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GREENSBORO -- The key word in Old Dominion Athletic Conference football this season is parity. That is how Guilford College, a team with two-time, first-team All-ODAC quarterback Josh Vogelbach along with 12 other returning starters, is picked to finish fifth in the league's preseason poll.

"In our conference there are a lot of teams the same age as us," said Kevin Kiesel, Guilford's coach. "There's a lot of parity. This is a unique year in the ODAC because everyone has such senior- and junior-oriented teams."

The Quakers have most of their experience on offense and will go as far as Vogelbach will take them. The senior is an extremely grounded young man and does not give off any of the airs that one might expect from the owner of most of the ODAC passing records.

"I wish they would have picked us seventh or eighth or however many teams there are in the ODAC," Vogelbach said. "Preseason picks don't bother us. Our job is to take care of what we can control."

And what Vogelbach controls is the entire offense. Kiesel's system gives the quarterback a lot of freedom.

"The thing about our offense," Kiesel said, "is the players audible to the best call. We put a formation out, see how the defense defends us, then we audible to the call.

"It's kind of what the defenses choose to do. We expect them to back off and make us run the ball."

Vogelbach, who is 2,702 yards and 45 touchdowns from establishing career NCAA Division III passing marks in both categories, will be quite content to let the running game take on more of a featured role if the defenses are light in the box.

"As an offense, our motto is: Take what the defense gives us," Vogelbach said. "If you're going to give us the run, we'll run the ball. I have just as much confidence in our offensive line and running backs that we can get it done on the ground as I do in our passing game."

Those are bold words from a player who has passed for 10,561 yards and 104 touchdowns in three seasons as Guilford's starter. But the North Fort Myers, Fla., native is more comfortable sharing credit for the offensive success with his teammates than bragging about his accomplishments.

Familiar faces on offense will surround Vogelbach, although the team loses wide receiver Joe Joyner, who hauled in 16 touchdown passes a season ago.

But Hagen Miller (103 receptions, 11 TDs) returns at receiver, along with Kevin Vaughn (50, 5) and Chad Kastor (70, 4) to give Vogelbach an experienced and reliable pass-catching corps.

Mike Cooper and Justin Parker, two of the top three runners from a season ago, are also back and the offensive line is a veteran group.

The defense is more of a question mark after last season's unit gave up an average of 35.5 points per game. Mike Six, a lineman and two-time All-ODAC pick, will lead the unit. Six plays several line positions and is happy to play wherever the coaches feel he will help.

Kiesel plans a more active role with the defense this year and the line in particular. "He's a good coach," Six said of Kiesel. "People don't realize that he's not just a head coach. He wants to get in there and do the dirty work with us."

It will be up to Kiesel and new defensive coordinator Joe Mitskas to design ways for a young linebacking crew to make more plays. Last season, defensive back Danny Langston, who returns this season for his senior year, led the team with 87 tackles.

"Obviously you want linebackers to make more plays, but if the safety is a great player and he has a nose for the ball, you're doing something right, too," Kiesel said.

The Quakers get to see how much they are doing right when they open the season Saturday night against Greensboro College in the 12th annual Souper Bowl. Guilford has won the last three games in the series, all high-scoring shootouts with a combined margin of victory of 13 points.