The Panther defense ranked in the top 20 in the nation last year in scoring defense (18th), passing defense (13th) and total defense (sixth), but has a lot of question marks entering this season as the seniors took much of the playing time away from the underclassmen last fall.

PSU, led by eighth-year head coach Paul Castonia, will be looking to get off to a good start with three of its first four games on home turf.

After posting a winning season in just its second year of existence, Castleton is hoping to continue its progress toward playing in the postseason. The Spartans finished 5-4 overall last season and tied for second place in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) with a 5-2 mark. Castleton's offense begins with junior quarterback and 2010 ECFC Co-Offensive Player of the Year Shane Borzowski, who accounted for 28 touchdowns (16 throwing, 12 rushing) last year and ranked second in the nation in passing yards (3,043).

Saturday's game marks the second meeting in football between Plymouth State and Castleton, with the Panthers winning last year's series debut in Castleton, Vt., 16-14.  The Spartans took a 14-13 lead early in the fourth quarter, but PSU kicked a field goal with six minutes remaining and held off two late Castleton scoring threats.

Plymouth State's NEFC Boyd Division schedule begins Sept. 24, with PSU hosting UMass Dartmouth, and wraps up with the Panthers visiting Curry College on the final Saturday of the season on Nov. 5.  The Boyd Division champion will travel to the Bogan Division winner on Nov. 12 for the NEFC championship and automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. 

Plymouth State Football   ----  2011 Outlook

There will be many new faces on the football field for the Panthers this fall, after graduation claimed 17 seniors from last year's team, including eight starters on defense.

"I hate to use the word 'rebuilding'," Castonia said. "The best way to approach it is that we're going to be very young, both in terms of age and experience.  We have some promising young guys who can step in there; we just have to find out if they can do it on a weekly basis for a whole season."

PSU returns four starters on the offensive line, along with a couple of veterans at skill positions. Only three starters are back on the defensive side of the ball.

"We did some different things during pre-season camp, but there's no substitute for game experience,"Castonia said. "We're going to try to put them in a position where they can take advantage of their strengths and learn quickly from their mistakes." 

OFFENSE

The Panthers have had one of the strongest running games in the nation the past four years, and return four starters on the offensive line.  Xander Fuccillo is a two-year starter, and Dave Button started every game last season.  Mike Miller and Craig Carrier also have quality starting experience.

"We've had success is recent years because of the solid foundation we've been able to have on the O-line," Castonia said.  "We will look to these guys to lead us this year while we sort out the skill positions."

Senior Joel Mignault is the top returnee among the receivers; he was second on the team last year with 11 catches.  Classmates James Liddel and Justin Kane also gained experience at tight end and could be solid contributors.

PSU will have a new signal-caller in 2011 following the graduation to two-year starter J.J. Brooks. Sophomore Josh Morgan has the most experience among the returnees, but Castonia says one or two newcomers could also be a factor.

The running back position is up in the air. The leading rusher from the past two seasons, junior Ty Long, is out after off-season injuries. Castonia will be looking for one or two newcomers to step up. 

DEFENSE

"We're not looking for any sympathy from anyone, but the fact is we lost a lot of guys and many of them were multiple-year starters," Castonia said. "The underclassmen have been waiting their turn, and now is their chance.  We'll have to find some guys who can step in and do the job."

Junior cornerback Ray Boulay is the only returning starter in the Panther defensive backfield; he made 34 tackles along with one interception last year.  Some freshmen may have to step in and another possibility includes senior Christian Mulcahy, who played DB before shifting to wide receiver last year.

PSU's top four linebackers last season were all seniors, so it will be an entirely new crew this year. The returnees along the interior line include junior Matt Fiore and senior Nicolas Keene, and junior Peter LaBreck could also help out on the defensive or offensive line.

 SPECIAL TEAMS

Mulcahy contributes to the Panther special teams in several areas, averaging more than 23 yards per kick-off return, nearly 37 yards per punt, and converting 11-of-18 career field goal tries and 52-of-61 PAT kicks.  Most of the other key special teams positions are wide open, heading into the season. 

OUTLOOK

 The NEFC Boyd Division title has been claimed by three different teams the past three years - PSU in 2008, Curry in 2009 and Endicott in 2010.  Castonia said Endicott will likely be the team to beat this season.

 "Endicott won the NEFC title last year and they return a lot of guys," he said. "Western New England and Salve Regina also have a lot of returnees.  Curry always has the potential to be very strong, so we will have our hands full each week.  The one thing we know is that we'll work hard every day, and be ready to go on Saturdays."