ON THE SIDELINES: Quakers took control as second quarter started

Maybe there was something about the east end of Franklin Field that Cornell didn't like in its 37-18 loss to Penn Saturday. Or maybe there was something about the west end the Quakers liked a lot. In any case, something happened to the visiting Big Red as the first quarter ended and the second quarter began. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Cornell collapsed and Penn took advantage, quickly burying the Big Red's hopes for an Ivy title. "I think today is a great example of a football game, when you think that there were two relatively evenly-matched teams coming into the game, of what mistakes can do," Cornell coach Jim Hofher said after the game. "We obviously had the much longer list of mistakes when you're talking about turnovers and things like that." It hadn't started out that bad for the Big Red. Trailing 7-0, Cornell began its ensuing possession at its own 22-yard line with 5:58 left in the first quarter. The Big Red proceeded to march downfield, moving 76 yards over 14 plays to the Quakers' 2-yard line as time expired in the period. With backs Chad Levitt and Terry Smith grinding out yardage on the ground, a tying score appeared imminent. However, as the teams moved to the opposite end of the field, it was the 15th play of the drive that proved to be crucial. Levitt got the call again but was walloped near the goal line, sending the ball backwards in a hurry. Cornell quarterback Steve Joyce failed to get a handle on it, so Penn defensive end Tom McGarrity picked it up at the 5 and ran all the way to the Big Red 29. Cornell had blown a precious chance to draw even. "It was a huge swing in field position, a huge swing in a scoring opportunity," Hofher said. "You can imagine what kind of momentum you feel leaves your sideline." "It was huge," agreed McGarrity. "You win games on defense, getting the ball back." The Quakers offense knew what to do with the ball. Three plays later, tailback Jasen Scott plunged up the middle from one yard out for his second touchdown, putting Penn up 14-0. But the Big Red's troubles weren't yet over. Deon Harris fielded the Quakers' kickoff and promptly fumbled. Penn special teams star Ron Heller recovered, setting up the Quakers at Cornell's 31. The offense took advantage immediately. On the very next play, quarterback Mark DeRosa threw deep down the left sideline to favorite receiver Miles Macik, who had easily beaten Big Red cornerback Doug Knopp. Macik nestled the ball in the end zone. The extra point suddenly put Penn ahead 21-0 with just 1:34 elapsed in the second quarter. "Momentum was ours," DeRosa said. "We wanted to try and kind of put the game away. We thought 21-0 would put the game away." The two touchdowns in a span of 13 seconds essentially did put the game out of reach. The Big Red, which had been two yards away from tying things up, instead trailed by three touchdowns. And the Cornell running game, which rolled up 68 yards in the first quarter, had to take a backseat when the Big Red played catchup. "When we got out in front," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said, "it kind of shifted a little bit of the pressure to the quarterback, who's had a great year. But they're not really set for 40, 45 throws and him carrying the burden without getting too much help from the running backs."