COLUMN: Quakers never showed for game

Josh Callahan, Commentary Josh Callahan, CommentaryBOSTON -- It had all the makings of a great game. A field that had been plowed at five in the morning, leaving a strip of mud running from end zone to end zone down the center of the field. Two storied teams, both needing a championship to prove their successes did not just have to be a part of past history. Too bad only one team showed up. The equipment managers apparently forgot to pack Penn's game on the bus. Saturday was a humbling end to the Quakers' season. Given the opportunity to prove that Penn could meet the lofty expectations of its pedigree, the Quakers ran onto Harvard Stadium's field and fell down. Faulted all season for showing a lack of consistency, the Quakers were nothing but consistent against Harvard -- consistently ineffective. Forget the field, which held up surprisingly well given the northeaster that hit it the night before -- the sloppy thing the spectators were watching was the Quakers offense that went three-and-out on its first six possessions. When Penn finally moved the chains midway into the second quarter, mock cheers went up from the large Penn contingent. That drive then ended in a 67-yard touchdown -- by Harvard on an interception return. The only Quakers reception of note over the weekend was the one held for New England alumni the night before the game. The most frustrating aspect of Saturday's game, and there was a long list of frustrations to chose from, was that Penn repeated every mistake it had worked all season to correct. The 20-0 halftime score should have been a familiar sight to any Penn fan who showed up for the opener against Dartmouth. This time, however, there wasn't even an attempt at a comeback. Harvard took the opening drive in the third quarter 60 yards for a touchdown and a 27-0 lead. The ball would be in the Crimson's hands for 12 minutes and 10 seconds of the third quarter. The first play of the fourth quarter was another Crimson touchdown, this time a one-yard pass on fourth-and-goal. When asked after the game if the Quakers quit at any point during the game, Harvard quarterback Rich Linden and defensive end Chris Smith were speechless. They wouldn't say yes -- partly because their coach was shaking his head at them not to answer -- but the look on their faces was one of utter confusion. They wanted to say Penn had fought for the whole game, but they could not figure out why they had cleared the Quakers off the field faster than the snowplow had removed the snow earlier that morning. Unable to point to a key play or a defining moment during the blowout, Harvard coach Tim Murphy was reduced to thanking the groundskeepers for their work to prepare the field. If nothing else the groundskeepers made it easier to see the difference in the two teams' attitudes. Harvard ran around the field with conviction and purpose, not seeming to notice that the center of the field didn't have a speck of green on it. The Quakers ran around trying to catch up to Harvard's receivers and running backs, constantly looking unsure of their footing. The final statistics only confirmed the appearance that Harvard looked more poised and confident on the field. The Quakers offensive line, which had made strides during the season to create more running holes and fewer penalties, did the exact opposite, plus found time to give up six sacks on the side. Quarterback Matt Rader looked uncomfortable and overthrew, threw behind and otherwise missed receivers. Rader ended up 10-for-28 passing with two interceptions. Then again, every time he hit someone in the numbers, the receiver dropped it. The defensive front seven played solidly at times, but managed only one sack while allowing Harvard quarterback Rich Linden to scramble for 32 yards and a touchdown. The rush defense, which ranked third in the country coming into the game with a per game average of 75.9 yards allowed, gave up 144. There were ugly statistics littering the field, but there were also choices made on the sidelines which helped push the stats in the wrong direction. That is to say, it would be unfair to lay all 33 points onto the heads of the players. The coaching staff earned its share as well. Quakers coach Al Bagnoli admitted that he was outdueled by his Crimson counterpart Tim Murphy on two fourth-down touchdowns. Both plays were run from the same formation, and on both occasions Harvard quarterback Rich Linden faked an option right, planted and threw a touch pass to an unguarded tight end in the end zone. After the game, Bagnoli said that on the second touchdown he had lined all 11 Quakers to play against the run. No wonder Murphy said that he had been confident his team would score on both fourth down attempts. The Quakers left no debate as to the identity of the best Ivy League team -- not them. The Athletic Department doesn't have to worry about the goalposts being torn down at Franklin Field. Fans can rest up on Saturday for the tip-off of Quakers basketball. When those are the silver linings on a game and a season, a lot of things have gone wrong.