It was a tale of two seasons for the Washington University football team.

At Francis Field, senior quarterback J.J. Tomlin and the Bears’ offense put on a performance unseen since the 1904 Olympics, scoring 46 points per game en route to a perfect 5-0 record.

Road games were a different story. Wash. U. struggled in close games and hobbled to a 1-4 record. While the Red and Green’s high-octane offense kept the team within striking distance, it was the defense, especially the run defense, that faltered on the road.

As the Bears begin their pursuit of a Southern Athletic Association (SAA) title, they’ll once again need to rely on a high-scoring offense while establishing a consistently stout defense, especially on the road. Here is an idea of what to expect in the coming season.

Key departures and returnees

As the Bears look to shore up their defense, a new defensive coordinator will be on the sidelines. In February, Jeff Fisher was promoted from special teams coordinator and tight ends coach to replace Jim Ryan, who left Wash. U. to become the head coach at Rhodes College.

Fisher will have plenty to work with in his inaugural year at the helm, with junior defensive back Nick Doctors and senior defensive lineman Josiah Situmeang returning after successful campaigns last year. Doctors helped stifle opponents’ running games by recording 76 tackles—the second most on the team—while Situmeang successfully pressured opposing quarterbacks and led the team with five sacks.

However, the Bears will be without leading tackler and defensive playmaker Quincy Marting, who notched 84 tackles and tied for the team lead with four interceptions, after he graduated last spring. While Doctors figures to play a bigger role, junior defensive back Andrew Ralph could also emerge as an impact player after nabbing honorable-mention all-UAA honors last season.

Offensively, Tomlin will be the starting quarterback for the third consecutive season after a record-setting junior year. Tomlin broke school records in passing yards (3,363) and touchdowns (29) to lead a prolific offensive attack that averaged 496 yards per game.

Tomlin will have a chance to break more records this season due to an experienced offensive line, which gave up only nine sacks last season, and the return of No. 1 wide receiver Kevin Hammarlund, who hauled in 64 catches for 957 yards and nine touchdowns.

However, Tomlin won’t have all of his offensive weapons at his disposal. Wide receiver Hank Childs (616 receiving yards, five touchdowns) and tight end Max Elliot (447 receiving yards, three touchdowns) both graduated last spring, so look for junior wide receiver Marcus Ramspott and senior quarterback-turned-tight end Matt Page to break through as offensive playmakers.

X-Factor: Austin Smestad

It was no secret that the Bears were a pass-first team last season. But, the importance of the team’s running game cannot be overlooked, as the Bears were 5-2 in games where they eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark. Although former starting running back Cody Ratermann graduated, senior running back Austin Smestad is well-positioned to take over as the starter. Last season, Smestad rushed for 464 yards on 99 attempts, good for 4.7 yards per carry.

Field of Play

As members of two conferences, the Bears will play the exact same opponents this season, with eight games against SAA opponents and two gam es against University Athletic Association (UAA) opponents. They begin their season on Saturday at Carnegie Mellon University, a UAA opponent they handily defeated 45-24 last season, before their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 17, against Centre College.