After a game that may have been over before the end of the first quarter, Penn coach Al Bagnoli was able to take full advantage of parents' weekend. Parents beamed as their sons were announced over the Franklin Field PA system and nearly every one of the 91 Penn players that suited up got to see action. Relief and happiness were in abundance on the faces of anyone and everyone associated with Penn football. After the end of the famed 24-game winning streak and two straight losses, the Red and Blue had rebounded in dramatic fashion, stomping over, around and through a porous Brown defense. When the game's final horn mercifully sounded, the biggest smile on the field belonged to quarterback Mark DeRosa, whose day was nearly perfect. DeRosa was 12-of-14 passing for 183 yards and three touchdowns. He was accurate, decisive and error-free. But he set the tone early not with his arm, but his legs. On the game's opening drive, Penn faced a third-and-three on its own 36. DeRosa dropped back and, after not seeing anything to his liking downfield, stepped up as the pocket began to collapse. Seeing daylight, he scrambled and dove for a five-yard gain and the first down. That run started off a day on which, no matter what he attempted, DeRosa rarely misfired. After two weeks of games riddled with indecisive interceptions, DeRosa answered any questions that might have arisen about his talent or his confidence. "Mark was under a lot of pressure and he responded well," tight end Matt Tonelli said. "He made good reads and delivered the ball exactly where it was supposed to be." DeRosa led Penn to scoring drives in six of seven drives in the first half. He spread the ball around, hitting seven different receivers. After tying a Penn record with five interceptions in last week's loss to William & Mary, he threw nary a one today. Undeniable pressure surrounded the Quakers today. With two straight defeats hanging heavily on their shoulders, another loss would push hopes of another another Ivy League title beyond Penn's grasp. For DeRosa, the pressure was personal as well. "I put a lot of heat on myself coming into today's game," DeRosa said. "I wanted to stop trying to force the ball and stick to the game plan and it worked out today." As a reward for the first-half domination, DeRosa was able to rest for much of the second half. He watched backup and close friend Steve Teodecki lead a scoring drive of his own. "Steve played great," DeRosa said. "I know he is behind me 100 percent when I am on the field, and it was great to watch him play so well." Saturday was a day when all went right for Penn. Each member of Penn's backfield trio gained over 75 yards and seven different men put points on the board. Six different runners carried the ball and seven caught it. The ball was spread around to nearly anyone wearing a Penn jersey, as the Quakers dominated from the outset. And just as the blame fell on Mark DeRosa when the Quakers lost, Saturday he was deservingly on the receiving end of praise. "What a competitor," Brown coach Mark Whipple said. "I tip my hat to him. He is a great player and he proved that today." It was a cold and wet day, a day when balls slip out of quarterbacks' hands and slid out of receivers grasps. The Quakers' junior signal caller overcame pressure, turmoil and bad weather to lead Penn to its biggest victory of the season, one that should warn future foes that although The Streak has ended, the Quakers may just be getting started.
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