The last two seasons, Penn and Harvard have squared off in the second-to-last week of the season with both teams entering the game undefeated in the Ivy League. Last year, ESPN College GameDay came to Penn for the Quakers-Crimson showdown. It was a battle for the Ivy League Championship with the winner clinching at least a share of the title.
This Saturday's game against the Crimson (6-2, 3-2 Ivy) may be less dramatic and even less significant, but the Quakers (8-0, 5-0) are approaching it with the same sense of urgency they did the last two seasons.
"We want to beat Harvard, and that's the bottom line," Penn senior quarterback and co-captain Mike Mitchell said. "Whether they're undefeated or have losses in the Ivy League, it really doesn't matter to us. We just want to win every game and win the Ivy League championship."
Penn -- ranked eighth in the Sports Network/College Sports Television I-AA poll and ninth in the ESPN/USA Today poll -- has already clinched a share of the title and can win its league-record 10th outright title with a victory over Harvard or next weekend against Cornell. Harvard enters the game on a two-game losing streak, falling to Dartmouth and Columbia.
"I love the position we're in right now," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "It's not back-to-the-wall, you have to go to their place, one loss and you're out -- that's a difficult scenario.
"It lacks the drama, but it's a much better scenario for us," he added. "I told our guys, 'I'd rather clinch in week three.'"
Mitchell agrees.
"The position we're in, I wouldn't want it any other way," he said.
While the Quakers defeated Harvard at Franklin Field, 44-9, a year ago, Penn seems determined to again avenge its loss at Harvard two years ago, which gave the Crimson the 2001 Ancient Eight title.
"Almost all of us remember two years ago when we lost up at [Harvard's] place, and that's the only time [the current seniors] didn't win the Ivy League Championship," Penn senior offensive lineman Chris Clark said. "We still think there's some opportunity for payback and they still have some of the key players from the year they won."
Among those key players is Harvard senior linebacker Dante Balestracci. His 73 tackles lead the Crimson and rank sixth in the Ivies.
Harvard's rushing offense is ranked first in the Ancient Eight, averaging 226 yards per game. Freshman running back Clifton Dawson is third in the Ivy League with 127.9 yards per game. Penn sophomore Sam Mathews ranks second with 134.9 ypg.
"Dawson is a really good player," Bagnoli said. "He's going to be in the upper tier when the All-Ivy teams come out. He'll be on the first or second team.
"He's a guy with great speed, great slasher... makes one move and goes, strong enough and tough enough to break tackles, and he's durable," he added. "If he has a big day, if he makes some big plays, we may be in a little bit of trouble."
Harvard's total offense ranks second in the league but its pass offense ranks fourth. Junior quarterback Garrett Schires filled in for injured senior Ryan Fitzpatrick, who broke a bone in his right throwing hand against Cornell. Through four games, Fitzpatrick was the Division I-AA leader in pass efficiency (183.01).
In six games, Schires ranks eighth -- behind a quarterback from every Ivy school -- in passing average in the Ivy League with 114 yards per game.
"Fitzpatrick was a terrific player, a dynamic presence and had a lot of experience," Bagnoli said. "When they lost him, it would be a lot like us losing Mitchell. We've got a talented kid behind him, but he doesn't have 20 games of experience. He still doesn't have the huddle presence the other guy has."
Mitchell will face two of the best corners in the Ivy League -- Harvard seniors Benny Butler and Chris Raftery. Butler leads the Ivy League with five interceptions while Raftery has three.
But Mitchell will attack the talented duo.
"Benny Butler's a DB just like we play DBs every week," Mitchell said. "He's a great player but we're gonna see what he's got this week."
