For the last two years, the words "Penn football" and "loss" have not even been mentioned in the same sentence.
The Quakers have not tasted the bitterness of defeat since they fell to local rival Villanova in October 2002, by a score of 17-3.
But even this distant memory seems current when compared to the other milestones that signify Penn's dominance.
An Ivy League opponent has not been able to earn a victory against Penn since Harvard defeated the Quakers, 28-21, on Nov. 10, 2001.
But the longest standing streak the Quakers maintain entering this season is Penn's current home win streak, dating all the way back to November 1999.
Cornell was the last team to emerge victorious at Franklin Field, as the Big Red notched a 20-12 win.
In spite of these astounding feats, Penn coach Al Bagnoli has tried to keep talk of the winning streak out of conversation.
"The players, or coaches for that matter, really don't talk about" the streak, Bagnoli said. "I think if you spend too much time thinking about what you've done, and not enough time about what's to come, you're in a little bit of trouble."
Bagnoli himself certainly has occupied himself with the task at hand, as his team prepares to make the cross-country trek this weekend to take on the University of San Diego.
The coach noted the inherent difficulties in a long road trip, as well as the two-game head start USD has on the Quakers this season.
Even so, this weekend's game probably poses less of a threat to the winning streak than does the following week's opponent.
Villanova is coming to Franklin Field on Sept. 25, looking to repeat its thrashing of the Quakers two years ago.
In spite of the confidence the Quakers will be carrying with their home win streak, the Wildcats will certainly prove to be a tough challenge.
The most recent ESPN/USA Today poll ranks Penn thehighest of the Ivies at No. 24, but recognizes Villanova considerably higher at No. 6.
The Wildcats have won their first two games this season, and seem to have the same momentum they had when they last defeated Penn.
Bagnoli should have his hands full in preparing for the local showdown. At this point, he is preoccupied with Saturday's road game, but still has an idea of what needs to be done against the Wildcats.
"From my perspective, the focus is on the game and making enough good plays," Bagnoli said. "If we make enough good plays, we'll take our chances with the score."
Although Bagnoli has stated what seems to be obvious, he did so in such a way that downplays the magnitude of the current winning streak.
He maintains that the winning streak "is not a big thing," choosing instead to highlight his team's preparedness and ability to adapt to the new cast of characters.
Whether the concurrent win streaks will continue past this season is up in the air. If the Quakers do manage to get past Villanova, they will not be able to simply coast to victories in their remaining games.
As they found out in the second half of last season's overtime win against Yale, Ivy League teams are always full of surprises and should not be counted out.
Under Bagnoli's guidance, the Quakers will do as much as they can to keep their successful past out of their minds and focus on the task at hand.
