FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Football tries to keep focus

Saturday is last home game As the Penn football team seniors head into the final home game of their careers, a lot is going through the minds of the Quakers. With precious few games remaining, these players know that although a share of the Ivy title has already been guaranteed, there's still much at stake. And so do the coaches. "We haven't won anything yet," defensive coordinator Mike Toop said. "We definitely have brought that to their attention. With a senior-oriented team, hopefully they're going to be mature enough to realize that. So far, they've done that." Quarterback Mark DeRosa was forced to sit out yesterday's practice. His twisted ankle continued to bother him. X-rays taken on the ankle were negative and the swelling has gone down considerably. DeRosa is expected to return to the practice field today unless the ankle tightens up again. Whenever he returns to the turf, Bagnoli expects the signal caller to be 100 percent, or close to that by the time Saturday rolls around. Therefore, DeRosa should be back at the starting quarterback spot against Harvard. The Crimson game also gives Penn the opportunity to tie another record. If the Quakers conquer Harvard, not only will Penn secure its second consecutive outright Ivy championship, but it will also tie Holy Cross' record streak of 20 consecutive Division I-AA victories. While the team and the coaches may not pay attention to the streak, 20 straight wins is clearly a significant accomplishment. The Quakers are dangerously close to going down as one of the most dominant teams in decades. · While an outright title, the winning streak and another undefeated season are still on the line, Penn is weary of a letdown. After coming off the high of the Princeton win, and clinching at least a share of the Ivy crown, it may be tough to keep the intensity level high against a much weaker Harvard team. As all signs pointed to another Quaker victory last season, Penn suffered first-half lapses in its two final games after knocking off the Tigers. The coaches are doing everything they can to prepare the team for a challenge. "What you do is throw it in the players' faces," Toop said. "You remind them of what has happened the last two years. They scored five touchdowns against us the last two years. They've hung tons of points on the board against us." · One area which was hot and cold all day against Princeton was the special teams. Each team missed an extra point, the Quakers blocked two kicks, Mark Fabish fumbled a punt, Fabish had a couple of great returns and the kick coverage was sporadic all day. Kicker Doug Miller was used for "deep" kicks, while placekicker Andy Glockner was used for "pooch" kicks, to keep the ball away from Princeton kick returner Mark Ross. These kickers should assume the same duties against the Crimson this weekend. "It was an adventure every time," Bagnoli said. "There were no routine plays all day. There were either tremendous plays or not-so-good plays." · While Parent's Weekend may not provide as much of a disturbance to the team as homecoming did, it should generate some extra excitement. A large crowd should be on hand to witness the final home game of Terrance Stokes, Pat Goodwillie, Pete Giannakoulis, Michael "Pup" Turner and the rest of the senior class. The class could not script a better way to end their careers than clinching the Ivy title in front of the Franklin Field faithful, yet another reason why Saturday's game should take on a special meaning. "It's a fitting way to end the season for the seniors," Bagnoli said. "To win at home in front of your own fans would be very nice." · Bagnoli ended yesterday's practice early as the team has reached the point in the season where it has become beneficial to limit contact. Thanks in large part to Daylight Savings Time, and the foreboding darkness over Franklin Field, the coaching staff gave the players a bit of a break. Aside from DeRosa's ankle, the team is in fairly healthy shape overall. Linebacker Kevin DeLuca is still nursing a bruised thigh, but should be set to go against Harvard after playing more than 60 plays against the Tigers. Bagnoli said ending practice early was in no means a reward for winning at Princeton, but merely a decision based on the repetitive nature of practice and the general timing of the season.