Have the D-Backs grown up?

After a year of transition, three starting defensive backs return with a year of experience. Last season it seemed every wide receiver Penn faced would have a career day against the Quakers' young secondary. Brown's Sean Morey caught nine balls for 171 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner. Lehigh's Deron Braswell's two touchdowns and 132 yards receiving provided the spark for the Engineers' upset of Penn. Receivers began circling Penn on the calendar as the Quakers saw an opposing receiver gain 90 or more yards through the air in half of their games. "They were very erratic last year," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "You can't afford to be erratic, because it can cost you a touchdown or a big play. They need to be more consistent and to give up less big plays." Last season Penn faced the difficult job of replacing three-fourths of its starting secondary. This season, all of the starters return and Penn hopes the year of being tested under fire will pay off in the long run. "I think we all have something to prove," Penn senior captain John Bishop said. "I think that more than proving ourselves as individuals, we have to prove something as a unit." While Penn's overall defense against the pass was respectable, opponents completed only 51.4 percent of their passes, the big plays became commonplace against the secondary. One blown pass play would often overshadow several downs of good coverage. "When you get the ball thrown over you," Penn defensive coordinator Mike Toop said, "everyone knows who got beat. It's a lonely feeling." After a big play, the defensive back would often press to try to answer with a big play of his own. The secondary's 18 interceptions last year came at the expense of several long pass plays due to over-aggressiveness. "They didn't rebound mentally," Toop said. "They got down on themselves. They would try to make plays that they were not able to make." Everyone is hopeful the year of experience will limit the mistakes of a year ago. Unlike last season, the positions are set throughout the secondary. Bishop and junior Jim Finn will man the safety positions, while Joe Piela and Larrin Robertson will once again occupy the two corner spots. The back-ups include veterans Mike Ferguson and Chris Parsons, while sophomore Hasani White will see his first significant playing time. "Last year there was a lot of moving of positions," Ferguson said. "There were not many sure aspects. This year there is a lot more security." The leader of the secondary will be Bishop, a second-team All-Ivy performer from last year. Bishop, who transferred to Penn after walking on at Notre Dame, led Penn with 77 tackles and his five interceptions tied him for 11th-best all time at Penn. The captain of the Quakers this year sees the defensive backfield as just one aspect of an improving defense. "We expect a lot more this year," Bishop said. "Not just as a secondary, but as a defense." The other safety position will be manned by junior Jim Finn, who made his presence known last year as a hard hitter from his strong safety spot. Finn excelled in run defense, as he racked up 55 tackles, while also picking off three passes. While he feels comfortable in run support, Finn, a converted running back, is still working on his ability to cover receivers. "I was not happy with my overall play last year," Finn said, "Sometimes I played well, sometimes I played horrible." Robertson will be starting at the right cornerback position for the third straight year. A lot was expected from Robertson last year, as he was one of the few experienced defensive backs, and he responded with 45 tackles and one interception. The other cornerback will be Piela, who took over the starting role during the season last year. Piela made an immediate impact with his four interceptions, including one which he returned for 93 yards against Columbia. With the starting secondary having gained a year of playing together, all of the defensive backs feel more like a unit going into this season. "We are working as a group this year," Finn said, "We know where others are on a play, what we should do on a play, and where we should be." The Quakers are expected to be tested early and often by their opponents, who have certainly seen film from a year ago. If the secondary does not respond well to the early challenge, the four starters could find themselves in a familiar position. "You have to expect that with all four starters returning you'll see an increased level of performance," Toop said. "There has to be a significant increase in the level of performance if we expect to win games." Even at practice last week, Toop was not pleased with the development of the secondary. The defensive backfield did not perform well in a recent scrimmage against Millersville. The same problems with blown coverages surfaced once again. Penn has one week to prepare for Dartmouth's dangerous receiving corps. Morey, Braswell and the rest of the opposing wide-outs are sure to take a lot of interest in Dartmouth's passing statistics from that game.

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