GAME ANALYSIS: Rader dissects Crimson secondary

First quarter -- Penn ball at its own 22-yard line, first and ten. Penn quarterback Matt Rader takes the snap and runs a bootleg to the right. As several Harvard linemen approach, Rader lofts the ball down the sideline to Brandon Carson, who sprints past Crimson cornerback Glenn Jackson and strolls into the endzone. Penn 13, Harvard 0. Penn never looked back. While Penn halfback Jim Finn ran for over 100 yards and three touchdowns, it was just a normal day at the office for the potential Ivy League Player of the Year. On Saturday, however, Rader was the number one reason for the Quakers' overwhelming offensive success. The 78-yard bomb to Carson -- of which nearly 40 traveled in the air -- was just the beginning. Rader found eight receivers on the day, completing 15-of-25 passes for 260 yards. "Matt Rader really made a huge difference today," Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. "When they really needed a play, Matt Rader just made a play He's a difference maker." The difference Rader made in the game was evident, as he consistently found the open receiver at the right time. No single Penn receiver had a huge day. Besides the touchdown reception, Carson only made one other catch. Doug O'Neill, Penn's top receiver this season, only saw the ball come his way twice. In fact, reserve wideout Jason Battung -- a converted quarterback -- was the top pass catcher with four. "[The receivers] weren't really experienced coming into this year. By the end of the season, they have a whole year of experience under their belts. They're starting to make some plays, which you like to see," Rader said. In the beginning of the fourth quarter with the Quakers holding a 17 point lead, Penn faced a third-and-six at the Harvard 31. Rader dropped back and looked to Battung. Battung bobbled the ball in the air before falling to the ground at the four-yard line. The play set-up the first touchdown of Jason McGee's career. This pass was typical of the plays Rader made all afternoon. "[Rader] hit every receiver on every pass," Harvard captain Brendan Bibro said. "He's got a great arm and made some great plays. It was frustrating." Rader, who transferred from Duke before last season, is only in his second year at Penn, but is quickly climbing through the record books. While the Quakers haven't had such a skilled quarterback since Mark DeRosa left to play professional baseball in 1994, Rader owes some of his success to the threat posed by a powerhouse back like Finn. With his 260 yards this past weekend, Rader only needs 248 next week at Cornell to become the all-time career leader in passing yards at Penn. That is quite an impressive feat for a man who is only in his second year at the helm of one of the nation's oldest football programs. With Finn having the ability to turn out 100-yard days in his sleep, Rader has more room to make plays. Defenses must concentrate on the rush game, allowing opportunities to open up for the passing game. "If you don't shut down the run, not only are you going to lose, but you'll also be disheartened," Murphy said. "We defended the pass pretty well this year, but today was just one of those days." It was also just one of those days for Rader -- one of the days that has allowed him to become the Ivy League leader in pass efficiency. Rader's play on Saturday, combined with Finn's performance, may lead some to believe that the Quakers had their way with the Harvard defense with both the run and the pass. However, a closer look at the stats will tell a different story. One hundred six rushing yards may be a good day for a mortal Ivy tailback, but it was below average for Penn's star rusher. Last week against Princeton Finn ran for 164 yards. In Princeton's four previous league games, it held all four opponents to 156 total yards on the ground. In this light, holding Finn to 106 yards makes the Crimson run defense seem successful. "Part of the reason [Penn] can throw the ball so well with their play action is that they have such a significant run threat," Murphy said. No one in the Ivies can stop Finn, but by somewhat containing him, Harvard forced Rader to throw. He responded by hitting receivers consistently throughout the game in key situations. At the post-game press conference, Rader answered questions while puffing on a victory cigar. It was a well deserved celebratory smoke for the man who just took his team to the Ivy title.

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