NOTEBOOK: Football ready to get back on track after 'Nova loss

Following the worst home loss in Al Bagnoli's Penn career, the Quakers prepare for Bucknell. Coming off a 34-6 drubbing at home by Villanova, the Penn football team is trying to repair its fragile psyche in time for this weekend's meeting with Bucknell. Saturday's loss to the Wildcats is the program's worst home defeat during the tenure of coach Al Bagnoli and the Quakers' worst loss at Franklin Field since falling to Division I-A Army, 41-3, in 1985. "Let's learn from [the loss]," Bagnoli said. "We've got to forget about it and at the same time we've got to concentrate on Bucknell. We've got to learn from the mistakes we made last week. "But as of Tuesday, whether you win or lose, last week is history." And despite what outsiders may think, the Quakers (1-1) are not disheartened by this home loss. "Sunday it didn't seem like we were down at all -- we were just looking forward to the next week," Penn senior defensive back Joey Alofaituli said. "We knew Villanova was a tough team coming in and we knew that we had to play great, mentally and physically. And we had a few mental breakdowns but we knew what our mistakes were watching the film and there's just a few adjustments we have to make. "We're hungry for this next week. Just like last year, coming off of Richmond, I think our attitude is pretty much the same. It's over with? and we're really excited about this next game." In 1998, fans may recall, the Quakers came back from a 34-18 loss to the Spiders with a 20-10 win over Bucknell seven days later. · One major aspect of the game that Penn needs to improve is its offensive play deep inside its opponent's territory. "Play inside the red zone is definitely something that the coaches will want to address," Penn running back Kris Ryan said. "We have the tools and everything -- we've just got to put it together. Hopefully we can use this week and kind of gel a little bit more." Five trips past the Villanova 35-yard line yielded only two field goals last Saturday. In two games, the Quakers have one touchdown on 10 trips inside their opponents' 35. "It doesn't have to do as much with the plays as much as it does with the execution," Bagnoli said of Penn's offensive woes. "[Villanova] was a good defensive team that closes fast down there and when you have the field constricted they can close even faster. "The other part of the equation is when you get opportunities to put points on the board, you at least have to come away with something. Preferably you want to score touchdowns, but you certainly want to come out with at least three. "But twice we didn't even manage to come out with a field goal." · For the second straight week, Penn will be taking on a team that has more games under its belt than the Quakers in 1999. Before Penn even opened its season, Bucknell (3-0) had already played two games and had picked up a big road win over Patriot League rival Colgate, 21-16. · One positive that can be taken from Saturday's shelling is the play of the Quakers' run defense. The Wildcats rushed for just 85 yards against Penn, with 41 of these yards coming late in the fourth quarter with the game's outcome no longer in doubt. Led by Justin Maehr and Jim Hisgen, the Quakers recorded eight tackles for a loss. Penn's front line also sacked Wildcats quarterback Chris Boden twice. "The good news was we were able to hold up versus their running attack? so we take away some positives from it," Bagnoli said. "But we just could not cover [their receivers] to the degree we'd like to cover them." Though Boden was able to direct a successful attack without relying on the ground game, Penn's rushing defense did present problems. "[Penn's] defensive line did a great job of putting pressure on us all day," Boden said after the game on Saturday. "We want to come out pretty much 50/50 run and pass on offense. But early on, they had a great run defense and threw everyone in the box and we kind of were forced to throw the ball." Heading into this game with Bucknell, a team that Penn sacked four times and limited to just 21 yards on 26 carries in 1998, this strong play up front is a very good sign. · With three interceptions against Villanova, the Quakers now have five on the season -- tops in the Ivy League. Overall, Penn has forced seven turnovers in two games, tied with Harvard for most in the Ivies. "I think our D-line has to do with that greatly because they put a lot of pressure on the quarterback," said Alofaituli, who recorded four tackles and broke up a pass in the end zone against 'Nova. "Most of those interceptions are actually by our linebackers -- we cover the long ball pretty well and force them to throw those short balls and that puts our linebackers in the perfect position." Penn freshman linebacker Travis Belden has surprised many with all-around strong play, including a team-leading two interceptions, both of which came against the Wildcats. Unfortunately for Penn's defense, an erratic Quakers offense that has seven turnovers of its own often seems to give the ball right back to the opposition. While this may appear to hurt the Penn defense, they actually see it as a challenge. "Coming off the field after a big turnover like that, obviously we're pumped," Alofaituli said. "We get off and then a couple plays later we have to get back on. "But we don't really dwell on the fact that the offense is sputtering -- we realize that it's a team sport and that we're going to have some times when [the defense is] going to struggle. "But it seems that a couple of times [after the offense has turned it over] that we get right back on the field and stop them." · Perhaps the most consistent offensive weapon for the Quakers thus far has been Ryan. Essentially a part-time running back, the sophomore has rushed for 180 yards in two games. "I'm just going out there and playing my hardest and playing my heart out," Ryan said. "And the other two guys [Matt Thomas and Mike Verille] are playing their hearts out too -- I've just been the luckier one to this point. Hopefully I can keep it up." Aside from attributing his success to God, Ryan also praised some of his earthly counterparts for his six yards-per-carry average. "The offensive line has been playing great," Ryan said. "That's what I like to say as a running back -- you can't do anything without the line." · Another good sign in the loss to the Wildcats was in the Quakers' kicking game. Penn punter Ryan Lazzeri averaged 44.3 yards on six punts on the day, an increase of almost seven yards per attempt over his punts in the season opener.

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