The message coming from Lenoir-Rhyne University head football coach Fred Goldsmith and his coaching staff as the Bears prepare for their season opener against Shorter College?
Keep your guard up.
On paper Saturday's 7 p.m. game might appear to be a mismatch. L-R, an NCAA Division II school, will face off against an NAIA program still in its infancy.
But Goldsmith made it clear at a noon press conference Tuesday that the Hawks have learned to fly quickly as they begin their fifth year of existence, and the visitors from Rome, Ga. will present a challenge.
"This is an ideal (season-opening) game for us this year," said Goldsmith, who enters his third season at the helm of the Bears program. "They're a football team that won nine games last year.
"Yet, I feel that if we play our best we have a good chance to win. I know we'll get better with this game, and if we beat them we'll have beaten someone good."
Shorter brings an 11th-place ranking in the NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll after ending last season with a program-best 9-3 mark and a first appearance in the NAIA playoffs.
The catalyst for the Hawks rapid rise has been a dominant ground game that topped the NAIA regular-season rushing ranks a year ago, averaging 320.5 yards per game. And the man leading their charge is back.
Senior fullback A.J. Cooley, with his 1,500-plus yards and 21 touchdowns in 2008, returns, and such a potent rushing attack has not gone unnoticed, Goldsmith said.
"When (Cooley) runs, it's all elbows and knees, and he doesn't like to go down," said Goldsmith. "We're going to have to make him go sideways.
"Shorter is a real representative opponent. I know if we play well against them we should be able to line up against a lot of other opponents and play well."
One factor that will be one the Bears side is something they have lacked over Goldsmith's first two seasons: experience.
Nine starters return on offense including senior quarterback Justin Sanders and runners Byron Darby at fullback and James Pone and Andrew Courman at tailback.
Lagging just behind is a defense that returns eight starters, including junior safety Marcus Shuford, an All-South Atlantic Conference selection last season who tied for the league lead in interceptions with four.
Also back is senior linebacker Dewayne Jones whose 57 tackles a year ago ranked second on the team.
"Of course, you can look at that two ways," said Goldsmith. "We only won three games last year with those guys, but experience has always got to be helpful.
"We've been growing them. Now it's time for them to do something."
Familiarity should work in the Bears' favor as well when they begin their quest to improve upon last year's 3-8 finish.
The two offenses will mirror each other, with both teams operating out of a triple-option set, and like the Hawks, L-R will feature a running game that gobbled up plenty of yards in 2008.
The Bears' 259.3 yards a game on the ground was good enough to rank fifth in Division II. So what might be the difference maker Saturday?
"The passing game," explained Goldsmith. "I'll be disappointed if we let them run very well, and I think we have more team speed than they do.
"Justin Sanders, on film, looks to throw the ball better than their (quarterback), and we have a couple of young but very good receivers in (sophomore) Justin McCombs and (freshman) Artis Gilmore."
Solid special teams play also could provide L-R an edge in 2009, with sophomore kicker Colin Corpe, an All-SAC member last year, and senior punter Matt Corbin back.
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