10-0 Ten Years Later

In 1986, Penn had itsIn 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82In 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82years, which included aIn 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82years, which included awin over Division I-AIn 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82years, which included awin over Division I-ANavy and a thrillingIn 1986, Penn had itsfirst perfect season in 82years, which included awin over Division I-ANavy and a thrillingdefeat of the Big Red After all, with four straight Ivy championships under its belt and a nucleus of returning seniors, the only achievement left was to win all 10 games on the schedule and secure the first perfect Quakers season in 82 years. Ten years after that 10-0 season, the returning Quakers will be honored this Saturday in a halftime ceremony during the 1:30 p.m. Penn-Columbia matchup at Franklin Field. "We had an expectation of winning everything," Jeff Fortna, an outside linebacker on the 1986 Quakers, said. "We wanted to beat up on everybody." Led by first-year head coach Ed Zubrow, Penn fulfilled those expectations, completing its 10-game sweep with a 31-21 win over Cornell at icy Schoellkopf Field. With the perfect mark came the Quakers fifth straight Ivy League championship and Penn football immortality. Quarterback Jim Crocicchia and running backs Rich Comizio and Chris Flynn -- both destined for the record books -- along with tight end Brent Novoselsky, a future Minnesota Viking, electrified the Quakers offense. Center and co-captain Steve Buonato and tackle Marty Peterson were part of an experienced, senior-laden offensive line. "We tried to incorporate the run game, two- and three-tight end teams and play-action pass as much as we could," offensive coordinator Dick Maloney said. "We were more of a diversified offense and I really think that helped." The Quakers were also well equipped on the defensive side. Tackle A.J. Sebastianelli, linebackers Fortna and Brad Hippenstiel and safety Jim Fangmeyer led a strong squad, coached by defensive coordinator Gary Steele, who turned down the head coach and athletic director's positions at Rice to stay with Zubrow at Penn. Steele was the Quakers head coach from 1989 to 1991. "I consider Gary absolutely one of the key architects of the 1986 season," Zubrow said. And despite the fact that every coach was new to Penn or to his position, everything clicked for the Quakers. "We were really fortunate to assemble an outstanding coaching staff," said Zubrow, currently an independent management consultant living near Portsmouth, N.H. He left Penn after three seasons to work for the Philadelphia public schools superintendent. In the first test of the season, senior tailback Comizio -- currently ranked No. 3 in all-time rushing yards for Penn -- scored two touchdowns and made the Big Green's offensive line look small as the Quakers beat Dartmouth, 21-7. "It was a good, solid win for us," Zubrow said. "We clearly had a very talented team and they played very well." The next week, Penn had one of its characteristically close matches against Bucknell. The Quakers halted a Bison drive late in the fourth quarter and Comizio contributed 175 rushing yards to lead Penn to a 10-7 victory at rain-soaked Franklin Field. "We were actually lucky to pull it out at the end," said Fortna, now a dentist residing in Lebanon, Pa. "We ended up sacking them and dashing their hopes." The third week was cake for the Quakers. Although it set an Ivy record for penalties, Penn extended Columbia's losing streak to 24 games in a 42-7 win. But while the Quakers were 3-0, they had had the easiest schedule in all of Division I-AA football through the Columbia game, according to the USA Today computer rankings. That cakewalk seemed about to change as underdog Penn visited Brown, also 3-0 and the favorite to grab the Ivy championship. But the Bruins' previously well-oiled offensive machine failed on all cylinders. The Quakers shut out their opponent, 34-0 as Comizio and Flynn both netted more than 100 yards, while Novoselsky added two touchdown receptions. The Penn defense recorded its sole shutout of the season. Next week, however, presented Penn with perhaps its biggest challenge of the season: a date in Annapolis with the Division I-A Midshipmen, to which the Quakers were heavy underdogs. "Going down and playing away against a Division I-A team, certainly that was a step up for us and a test," Zubrow said. Fortna felt that merely visiting Navy was "very intimidating in itself," adding that the Midshipmen "were a step above the Ivy League." The first three quarters did not seem to bode well. Comizio injured his hamstring in the first quarter and Flynn only rushed for 63 yards the whole game. At the half, Navy led 13-3 and the two sides exchanged scores in the third quarter to make it 20-10. "[My injury] was disappointing because I got hurt and missed homecoming [next week against Yale]," Comizio said. But Crocicchia's arm was golden in the fourth quarter, connecting twice with Novoselsky and once with tight end Jim Bruni for a total of 20 unanswered points. A late Midshipmen touchdown was too late, as the Quakers left Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium basking in the glory of a 30-26 upset of an average, but heavily favored, Division I-A team. "No one expected us to beat Navy," Peterson said. But "everybody [on the team] believed we could win that game," he added. Maloney, now head coach at the University of Chicago, said the Quakers had been practicing a certain play all week and were about to try it out for the first time -- but Navy lined up in formation as if they knew what was coming. That was when the Bruni touchdown "put the game away," Maloney explained. "That whole game, I think, put that football team on the map," Maloney said. The next three weeks saw Penn breeze to victory over Yale, Princeton and Lafayette, by scores of 24-6, 23-10 and 42-14, respectively. Comizio, who won the Bushnell Cup for the ECAC's most valuable player that season, eclipsed Adolph Bellizeare's all-time Penn career rushing mark in the Leopards contest. "Records aren't on your mind per se on a game-to-game basis," said Comizio, now a utility portfolio trader with Penn trustee George Weiss's company in New York City. "When you're surrounded by such talent as we have, it makes each individual's job a lot easier." On the next-to-last Saturday, Penn avenged a loss to Harvard the previous year as the Quakers stopped a late Crimson drive to win 17-10. Flynn smashed the Penn season record for all-purpose yardage, finishing his career with 1,620 yards. Currently, he is ranked No. 3 behind 1990 graduate Bryan Keys and 1995 graduate Terrance Stokes, who are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. The whole season came down to the final game between Penn and Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y. Both teams had perfect Ivy records, but the Quakers got a surprise when they arrived at Schoellkopf Field. "There was so much ice on the field that we couldn't get out there to practice," said Fortna, adding that the Cornell players "were talking a little bit. "We were completely sky high going into that game," Fortna said. Comizio explained that Cornell's behavior actually charged up the Quakers. "Cornell showed us a lack of respect by not plowing the field for us to practice," Comizio said. "It made us concentrate more on not just winning but really demoralizing them." Adding to the Quakers' tempers were the Cornell fans, who threw ice balls at the Penn players and coaches before the game started. Although the Quakers did not quite crush the Big Red, Penn led nearly the entire game and won, 31-21, as Hippenstiel's 13 tackles earned him Sports Illustrated player-of-the-week honors. And the Quakers had achieved their first perfect season in 82 years. "It was probably one of the most satisfying moments that I've ever had," Peterson said. Despite the various records set throughout the year, players and coaches emphasized how well the team played together. "I really tend not to think about individual performances or individual players," Zubrow said. "I think one of the things that distinguishes a particular team is the fact that we're able to play together." Comizio and the others are looking forward to this Saturday's game and halftime ceremony. "I think it's going to bring back a lot of fond memories," Comizio said. "Franklin Field is a place that will always have a meaning deep in my heart."

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