yards on 24–38 passing, including 179 yards to senior wide receiver Mark Colson, the Bombers run defense corralled junior tailback Brandon Smith, who managed only 3 yards on 13 carries.

Welch emphasized the importance of the 3–4 defense in keeping the Hawks’ running game in check.

“We have a good group of linebackers, so that style of defense is really in tune to that,” Welch said. “The 3–4 defense allowed us to get those type of players onto the field. “

While Juvan’s performance had most people buzzing, it was the defensive play of outside linebacker Tom Blumenauer, making his first career start at the position, that was the most eye-opening.

With an uncanny eye for the ball, the Brentwood, N.Y., native notched a team-high 10 tackles.

“I knew I was going to have make some plays, and I watched a lot of film to get myself ready for this,” Blumenauer said. “The guys around me did a great job, and I was very fortunate.”

With new faces contributing on both sides of the ball, the Bombers transitioned seamlessly into life without Felicetti.

As the dejected Hawks squad headed back to their bus, Bombers fans and players had to love the life they were living.