Quakers' running game lives up to hype

SAN DIEGO -- Penn came out throwing the ball Saturday afternoon, passing on its first three plays for a three-and-out.

That was the last time all day that the Quakers would rely heavily on their passing game.

Penn's running game, thought to be the offense's biggest strength leading into the season, lived up to its billing in San Diego.

The team's outrageous numbers should speak for themselves -- 313 total rushing yards, 6.7 yards per carry and six touchdown runs.

But even those gargantuan figures don't fully explain just how dominant Penn was on the ground.

Junior Sam Mathews could have had a record-breaking day on the ground had Penn coach Al Bagnoli kept him playing the entire game.

The Pittsburgh native had 58 yards in the first quarter alone, and he finished the day with 102 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

But Mathews is quick to credit the team's five new starters on offensive line for his success against the Toreros.

"I thought the o-line worked hard all preseason," he said. "It was a question mark coming into the year, but they really worked hard and showed that they could do well today."

Mathews, however, was far from the Quakers' only option on the ground against the Toreros.

In fact, Mathews wasn't even the team's leading rusher.

That man was sophomore Duke transfer Von Bryant, who ran for 111 yards. It was the first time since 1995 that Penn had two 100-plus yard rushers in the same game.

Considered by Bagnoli to be the fastest of Penn's deep contingent of running backs, Bryant rushed for a ridiculous 22.2 yards per carry. He had one touchdown on the day, delivering a Heisman Trophy-style stiff arm to Toreros defensive back Mark Johnson.

Bryant's 53-yard run at the end of the game set up another touchdown as well.

Senior Michael Recchiuti, who, entering last season, was widely considered the favorite to be the starting running back for the Quakers, scored on that touchdown that Bryant set up. Recchiuti finished the day with two touchdowns and an impressive 8.3 yards per carry.

Junior Kyle Ambrogi was also impressive in his limited time in the game, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

"Those guys are great football players, too," Mathews said. "I thought in talking to the team before and talking to our running backs in general [that] we have the most depth on offense.

"And that showed today. They worked hard and I was really happy for all of us."

Penn's results are not a perfect harbinger of things to come throughout the season.

San Diego had trouble stopping the run in its previous two games, allowing 173 yards per game.

Still, the numbers Penn put up on Saturday were far better than any game it played last year, when the Quakers' best game was for 229 yards and their average was 170 yards per game.

Penn's running game will be in for a much greater test next week when they take on Villanova, a team that has allowed opponents to rush for just 83.3 yards per game in its three contests this season.

"We have to work hard this week to prepare for their defense," Mathews said. "I know their defense is one of the best in the nation, so it's going to be a good test for us.

"But at the same time, we're welcoming it. I mean, I'm ready and I think the guys are ready, so we'll see."

So why exactly did Penn come out throwing the ball?

"The thought was to try and get [quarterback Pat McDermott] some safe throws and high percentage throws and build a little bit of confidence," Bagnoli said.

However, Bagnoli later found that it was his team's dominance on the ground that opened up his new starting quarterback. It allowed McDermott to run play-action passes, and it forced the Toreros to bring more men up front, opening up Penn's wide receivers.

It is unlikely that Penn will be able to put up numbers like this week in and week out, but if the Quakers can manage just half as much production for the rest of the season, they should be well on their way to their third consecutive Ivy title.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.