For the most part, the big guys with no necks who labor on the offensive line are the anonymous players on a football team. It seems like the only time they get their name mentioned by an announcer during a game is when they miss a block and the quarterback is sacked or they're called for a penalty.

Offensive linemen are the grunts who bump and grind in the trenches. Their more graceful teammates, who run, throw and catch the football are called skilled players.

But it could be the offensive lines that will decide the outcome of the Duquesne-Bucknell game at 7 p.m. today at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium in Lewisburg, Pa.

Bucknell's strength is a veteran offensive line that makes life easier for the playmakers -- freshman quarterback Andrew Lair, a transfer from Navy; junior running back Roosevelt Davis, who sat out last season and will be making his first career start; and sophomore wideout Alex Odenbach, who missed last season with an injury.

Duquesne's story line is the opposite of Bucknell's.

The Dukes will start five newcomers up front and experienced players at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Sophomore quarterback Scott Knapp has fully recovered from a shoulder injury that kept him out of the final three games last season, James Jacobs and Jeremy McCullough will share duties at tailback and wideout Bruce Hocker is back after missing six games with a broken collarbone last season. Hocker, Alex Roberson and Conrad Carter, who missed most of the season with an internal injury, give the Dukes a trio of game-breakers.

Although Duquesne is favored to win its eighth consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship, it will be the underdog against Bucknell, which is picked to finish sixth in the seven-team Patriot League. That's because Patriot League teams have the advantage of more assistant coaches, larger athletic budgets and stadiums and more tradition than their counterparts in the MAAC.

In other key openers:

Robert Morris at Dayton, 1 p.m. -- Robert Morris sophomore Erik Cwalinsk, who started four of the final five games last season, will start at quarterback. Temple transfer Joe DeSanzo will be the backup. ... The Colonials have seven freshmen on the two-deep depth chart, with Brian Harden the starter at tailback and Jacky Candy at defensive back. Harden will be the first true freshman to start at running back since Archie Wannamker in 1996. ... Dayton's headliner is quarterback Kevin Hoyng, who set a school record for total offense (2,547 yards) last season as a sophomore. He completed 59.1 percent of his passes for 1,989 yards and 14 TDs and rushed for 558 yards and seven TDs. ... Dayton leads the series, 6-2.

Allegheny at Westminster, 1:30 p.m. -- Westminster is expected to start true freshmen at quarterback, Kevin Franz (Thomas Jefferson), and at running back, Nick McKolosky. The previous time a true freshman quarterback started the opening game of a season for the Titans was Dave Bierbach in 1967. ... Allegheny's offense will feature QB Jimmy Savage (1,507 yards passing, 10 TDs) and TB Mario Tarquinio (843 yards). ... In the past three seasons, the teams have gone to overtime twice and double overtime once.

Salisbury at Washington & Jefferson, 7 p.m. -- Without a proven quarterback -- either Bobby Swallow or Ryan Church will start -- the Presidents will rely on running back Ryan Mendel (823 yards rushing, 8 TDs) as the offensive catalyst. ... All-Americans Chris Teter and Chris Hickey anchor a veteran offensive line that returns five starters. Strong safety Nick Cherish is the defensive headliner. ... W&J is ranked seventh in NCAA Division III by Street & Smith's and Lindy's College Football Preview. ...The Sea Gulls, picked to finish third in the Atlantic Central Football Association, will be untested at quarterback and running back.

Thiel at Geneva, 7 p.m. -- Geneva returns 19 starters from an 8-4 team that was eliminated in the first round of the NAIA playoffs. Leading the way will be QB Justin Sciarro and RB Brandon Nathan. The Golden Tornadoes will be bolstered by the return of LB Brian Hall, who missed 2005 with a knee injury after leading the Tornadoes in tackles in '03 and '04. ... The Tomcats, coming off an 11-1 season and the school's first appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs, will feature a ground-oriented attack with running back Steve Minton carrying the load. Seldom-used senior quarterback Billy Blankenship will replace Darrell Satterfield, who rewrote the school's record book with 2,804 yards passing and 15 touchdowns last season.