About-face: D-backs and running backs shuffle again

Two RBs made the switch from defense to offense to help fill the void left by Jasen Scott and Aman Abye. In many games last year, running back Jasen Scott was the entire Quakers' offense. While Penn shuffled through quarterbacks Steve Teodecki, Tom MacLeod and Brian Russell, the running game became more of a necessity than in recent years. Penn's ground game accounted for over 50 percent of the offense, and Scott received as many as 48 carries in one game. Yet the graduation of Scott and Aman Abye along with Rick Granata's transfer leaves Jason McGee (eight carries, 71 yards in 1996) as the only returning running back to carry the ball last year. Additionally, the passing game is expected to improve with the addition of Duke transfer quarterback Matt Rader and a receiving corps of Brian Bonnano, Alec Dafferner and John James. "With Rader, MaLeod and the receivers doing a tremendous job in practice," Penn running backs coach Mark Chmielinski said, "we have extreme confidence in the passing game which should make up for the inexperience in the backfield." The Quakers were in such dire need of backfield help that they switched three defensive backs to the other side of the ball. Junior Bruce Rossignol actually played running back his freshman year before switching to fill a similar void in the defensive backfield last year. Melvin Alexander hasn't played tailback since high school, while sophomore Eric Bunn has gained most of his experience in practice. Yet despite the lack of previous playing time, the running backs know Penn will not stray too much from its past offensive philosophy. "In order to be successful, we need to run the football consistently," Rossignol said. "We need to establish a strong running game." McGee, at first, was the most likely candidate to take over the featured back role. He has the most knowledge of Penn's system, and in his limited game time last year, he averaged almost nine yards a carry. He also added 15 pounds of muscle over the summer to help prepare himself for the pounding he would receive if he carried the ball 20 times a game. "I had to work on my endurance," McGee said, "I had to get adapted to running over a long period of time. If I had to carry the ball 40 times in a game, I could do that." McGee appeared to be No. 1 on the depth chart, according to Chmielinski, but an injury to McGee's hamstring has forced him out of practice and allowed the other backs more opportunities to claim the starting spot. McGee hopes to return to practice this week but will have less than two weeks to win the job before Dartmouth comes to Franklin Field September 20. "The injury is coming along slower than I expected," McGee said. "The most frustrating thing is I did everything to prepare for this year and now I am on the sidelines." Rossignol has been impressive in practice after his one-year absence from offense. He is Penn's largest running back at 210 pounds and is not the typical slashing runner that Penn has relied upon in the past. "I have a little more weight than the other backs, and I'm not as quick or as jukey of a runner," Rossignol said. "Hopefully I'm the type of back this offense needs." Alexander appears to be the quickest and most elusive runner out of the backfield, while also being the smallest back at 5'9'' and 180 pounds. He looked very impressive in Saturday's scrimmage against Millersville, exhibiting the ability to break into the open field and run away from defenders. "With Penn's zone blocking scheme," Alexander said, "I feel my quickness will be an attribute to the team." Bunn has been the biggest surprise so far because of his ability to compete for the starting spot even though he is the least experienced back. He received his first test under game-like conditions against Millersville. "He has impressed the coaches," Penn head coach Al Bagnoli said. "He hits the hole with full acceleration." With all spots on the depth chart still undecided, the competition has been intense in practice. But the backs see this as providing only positive results. "Competition is something this backfield needs," McGee said. "It makes us better as a unit." Increasing the importance of gaining the starting spot is that one running back from the quartet will be responsible for providing the bulk of the rushing yards in Penn's one-back schemes. Last year, Scott and Abye were expected to platoon as they had in 1995, yet Scott finished the year with 247 more carries than Abye. "Our philosophy is to not platoon," Chmielinski said. "In order to get a good back you need to get him reps, so you favor an individual. We want to get away from what we did two years ago. We made a mistake with that." Bagnoli realizes his improved passing game will not succeed if other teams key on it. In the past Penn has been able to rely on one running back to take the pressure off the passing game, and there is little doubt in the coaching staff's mind that they will find their running back. "That's what this offense does, we find answers," Chmielinski said. "And we do an outstanding job of it."

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