1995 IVY LEAGUE FOOTBALL STANDINGS: Football aims to keep streak

Dartmouth will give Penn its first test of the 1995 For many Penn football fans, the lasting image of 1994 Quakers football occurred after the final horn sounded at Franklin Field. As the game clock reached zero, student after jubilant student leaped over the Franklin Field fence and onto the turf, overwhelming dozens of hapless stadium security guards on their way to the end zone. After watching the Quakers shut out Harvard 33-0, on their way to a second consecutive undefeated season, fans went barreling past the guards, tore down the goalposts, and dropped them in the Schuylkill River to celebrate another undisputed Ivy League title for the Red and Blue. This year's Quakers squad looks to continue the legacy of Ivy football dominance when it begins the 1995 season tomorrow against Dartmouth (Franklin Field, 1 p.m.). Penn is looking to keep a streak of unparalleled football domination alive. The Red and Blue carry a 21-game winning streak, the longest in Division I-AA history, and two consecutive Ivy titles into tomorrow's game against Dartmouth. The contest should be a true barometer of Penn's mettle, as Dartmouth has provided the toughest test for the Quakers in each of the last two seasons. In 1993, Penn surprised a favored Big Green squad -- headed by future Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Jay Fiedler -- 10-6 at Franklin Field on the way to propelling itself back into Ivy prominence. Last season in the waning minutes of a closely-fought game, All-American linebacker Pat Goodwillie stopped standout tailback Pete Oberle on fourth-and-one at the goal line, preserving a 13-9 lead. Since close wins over Dartmouth have opened each of the last two undefeated seasons, the Quakers realize the significance of tomorrow's contest. "This game can set the tone for the entire season," running back Dion Camp said. "It should definitely help the team find its identity." For Camp, and junior running backs Aman Abye and Jasen Scott, the game is a chance for them to begin to establish their own backfield legacy and step out of the long shadow of former Penn standout Terrance Stokes. Penn coach Al Bagnoli has determined that Penn will use a rotation involving each of the three backs. "Rotating the three of them should work well," backfield mate Kennan Bigby. "The offense will always have fresh legs, which should tire the Dartmouth defense." The Quakers offense is led by quarterback Mark DeRosa, a starter since his first day in a varsity uniform, and his two wideouts, preseason all-American Miles Macik and Mark Fabish. DeRosa has emerged as a leader this season and looks to continue the Quakers' championship string. "Mark has developed as a more verbal leader on the field," tight end Matt Tonelli commented. "He is both poised and experienced." Penn's offensive unit must be wary of Big Green defensive ends Taran Lent and Tim Cross, who combined for 104 tackles and seven sacks last season. Outside of Lent and Cross, however, Dartmouth returns only three other defensive starters to the 1995 squad. "The war is won at the line of scrimmage," Tonelli said. "If our offensive line and tight ends do their job, we should have no problem countering their defense." While the Quakers' offense seems to be running in prime form, can a defense that is returning only one starter, defensive end Tom McGarrity, from its front seven, hope to stop Oberle, who gained 109 yards against Penn last season? Cornerback Kevin Allen said containing Oberle is a vital component in keeping the Big Green off the scoreboard. "Oberle's a great back and we expect Dartmouth to try to establish the ground game early to set up the pass," Allen said. Last year's defense was the best in the nation, first in the Ivy League in nearly every category, and gave up only 68 points in nine games, nearly 100 points better than any other Ivy defense. In addition to Oberle, Penn must look to stop 6-foot 4-inch quarterback Ren Riley and his powerful arm. Riley won the starting job last season following the departure of Fiedler to the NFL, but an arm injury sidelined him for most of the year. "Riley is someone that can definitely make things happen," cornerback Maurice Barton said. "We are looking to avoid giving up the big play in the air, and if the front seven can control Oberle on the ground we should be able to deliver the ball back to the offense." Expectations are running high for the Quakers tomorrow. They are excited and eager to beat Dartmouth and begin proving this year's version of the Quakers can post another year of Ivy dominance and another championship. "You can tell a lot about a team by how they open a season," Tonelli said. "We can't expect not to lose. We have to want to win, and with that attitude, we should."