All of college football was affected by last weekend's game cancellations in response to the tragedies in New York and Washington, but most teams played their season openers the previous weekend.
But for the Quakers, whose home opener was scheduled for last weekend, October is fast approaching and the Penn football team has yet to take the field to open its regular season.
"Right now this feels like it's the longest preseason in history," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "We haven't caught much luck. Even our scrimmage against Princeton only went half of a game.... It's frustrating to a lot of people."
The Quakers had better be prepared for a live opponent from the very beginning this weekend, or they could see themselves fall behind on the opening play.
Standing opposite the Penn kickoff team Saturday will be Lafayette senior flanker Andrew May, who last season scored a touchdown once every six times he touched the ball.
As a return specialist last year, May led the Patriot League with 26.4 yards per kickoff return and set a school record with a 97-yard touchdown return against Holy Cross. He also contributed 482 receiving yards for six scores.
May picked up right where he left off in Lafayette's 16-13 overtime loss to Towson two weeks ago. He raced the opening kick back 93 yards for a score and caught six passes for 100 yards.
"Either we're going to kick the ball short, we're going to squib it or we're going to do a better job than Towson did on the first coverage," Bagnoli said.
The Quakers' veteran defensive squad's first task of the season will be stopping May and sophomore quarterback Marco Glavin.
Glavin, last year's Patriot League Rookie of the Year and passing yardage leader, threw for 244 yards against Towson but failed to lead his team on a touchdown drive.
"They've done a good job of getting short, intermediate, screens, things that take the pressure off the pass rush," Bagnoli said. "Then they try to play home run derby with the player running deep, so you have to be aware of everything."
It will be up to Penn's new look defensive backfield to shut down Glavin and the high power Leopards passing attack.
Junior cornerback Fred Plaza and senior safety D.L. Bouldrick will join incumbent starters Stephen Faulk and Kunle Williams, and that crew will be backed up by several experienced players.
"I have all the confidence in the world in everybody that steps on the field in our secondary" Faulk said. "All we need is for us in the secondary and on the defense to come together to play."
Penn's defensive success will hinge on whether the passing coverage can shut down Lafayette's receivers. The spotlight will be shifted there because the Leopards have a rather anemic ground game.
"Their mode of operation has just been to throw the ball deep whether [May] is covered or not covered, so we've been working hard on covering the deep ball," Faulk said. "If we take away that deep threat then there shouldn't be a problem."
Lafayette finished dead last in rushing in the Patriot League last season, gaining almost three times as many yards through the air than on the ground.
On the offensive side of the ball, all eyes will be on Penn's senior trio of Gavin Hoffman, Kris Ryan and Rob Milanese.
"I think that we're going to be a very successful offense because we have a lot of options," Ryan said. "If opponents concentrate on me they have to worry about Gavin and Bobby [Milanese] and if they concentrate on them, then they have to worry about the running game."
The prolific Red and Blue air attack, led by Hoffman and Milanese, received a great deal of attention during last season's record-setting campaign, making it easy to forget that Ryan was the leading rusher in the Ivy League two years ago.
Ryan has put behind him his injury troubles that cost him several games last season, spelling trouble for opposing defenses.
"He takes a lot of pressure off of our passer," Bagnoli said. "He's going to run through some arm tackles and make some people miss and I think he gives us confidence that he's going to take some of the load off of the receivers and the linemen."
For Ryan, this week will be a belated start to a senior season in which he and the Red and Blue will have a simple mission.
"I'm just looking forward to having fun this season and trying to give glory to God," Ryan said. "And then hopefully win the Ivy League championship."
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