FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: Penn finally shows intensity

Jasen Scott ran 30 timesJasen Scott ran 30 timesfor 130 yards, but alsoJasen Scott ran 30 timesfor 130 yards, but alsowas the Quakers leadingJasen Scott ran 30 timesfor 130 yards, but alsowas the Quakers leadingreceiver. There was something different about the Penn football team on Saturday against Yale, and coach Al Bagnoli was happy to see it. It was obvious that, for whatever reason, the Quakers played with more intensity than they had in previous weeks. "For the first time in a couple weeks, I felt we really played hard on both sides," Bagnoli said. "We really competed to the level that we're going to have to compete at. And that was good to see. But it was disappointing that the previous two weeks we went through some turmoil and some upheaval and some positional changes and all that other stuff. But we really didn't focus on the game to the degree that you have to be focused on the game." The coach credited his players for the turnaround, which resulted in Penn's first Ivy League win. It also got the team playing the way Bagnoli is used to. "We've played some very poor technical games in my five years here, but the one thing we've always done is play hard," Bagnoli said. "We're not always pretty, but we've always played hard." · Tailback Jasen Scott ran 30 times for 120 yards against Yale, but with five receptions -- including a seven-yard touchdown -- he was also Penn's leading receiver. The Quakers used the swing pass to Scott out of the backfield to slow down the Elis blitz. But Bagnoli said it was also another way to get Scott the ball. "He's got good hands, and we thought the more times we could get the ball in his hands, the better we were going to be," Bagnoli said. "So we not only gave it to him 30 times, but we tried to throw it to him six or seven times outside." Counting senior Aman Abye, who is now listed at wide receiver, Penn backs had caught just six balls all season before the Yale game. But Bagnoli said quarterback Tommy MacLeod throws the swing pass well, so the Quakers backs could catch a few more. "I'm not a proven receiver or anything, but I feel comfortable doing it," said Scott, who had two receptions prior to last weekend. "We had success with it on Saturday, and I'm sure we'll use it throughout the year. That's going to open things up for Tommy." · Another positive aspect of the game against the Elis was the proved play of the secondary. The Penn defense had been allowing opponents an average of 211 passing yards per game, but against Yale it surrendered only 115. "It was a combination of [the secondary] playing better and our up-front people pressuring people a little bit better," Bagnoli said. Bagnoli wasn't completely pleased with his defensive backs, citing the 31- and 34-yard receptions made by Elis receiver Chris Rodriguez. But it was an improvement over past performances. "We didn't give up the home-run ball," Bagnoli said. "I thought we did a little bit better job of digesting down-and-distance and the score and time on the clock and some of those other things that we have to do back there that factors into how you play." · In contrast to recent years, Penn and Princeton will not be fighting it out for first place in the Ancient Eight this Saturday. But according to Scott, the fact that the Quakers and the Tigers are at the bottom of the standings has no effect on the rivalry's intensity. "It really doesn't matter," Scott said. "If we were both 0-7, it'd still be the biggest game. It's always a war between us because we really don't care much for each other." But Scott's counterpart at Princeton won't take part in the war. Tigers tailback and co-captain Marc Washington sprained his knee in Princeton's 14-11 win over Columbia last week and will not play against Penn. Washington had gained 578 yards this season.