Football Supplement | Bagnoli era will be fight to the finish

T here are 10 games left in the Al Bagnoli era for Penn football.

But there are only seven that really matter.

Let’s face it: You can ignore those three nonconference games as nothing more than tune-ups for the big stage — the battle for the Ivy League title.

Compared to prior years, Penn may have some of its hardest competition yet for that Ancient Eight crown.

Just look at Princeton. The Tigers return the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year in senior quarterback Quinn Epperly. Princeton also brings back a number of starters on both sides of the ball from last year’s squad that won a share of the Ivy title, though fearsome defensive tackle Caraun Reid now plays on Sundays.

If that wasn’t enough to scare you, there is also the fact that Princeton has the most favorable schedule in the Ancient Eight, playing the other top three contenders — Dartmouth, Harvard and Penn — in the friendly confines of Princeton Stadium.

But don’t think that Princeton is the only competition, because the Big Green and Crimson are more than just arbitrary colors to contend with the Red and Blue.

That’s because if it wasn’t for three badly missed field goals by Dartmouth’s kicker in a four overtime thriller against Penn, the Ivy crown would have been a three-way tie between Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton. And it isn’t just Princeton that returns an Ivy Player of the Year.

Harvard senior defensive end Zach Hodges will be just one of many pass rushers looking to make Penn sophomore quarterback Alek Torgersen’s life hell over the next 10 weeks, but he might be the most ferocious. Harvard also brings back the leading passer, Conner Hempel, and rusher, Paul Stanton, Jr., from an offense that put up 38 points against Penn last year.

So are you scared yet? Do you think Bagnoli won’t go out on top?

Think again.

Penn is ready to fight for its longtime head coach in his final year.

By all accounts, Torgersen — despite just 10 passes worth of experience — is ready to take over as the starting QB. But he won’t be alone on the offensive side of the ball. The team brings back Lyle Marsh at running back alongside Kyle Wilcox and has one of the deepest receiving corps in the Ancient Eight.

Seriously, how many teams can compete with fifth-year seniors Conner Scott and Ty Taylor, not to mention senior Spencer Kulcsar, junior Cam Countryman and freshman Justin Watson? That’s before you mention the team’s stable of tight ends — seniors Mitch King and Ryan O’Malley.

And Bagnoli’s successor — defensive coordinator Ray Priore — has a pretty good defense to match. Highlighting that gang will be defensive end Austin Taps, two-time All-Ivy linebacker Dan Davis and a secondary that includes seniors Dan Wilk and Evan Jackson.

Suffice it to say, Penn has the talent to compete.

The question, of course, is whether the Quakers will actually possess the Ivy title on Nov. 22 or if the Bagnoli era will end with a thud.

Having watched Bagnoli’s squads overcome adversity and compete like champs year in and year out, it is hard to believe that this team will not end up on top.

Sure, for the first time ever, Bagnoli may have to share the crown with one of the three other top contenders. You can’t win every title outright (or can you?).

Regardless, anyone who doesn’t think Penn is ready for this final run should think again.

The Bagnoli era is going to end with a fight to the finish.

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