It has been easy to overlook Penn's defensive backfield unit this season.
At times, Penn's impossibly good rush defense makes the defensive backs little more than an afterthought.
But with teams finding no opportunities to run the ball, they are invariably taking to the air 40 or more times each game against the Quakers. Still, Penn's opponents aren't winning.
It is in this climate that the defensive backs have become the unsung heroes of one of the most lauded defensive units in Division I-AA.
"When they can't run the ball against us there's only one thing they can do and that is pass," senior safety Kunle Williams said. "We know they're going to complete a pass or two, but when it comes down to it, we're going to have a 'W' at the end of the game."
The wins have been coming steadily as Penn marches toward another Ivy title.
Before the season, however, there were questions about the defensive backs.
The intact and talented front seven understandably overshadowed the DB unit, which graduated all-leaguers Joey Alofaituli and Hasani White.
This issue was brought up all too often in preseason reports on the Quakers, as the most likely fissure figured to be the least experienced group.
The gap in recognition has been exacerbated further as the season has worn on. The front seven now holds the distinction of being the top unit against the rush in the country.
But after six victories it is difficult to question the mettle of Penn's pass defenders.
"Even during summer workouts, reading books and listening to media [we were underrated]," senior cornerback Stephen Faulk said. "We had to come out and we had something to prove from day one. I think we've done that, and I have confidence that we'll continue to show what we're made of."
Last weekend's Brown game is a good example of why the Quakers' DBs have garnered relatively little attention.
Brown passed for 312 yards, a season worst for the Quakers, while the Bears ran for negative-26 yards. The key, however, is to look behind those numbers.
The Bears attempted 43 passes, but managed just one touchdown through the air. Williams also picked off a pass.
"Ever since I got here the secondary has gotten a bad wrap because we gave up big numbers," senior safety D.L. Bouldrick said. "This year we used that as a motivation to prove to everybody that we are a good, complete unit."
Teams have been putting up numbers through the air, but they haven't found a way to solve the Penn defense.
"Every week there is a new guy stepping up in the secondary," junior corner Fred Plaza said. "We have all the confidence in the world that we can stop the run and the pass."
After Penn beat Holy Cross, 43-7, on Oct. 6, Plaza was named Ivy League defensive player of the week. Sophomore corner Rudy Brown had a career high in tackles against Dartmouth on Sept. 29. Against Yale two weeks ago, junior safety Vince Alexander notched a pair of sacks and Williams returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Each week, a different player has come to the forefront on game day. But for the defensive backs, the ability to step in and do the job starts in practice.
"We're going to put ourselves in the position to make the plays because that is what we're used to doing," Alexander said. "We have very good receivers and we've been marking them the whole year [in practice]. Game day we're just ready to play whether they throw the ball 70 times or 15 times."
On the field, the defensive backs work as a tight-knit unit, but at the same time each of the safeties and corners brings a unique style to the field.
"I'm more of a head guy," Bouldrick said. "I know a lot about the game and I like to use my mind rather than my body.
"I think that the other safeties more so rely on instinct and talent because they are different kinds of safeties."
Alexander is a former linebacker who excels in the pass rush and has the demeanor of a big hitter on the field.
"It's really exciting to get involved in the pass rush," Alexander said. "Every time that you don't have to mark a guy running down the field and you get to blitz on the quarterback, that's a good feeling -- especially when you actually get to him."
Faulk and Williams are the team's primary kickoff returners for a second season, and both possess tremendous speed.
Plaza brings a mean streak to the corner position that complements his counterpart Faulk's raw speed.
"Aggressiveness is everything," Plaza said. "You have to strike fear in the receiver's eyes. If you hit him, he's not going to want to catch the ball."
The key for the unit is that players like Brown step into the five and six defensive back sets. With teams throwing a bevy of passes against Penn, this ability to load up the defensive backfield has been absolutely crucial.
"I think that no matter who is in we are at the same strength," Brown said. "It doesn't matter who is in because we all have equal faith in each other."
Plaza and Bouldrick played extensively in role situations last year, so stepping into a starting position was part of their natural progression as players.
"I wanted to get out there to be a starter and to show what I can do," Plaza said. "One of my goals is to be a top Ivy League player, and I might have a chance to do it this year."
The result is that the Quakers are just as strong, if not stronger, this year against the pass.
"We've had all the same guys around and it shows that we're all experienced out there," Williams said. "We know what we're doing and we have confidence in each other. Look at the results."
The results that the players have gotten so far, however, haven't sated their desire to win.
"As a collective staff of defensive backs, we haven't proved everything that we want to prove because we haven't won an Ivy League championship," Brown said. "Everything will be proved when it is all said and done."
