FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Freshmen see action for 1st time

If the Ivy League had not seen fit to abandon its 36-year old rule that banned freshman from varsity football eligibility, then maybe Jasen Scott would have never come to Penn. And maybe Aman Abye wouldn't have either. And maybe Mark Fabish would have gone to Bucknell. As it were, however, the three Quaker freshmen, running backs Scott and Abye and wide receiver Fabish, helped usher in a new era of Ancient Eight football in last Saturday's 42-12 pasting of the Bison. All three newcomers said the decision to make freshmen eligible had some impact on their decisions to come to Penn. "I expected to play," said Abye, who had eight carries for 22 yards on Saturday. "Mostly I thought I'd play special teams. I'm glad I got the chance to contribute at running back because that's what I think I'm best at." "My goal was to come in and play," Fabish said. "But I got humbled pretty quickly when I came to camp. I really didn't expect to get much time." The game was especially exciting for Fabish, beyond the fact that he got onto the field. His college choice had come down to Penn or Bucknell and the Bison defensive back that he lined up against in Saturday's game had been his host on his visit to the Bucknell campus. Fabish caught one pass for 11 yards and also assumed punt-return duties, a potentially frightening job for a freshman playing his first varsity game. "It was a lot harder than I thought," Fabish said. "The first couple were too short to return. Finally I got to field a couple but the coverage was on me so quick. [Senior receiver] Bill Cobb gave me a few pointers and I was able to return one six yards, which is not a lot." Perhaps the most impressive freshman performance was that of Jasen Scott. The running back gained 56 yards on just 10 carries in spelling junior starter Terrance Stokes. The addition of the first-year players to the varsity allows Stokes to relinquish some of his special teams duties and remain fresh for what he does best – carry the football. "Not only is it a good thing for me, it's a good thing for the program," Stokes said. "I don't think you want your starting tailback to carry the ball 20 times a game and also be on three or four special teams." Penn coach Al Bagnoli, who has always been a supporter of freshman eligibility, likes what the new class can do for the Quakers. "They give us a lot more depth and a lot more flexibility," he said. "In week one, Terrance Stokes had twenty-something carries, returned kickoffs, covered kickoffs and made two tackles. With the influx of 40 other kids, Terrance doesn't have to carry the ball 30 times a game." The play of the freshmen running backs creates somewhat of a logjam – albeit a pleasant one – in the backfield. Stokes is the unquestioned starter of the group, but sophomore Joey Allen had a big day against Bucknell, running for 74 yards on 8 carries, including a 58-yard touchdown run. When senior Brian Kozmor returns from injury the Quakers will have no less than five running backs competing for playing time. "When you throw [Kozmor] back into the equation, I'm not really sure what the equation is," Bagnoli said. "We have to find a way to have enough footballs to go around but we don't want to diminish what Terrance has done." The plethora of quality running backs in the Quakers' stable certainly adds depth to Penn's offensive arsenal. But how many running backs is too many running backs? "We all have the opportunity to play," Scott said. "When you get the opportunity, it's the back with the freshest legs." "One thing is you get the ball once or twice and then you have to sit out for awhile," Abye said. "So you don't really get a feel for the game. But when you get one carry a quarter, you know you have to make the best of it." · Quick Stats: Don't look now, but senior quarterback Jim McGeehan is making a march to the top of the Quaker record books. By throwing for 251 yards against Bucknell, the Penn signal-caller climbed to eighth on the all-time passing yardage list with 2,174 yards in his career. He needs to throw for only 586 more yards to pass big brother John for sixth-place all time. The top spot is not out of reach either. McGeehan now sits only 1,288 yards behind 1989 graduate Malcolm Glover – the last Quaker quarterback to lead his team to an Ivy title – whose 3,462 yards tops the Quaker record book. So, if McGeehan throws for an average of 161 yards for the final eight games of the season, he will tie Glover's record. Judging from his two games so far (208.5-yard average), Glover is well within his grasp.