Penn hopes to swallow the Spiders

The Penn football team starts its non-league season against Richmond this weekend at home. Tomorrow the Penn football team (1-0) will have an opportunity to test its top-ranked Division I-AA defense as they take on the visitors from Virginia. Richmond (1-2), a member of the newly established Atlantic 10 Conference, comes to Franklin Field for their first time in school history. Giving up only 105 yards in total offensive to Dartmouth last weekend, the Quakers sent a loud message. "What happened to Dartmouth's program last Saturday was just incredible," Richmond coach Jim Reid said. "That was total domination. They only had six yards of offense in the first half. I just don't know how that could happen." Penn's defensive squad will have their hands full with the Spiders' six key legs on offense. Richmond averages 181.7 rushing yards per game -- split between senior tailback Jasper Pendergrass, sophomore tailback Ty Ronne Turner and junior quarterback Jimmie Miles. The cornerstone of Richmond's option-style offense, Miles has added some legitimacy to Richmond's passing game. In a 22-17 loss to UMass, Miles threw for 207 yards and one touchdown. The Spiders' quarterback's ability to run out of the pocket makes him a double threat to his opponent's defenses. "Miles is not a scrambling quarterback in practice. But in the game, if the first option is not open, he might not be around to look at the second option," Reid said. "Miles is a very athletic player," Penn junior linebacker Jim Hisgen said. "The defense will take into account that the option play is there. If he scrambles, somebody will need to make a play." Penn's offensive line will have to also show that its solid performance last week was not a fluke but a sign of good things to come. Instead of matching up against Ivy League defenders this weekend, the Quakers' line gets the task of holding back Richmond preseason I-AA All-American senior nose tackle Marc Megna. As the Atlantic 10's leader in sacks (5.5) and tackles for a loss (11), Megna has earned the Quakers' attention. "We are going to have to come up with some creative ways to try to contain him," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "You have to be aware of where he is on every snap. You have to be ready to supply some additional help besides the primary guy. He is somebody that you actually have to take notice of." Even with Megna in the center, Penn senior tailback Jim Finn expects to be getting the call to run the ball right at him. Fortunately for Finn, the Quakers are not expecting to count on a repeat of his 41-carry display last weekend. "We'll probably run right at him, because it is easier to react on that," Finn said. "My thoughts when I am running the ball are my leads. I am not worried about where he is." Known for opening day blunders, Penn senior quarterback Matt Rader has put behind his two interception performance last weekend and is set to throw against a tough Spiders secondary that has already grabbed four balls from the arms of opposing quarterbacks. Rader plans to implement a similar strategy as last weekend, spreading the ball to all of his receivers. Things should be easier on the Quakers' senior quarterback this weekend as he has been relieved of one of his opening day duties. Freshman Ryan Lazzeri will assume control of the punting. The only prior meeting between Penn and Richmond came on Nov. 26, 1981. Led by future NFL first-round draft choice Barry Redden's 280 yards and two touchdowns, the Spiders defeated Penn, 18-12. Redden's yardage still stands as a record for Quakers' opponents. While Penn has yet to defeat Richmond on the field, the Quakers did win the battle of signing Rader as a transfer student from Duke in the spring of '97. A dropback-style passer, Rader felt he would not fit in well with Richmond's offensive philosophy. While Richmond has already had time to sort through many of their team's early blunders, the Quakers hope to build on last weekend's efforts, bringing the rest of their team to the same level as the defense.

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