(See below for correction.) HANOVER, N.H. -- Penn's Ivy League football opener against Dartmouth may be remembered for its losses more than its victory.
While the Quakers (3-0, 1-0 Ivy) emerged with a 33-20 victory from a cold and rainy Memorial Field, the team lost three starters -- quarterback Mike Mitchell, safety Seth Fisher and tight end Brian Adams -- along the way.
"We're just happy to get out of here, and we just keep our fingers crossed that those injuries are not that significant," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said.
"We've had more [than] our share of injuries," he added. "It's not even week four yet and we've already lost some significant players."
Adams was the first to go down when he hurt his knee on a failed extra point attempt with 1:49 remaining in the first half.
Already up 19-6 on a second-and-goal from the six-yard line with 1:31 remaining in the third quarter, Mitchell injured his left leg. The Quakers went for a play action pass, but when nobody was open, he was forced to run the ball for a one-yard gain, and hurt his left leg on the tackle.
Mitchell hurt "something in his lower leg," Bagnoli said. "It's not the knee. We're not sure exactly what it is. He's getting X-rays now."
The X-rays on Mitchell were negative, but Bagnoli could not be reached for comment Sunday as to the extent of the injury.
The most serious injury of the day was Fisher's, as the junior was flattened while bringing down Dartmouth All-Ivy tight end Casey Cramer with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter with a head-on tackle.
Fisher was laying with his back on the turf for over 15 minutes. Paramedics eventually lifted him onto a stretcher and took him to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Mitchell also went in the ambulance to be examined.
"Seth had feeling and everything -- he was moving and everything -- he just felt a tingling in his neck when he was out there," Bagnoli said.
The defensive back began clapping to his teammates and the fans as the paramedics wheeled his stretcher off the field.
There is no word as to when any of these players will return to the field.
The Quakers jumped out to an early lead, scoring the game's first 19 points courtesy of two Peter Veldman field goals, the first career touchdown catch by backup tight end Joe Pankratz, and a touchdown pass to receiver Joe Phillips.
"I was somewhat surprised in the first half that things ran as smoothly as they did," Bagnoli said.
The first half also saw the Red and Blue shut out Dartmouth (0-3, 0-1), holding the Big Green to just four first downs.
But Dartmouth battled back, scoring first in the second half off a four-yard Pat Risha run to cut the Quakers' lead to 19-6.
Despite outscoring Penn, 20-14, in the second half, Dartmouth would not come any closer, as Penn held on to win by 13.
"We really should have scored a lot more points," Bagnoli said.
"Certainly losing a first-team all-league quarterback takes a little wind out of your sail," he added.
Prior to his injury, Mitchell put up huge numbers, passing for 285 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone.
While his replacement, sophomore Pat McDermott, did not put up the same kinds of numbers -- 4-for-7, 31 yards, one TD and one interception -- McDermott was able to put the game away with 10:23 remaining, finding a diving Dan Castles in the back of the end zone for his first career touchdown pass and a 33-13 lead.
"I was shocked when I first had to get in," McDermott said.
Castles and Phillips ran all over the Big Green defense.
Nabbing 10 catches for 157 yards and one touchdown, the 6'3" Castles was able to grab passes over the smaller Dartmouth defenders.
Phillips had eight catches for 73 yards, including a touchdown catch from Mitchell late in the first half.
The Penn defense ably shut down first-team All-American Cramer. The Walter Payton Award "Watch List" tight end finished the day with a mere 25 yards off of five catches.
