Stoic defense makes big plays

Easton, Pa. -- In front of a parent's weekend crowd of nearly 8,000 at Fisher Stadium Saturday, Lafayette was planning on riding emotion to an upset of heavily-favored Penn, which entered Easton, Pa. with a 22-game winning streak -- the longest in the nation. The banged-up Leopards, who entered the game without starting tailback Jarrett Shine, knew the talent scale tipped acutely toward the defending Ivy League champion Quakers. Lafayette coach Bill Russo, whose squad had been walloped 27-7 at Franklin Field last season, was counting on his young Leopards getting turnovers and early scores to fire up the crowd. Midway through the first quarter, Russo got his turnover. After a line-drive Lafayette punt glanced off a Quaker blocking downfield, Lafayette's Rob McPheeters corralled it. The Leopards had a first down at the Penn 29, trailing by only a touchdown. After tailback Leonard Moore scampered for 17 yards and another first down, the Leopards had the second part of their equation -- emotion. Even after a one-yard plunge and an incomplete pass, the fans were still on their feet. Dana Lyons sat them down. Quickly. Penn's senior free safety followed split end Barrett Hammons across the middle and caught quarterback Shawn McHale's pass at the Penn 6 after it tipped off Hammons' outstretched fingers. When he looked up... "Grass. All I could see was grass," Lyons said. "I just saw the goal line about a mile away and I can't believe I made it." "It's the fastest I've ever seen the kid run," Penn coach Al Bagnoli quipped. "Any time you score a defensive touchdown it's a huge play. It's a momentum changer." For Bagnoli's defense, big plays are a way of life. And it's not just Lyons -- not even on this play. Like any defense, it starts up front. On this particular play, the notable was defensive end Tom McGarrity. He pressured McHale, planted him in fact, forcing the sophomore signal caller to throw early and behind his streaking end. A perfect throw would have been a touchdown. A 7-7 game. The smiling parents would be proud and hopeful. Still smiling, they now knew defeat was imminent. The defense was not done, though. Even after Lyons' record-setting interception return (the previous record was 93 yards set back in 1941) and another Penn touchdown made it 21-0, a Mark DeRosa fumble again breathed some life back into Fisher Field when the Leopards recovered at the Quakers 34. Winning is not the only issue for defensive coordinator Mike Toop's troops, though. For the Quakers, defense is a matter of pride. Winning is not enough. Only a shutout would be suitable. So, two plays after the fumble, Nick Morris made it his business to get the ball back, intercepting a McHale pass at the Penn 12. The fans sat down again. With just over five minutes remaining in the first half, Penn increased its lead to 28-0 on a Mark Fabish touchdown. Perhaps relaxing just a bit with the contest out of reach, Penn's defense allowed Lafayette to march the ball 58 yards to the Quakers' 1. From there, the Leopards would have four cracks to score their first offensive points in two years against the Quakers. Nope. The Quakers would not have it. Dana Lyons would not have it. He had run too far. "We just kind of looked at each other and said they're not getting in," Lyons said. "We have a lot of pride on defense and we have a lot of confidence. I think each and every one of us knew they weren't getting in." "If we score there, it is a different ballgame," Lafayette flanker Joe Luke said. "The emotion is better and people's heads stay up." As it was, the Leopards went into the locker room with their heads as buried as they were. In the second half, the Quakers thwarted another first-and-goal opportunity for Lafayette. Though, the Leopards' offense finally did score a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Penn's defense illustrated why a seemingly unfathomable 23-game winning streak is routine for the Quakers. The Penn defense makes big plays. Collectively. It makes big plays to stop drives. It makes big plays to score points. It makes big plays to change momentum. It makes big plays to take the crowd out of a game. It makes sure the Quakers win. On a day when the offense turned the ball over five times, the defense made sure losing was not an option. And it made sure everyone at Fisher Field knew it.