FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: QB choice will be a game-day decision

Although Teodecki is still injured, the startingAlthough Teodecki is still injured, the startingquarterback will be decided at gametime For Penn coach Al Bagnoli, nothing would make him happier than for his team to play consistent football for an entire 60 minutes this Saturday at Brown. Following yesterday's practice, Bagnoli used the word "consistency" nine times when referring to his defense, the Quakers kicking game and, of course, Penn's struggling quarterbacks. Bagnoli has not made a decision on which of his two quarterbacks -- senior Steve Teodecki or junior Tom MacLeod -- will start, but indicated both will receive playing time. "We haven't made a full decision yet, but we are evaluating them during practice," Bagnoli said. "We will make a decision later in the week. Right now, nothing definitive has been set." While the Penn starting signal-caller might still be up for grabs, one thing is for sure. At some point, both quarterbacks will see action versus the Bears. Waiting to see how Teodecki's dislocated left shoulder is mending, Bagnoli spent the day looking at his replacement, MacLeod. Even more surprising was Bagnoli's careful observation of the third- and fourth-stringers. Junior Joe Beggans and sophomore Damian Swank took plenty of reps during yesterday's practice. "It is conceivable that you could see a third person on Saturday if we feel the situation calls for it," Bagnoli said. But before Beggans and Swank get their first varsity minutes, Bagnoli wants to try everything possible to keep Teodecki or MacLeod as the starter. The head coach acknowledged that it will be difficult for Penn to accomplish the teams goal of winning the next five games if the Quakers signal-callers continue to have a completion rate of 43 percent. "No question our offense has struggled at times," Bagnoli said. "And the nature of the quarterback position needs to have some consistency. This is what we are trying to find." · Another sore spot for Bagnoli after the 28-24 loss to Lehigh was the play, or rather was the absence, of the Quakers secondary on third-down plays. Bagnoli sighted the secondary's mental lapses as the most glaring problem. From poor tackling to coverage changes, it was those types of breakdowns that cost Penn in the Lehigh game. Fortunately for Penn, Brown's offense is virtually a mirror image of Lehigh's. "Against Brown, we are playing the exact same offense as last weekend, the exact same kind of elusive quarterback, and the exact same kind of go-to receiver in [Brown's Sean] Morey," Bagnoli said. · Only twice in the Ivy League's 40-year history has a team ever won an Ivy championship with two league losses, so Penn may be playing for pride alone. Bagnoli admits that motivating his players has become more of a chore without a league title to dangle in front of them. "It will have to come from within," Bagnoli said. Bagnoli's biggest regret is losing three close games. Dartmouth took the lead in the final minute on opening day. Columbia needed overtime to beat the Quakers. And Penn had a chance for a fourth-quarter drive against Lehigh, but stalled at midfield. "When you look at the big picture, as inconsistently as we have played," Bagnoli said, "we are seven points away from being unbeaten." With the injuries, the inconsistencies and everything else that has happened to us, to think that we can't turn around and win the last five games would be very unrealistic."