Stephen Faulk's greatest asset on a football field is his speed.
The senior running back takes time off from Penn football in the spring -- enough time to be a member of the Penn men's track team.
The two-time All-Ivy runner has made his mark on the league's tailback scene this season. Despite having played on the defensive side his first three years, Faulk has transitioned to the opposite end of the field with little difficulty.
This weekend, when the Quakers face off against Princeton on the road, Faulk may be watching a mirror image of himself.
Princeton's Cameron Atkinson is quick and dangerous. He can keep up with Faulk, and his play is enhanced by the amount of experience he brings to field.
Atkinson "and Faulk are the two fastest kids in the league," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said.
Plus, he's not just athletic, he also happens to be very smart. Atkinson was selected in late October as one of 14 members of the 2002 National Scholar-Athlete Class. The only Ivy League player to garner the award this season, Atkinson will receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship -- the largest amount in all of college football.
The chemistry major from Mantua, N.J., is qualified to win the Draddy Trophy which goes out to the top scholar-athlete in the nation and is worth an extra $7,000.
Atkinson's lethal combination of speed, instinct and intelligence has the Penn defense worried heading into this weekend's matchup.
Atkinson is ranked second in the Ivy League in rushing. With 697 yards on the season, the senior is averaging 99.6 yards per game -- 49.3 yards more than Faulk.
Atkinson has notched seven touchdowns on the season and is active in Princeton's receiving game. He's notched four catches on the season for 49 yards.
But what makes the Tigers' running game so effective is not Atkinson alone. Instead, it's a continuous rotation of players who combine to create a deep and complicated scheme.
Princeton's quarterback, David Splithoff, is not afraid to run. He trails Atkinson in rushing, but not by as much as one would think. With 87 carries on the season, Splithoff has run for a total of 179 yards this season and has averaged 29.8 rushing yards per game.
On the other hand, Mike Mitchell, Penn's starting quarterback, is in negative numbers in the running game. In 27 attempts, Mitchell has tallied minus-34 yards.
Princeton sophomore tailback, Jon Veach, adds to the threat, as well. He's collected 178 yards on 40 carries this season.
The Tigers' running game is an offensive strength.
"I don't know if you're going to totally shut [Princeton's running game] down," Bagnoli said. "They ran for about 170 yards against us last year, and we had a pretty good defensive team.
"They've got a couple different things that they do... You've got your hands full because the quarterback runs, they run the option, you can run inside to Veach, they run outside to Atkinson. And they've got speed."
Whether or not Penn will be able to contain Atkinson and his crew will be determined at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Princeton, N.J.
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