Lehigh is next for struggling Quakers

Teodecki ad McLeod willTeodecki ad McLeod willboth see action at quarterback Four games into the season, no one knows what to make of the 1996 Penn football team. On the one hand, just three points, two against Dartmouth and one versus Columbia, separate the Quakers from a perfect 4-0 record. On the other, Penn needed a dubious intentional grounding call to prevent Bucknell from trying a game-winning field goal two weeks ago that could have left the squad 1-3. Penn fans get a fifth chance to make sense of the squad tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at Franklin Field. The Quakers (2-2) will be opposed by an equally enigmatic Lehigh squad. It's been a while since a Patriot League team with a sub-.500 record menaced the Quakers, but Lehigh promises to be a stern test. In a losing cause last week, Engineers junior quarterback Seka Edwards threw for 367 yards, a figure that has to worry Penn's inexperienced secondary. What makes Edwards's big day more impressive is that last week was only his second career start. "Seka Edwards had a big afternoon at New Hampshire, and he'll be the starter," Lehigh coach Kevin Higgins said. "He won the job on performance." Penn is aware of the importance of keeping Edwards, who is listed at only 175 pounds and likes to scramble, in the pocket. "He's an athletic kid," Penn defensive end Tim Foster said. "He can scramble, so that's something we've been focusing on in practice because if he gets outside, he can run with the ball." Edwards has a number of receiving options, but special attention will have to go to Deron Braswell, the sophomore wide-out who averages over 100 yards receiving per game. Lehigh also has a revitalized rushing game, with sophomore Brian Baker picking up over 100 yards each of the last two weeks after all-Patriot League runner Rabih Abdullah went down at the beginning of the season. "The last week or two, they've really been hitting on all cylinders," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "[Baker] has done a nice job, solidified that offense a little bit because they were a little bit too dependent on the throw early on." But the key for Penn is getting its own house in order, especially the anemic offense that mustered an unacceptable 11 first downs against Columbia and produced no touchdowns in regulation. It all starts with the running game, which welcomes bruising junior Rick Granata back after he missed last week with a leg injury. But the man the Quakers really need to get going is Jasen Scott, the senior tailback who was held to 36 yards against Columbia after averaging over 120 yards in the previous three games. "I believe that we can run on any team," Scott said. "I really have confidence in our system, regardless of what happened on Saturday." As important as the ground game will be Penn's aerial attack. After being knocked out of the game in the first quarter last week with a shoulder injury, senior Steve Teodecki will return as starting quarterback. But junior Tom MacLeod's solid 13-of-26 performance in the back-up role did not go unnoticed. How much time each will see is not yet determined. "We haven't figured [playing time] out," Bagnoli said. "We just told the kids that both will play. Then, we can get a feel for how the game is going, who's doing what, and what we think we need to try to win the game." Despite the unimpressive records, both teams respect their opponents. The Quakers know Lehigh has had to deal with a tough schedule that included nationally ranked Delaware, a strong New Hampshire team, as well as dropping a seven-point decision to Ivy frontrunner Dartmouth. The Mountain Hawks view their invasion of Franklin Field as a challenge. "We look at [Penn] just like Dartmouth, as one of the top teams in the Ivy League," Higgins said. Last week's loss to Columbia was a devastating one for Penn, but the team insists that however important, the one-point defeat must stay in the past. "There was disappointment after the game, and there rightfully should have been because we had opportunities to win it," Bagnoli said. "The kids understand that we all have to do a little bit better job of what we're doing. "Hopefully, we'll be ready to play."