Notebook: Hoffman will not miss time

Despite suffering a slight concussion, Gavin Hoffman will start against Fordham. Seeking to rebound from a 23-16 loss to Bucknell on Saturday, the Penn football team might be glad to see Fordham on its schedule for the upcoming weekend. On paper, the Rams (0-4) appear to be a far cry from either Villanova or Bucknell, who are a now a combined 8-2. Fordham was even shut out by a weak Princeton squad, 27-0, last week. The Quakers (1-2), though, are not taking anything for granted. "I think it's kind of gotten to the point where it really doesn't matter who we're playing, we just need a win right about now," Penn quarterback Gavin Hoffman said. "We need to get our confidence up going into the Ivy League. So it's not like we're like 'we should win this game' or 'we shouldn't win this game' -- we're try to win every game. "We just really need a win at this point." · This week, the major question on many Penn fans' minds is whether Hoffman will be able to play on Saturday. The answer: Yes. Hoffman, who suffered a concussion and sat out several series in the Bucknell loss, will indeed start. Despite a painful weekend, after practicing yesterday he is ready to get back onto the field. "I'm playing -- everything cleared up Monday," said the Penn sophomore, who managed to complete 19-of-31 passes for 205 yards in the loss to the Bison. "I had some real bad headaches on Sunday and Monday and I tried to do some studying and reading, but I couldn't concentrate. My memory was all fine but lights hurt and things in the distance bothered me. "That was my first time that I've ever had to leave a game due to injury. Even in high school I've never had to leave the field." · Against Bucknell, with Hoffman suddenly on the sidelines, freshman Mike Mitchell was brought in to take the reins of Penn's offense. "I didn't even know [I'd be going in]," said Mitchell, who was 4-of-8 passing for 41 yards in his college debut. "They just called upon me and so I went in. It felt good. I just tried to do the best that I can to move the team down the field and just do my part." Although the freshman's first drive ended with an interception in the Bucknell end zone, Mitchell impressed Penn's coaching staff. "I thought that for his first time, for a freshman being in a game, it was great," Quakers quarterbacks coach Larry Woods said. "The biggest thing wasn't his coming out and making completions and moving the offense -- it was the poise when he comes into a pressure situation in his first varsity game and first varsity snaps. "To play with such poise and control, that was the neatest thing," Woods added. "The fact that he had success didn't really surprise me that much." With fellow backup quarterback Reed Werner sidelined by a back injury, Mitchell is now the one who will see action if Hoffman can't stay healthy against the Rams. And that role is alright by the freshman. "I'm just the No. 2 right now, so I'm ready to go in at any time," Mitchell said. "I'm working hard in practice and whenever they call upon me, I'm ready." · Hoffman's concussion happened during the second quarter last week on Bucknell's second sack of the afternoon. The Bison had six sacks in the game, bringing the total number of times Hoffman has been decked to 10 in 1999. Matt Rader was only sacked 12 times in 10 games in the 1998 season. Still, Woods feels that the protection offered his quarterbacks by the offensive line has been acceptable. "We've protected Gavin really well," Woods said. "There were a couple of breakdowns and there will be breakdowns in the course of a ballgame -- especially in a game like that where you have to drop back a lot and where you're playing catchup. "What we've got to rely on Gavin to be able to do in those situations is to get us out of negative yardage. When we break down up front, [he needs] to have the awareness to feel that and to get the ball out of his hands." Hoffman agreed, stressing that this is all a part of getting on the same page as his line. "I think sacks are just as much my fault as their fault," he said. "We're new to each other. Sacks happen. I think they're blocking fine and we're getting good protection -- we're running the ball well." · In contrast to the 177 yards rushing that Bucknell gained on Franklin Field last weekend, Fordham's game plan on Saturday will likely revolve around its passing game. Why? The Rams have averaged only 70 yards per game on the ground in '99, at a clip of just over two yards per carry. Add to this the fact that Fordham wide receiver Gerry McDermott is up to his old tricks -- he has caught 22 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown already this fall. As some may remember, McDermott pulled down nine passes for 125 yards and three touchdowns against Penn in 1998. · Nearing the end of the team's longest homestand since 1961, Penn is less than enthused with its results thus far in '99. The team's "home-field advantage" has seemed anything but as the Quakers will head back into Ivy play with no better than a .500 overall record. "At this point, guys are a little disappointed in our record obviously," Hoffman said. "I think we're close -- if you watch film, we're an inch away here and an inch away there from making a big play. No one's discouraged right now but it's starting to get a bigger sense of urgency." With one final week to tune up before taking on league rival Columbia, Penn needs to show improvement across the board immediately or risk being disappointed in the Ivy League.