After finishing second in the CSFL last season, the sprint football team returns to Schoellkopf Field tonight at 7 p.m. to take on Penn.

Unfortunately, the most prolific quarterback-receiver tandem in Cornell sprint football history won’t be returning with them.

With the graduation of Zak Dentes ’09 and Michael Brennan ’09, the Red offense will look to last year’s supporting cast of characters to fill in for the veritable sprint legends. The bulk of that responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of junior quarterback Elliot Corey, who emerged last year as the successor to Dentes and his spot in the record books.

“I had been playing with Zak for two years, and I got to learn from him, and had a long time to prepare,” Corey said.

In a few appearances last season, Corey proved himself up to the task of leading the Red offense. In 2008, he notched an absurd quarterback rating of 155, while proving to also be a threat to run on any play, designed or otherwise.Zigging when they zag: Junior Elliot Corey (pictured above in a game against Mansfield at Schoellkopf Field on Oct. 31) will take over as starting quaterback for the Red this season. In his only start of 2008, he led the Red to a 40-14 win over Princeton.

In his one start filling in for an injured Dentes, he led Cornell to a 40-14 victory over Princeton, throwing for 100 yards and rushing for 104 more.

Despite his new role, Corey is downplaying the change in quarterback for the team.

“We’ve got a lot of guys coming back … so it’s not that big of a transition,” Corey said.

Considering Corey plays a very similar style as Dentes did during his tenure with the Red, the team will likely be operating under a very similar offensive system.

“It’s still a shotgun spread-option, but it’s modified a bit,” Corey said.

Although the offense was prolific throughout the 2008 campaign, the defense returns several key starters and may be the strength of the team.

Anchoring the linebacking corps are first-team All-CSFL senior John Parke and second-team All-CSFL junior Clayton Hemminger.

“The whole defense as a core are returners, and have gotten really close,” Hemminger said.

“I think if we [the defense] play well, we could be one of the best,” Parke added.

The secondary should also be strong, led by senior Evan Levy, who returns from defensive end to his natural position at cornerback.

Even though much of the same personnel is returning in 2009, the defense won’t exactly be running the exact same game plan.

“We’ve got a few new schemes to throw at teams, keep them off guard,” Hemminger said.

Although the Red finished one game better than the Quakers in 2008, the teams split their two contests in low-scoring games.

Penn will be led by inexperienced sophomore quarterback Todd Busler, but the offensive backfield has a lot of depth at running back. The Quakers will also have a lot of veteran depth amongst the linebackers and defensive linemen.

2009 also marks Bill Wagner’s 40th season as head coach at Penn.