After an 8-2 finish to its season, opinion was divided about the future of the Penn football team.
Some, like outgoing Cornell quarterback D.J. Busch, feel that the Ivy League has started to catch onto the Quakers, and that Penn's days of Ivy League football domination are over.
But others, like Penn coach Al Bagnoli, are of the opinion that the Quakers did well to finish at 8-2, considering the number of standout players the team lost following the 2003 season and the injury problems that plagued the Red and Blue this year. With all the experience gained by the younger players, so the argument goes, Penn should be in great position for another run at the Ivy title next season.
So what can we expect from the 2005 Quakers? Probably a little from column A and a little from column B.
On the one hand, the 2004 Penn offense lacked the explosiveness of years past. The team will lose its best offensive player, wide receiver Dan Castles, to graduation. And the Penn defense, which was so experienced this year, will be just the opposite next season.
On the other hand, the Quakers seem to have found a viable one-two punch at quarterback with Pat McDermott and Bryan Walker. Most of the offensive line returns, and there is no shortage of ball-carriers in the backfield.
Only time will tell if Busch is right and the Quakers have lost their swagger, or if Bagnoli has his team poised to once again dominate in the Ancient Eight in 2005.
But in the interim, here are four things to look for in Penn football when the Quakers open up against Duquesne next Sept. 17:
1. Experience on offense
Bagnoli remarked after the Princeton game that his offense had been surprisingly effective considering that it lost an all-Ivy quarterback and all five starting offensive linemen from the previous year.
The coach is hoping that the experience gained by his younger players will pay off next season. With the notable exception of wide receiver, the Penn offense will return largely intact.
McDermott, provided that he can shake off the collarbone injury that kept him out of most of the final two games, should continue to make strides in the passing game. And in last week's starter Bryan Walker, the Quakers have something that they lacked this past year, a proven backup.
The running back situation should be more than solid with Sam Mathews returning for his senior year. The dip in Mathews' production this year has to do with how teams were defending Penn, not with Mathews himself. Given a fair chance, Mathews can put up 2003-like numbers.
The Quakers boast quality depth at the tailback position, with Kyle Ambrogi and Duke transfer Von Bryant. The team must replace fullback Kevin DeSmedt, and will probably do so with Ryan Kwiecinski.
After going through a major upheaval before last season, the offensive line should only grow more cohesive next season, with three starters returning as well as valuable reserve Marko Grzan, who must recover from a knee injury sustained in the Princeton game.
Right tackle Erik Curtis and right guard Michael Pierce will be gone, but replacing them will be easy compared to last season, when the line was rebuilt from scratch.
At tight end, the solid tandem of Chris Mizell and Matt Boyer return. Getting them more involved in the passing game should be a priority.
2. Inexperience at wide receiver
The wide receiver position stands in marked contrast with the rest of the offense. Both starters, Castles and Gabe Marabella, are graduating. In addition, reserves Jonathan Robinson and Matt Makovsky will be gone.
The onus will fall on players like Matt Carre to replace all that production. Carre really came on at the end of his sophomore season, catching 21 passes on the year. He gives the receiving corps the out-and-out speed it had been lacking.
But otherwise, the wide receivers are unknowns. The returning wideouts, excluding Carre, combined for just 12 receptions this season.
3. Youth on defense
The defense was the rock of the 2004 team. In many of Penn's close calls this year, it was senior defenders like defensive linemen Michael Sangobowale and Bobby Fallon, linebacker Luke Hadden and cornerback Duvol Thompson willing the Quakers to victory.
Without them, responsibility will fall on younger players. Luckily for the Quakers, many of them got opportunities in 2004 and played well.
When senior linebacker Ric San Doval went down before the season started, sophomore Kory Gedin stepped in and responded with the second most tackles on the team. Gedin, junior Chad Slapnicka and sophomore Mark Herman, who missed this season with injury, should solidify the linebackers.
The secondary must contend with the loss of three key contributors, but its replacements seem ready to take on bigger roles. Defensive backs Casey Edgar and Scott Williams showed their hitting ability last weekend against Cornell, and returning starting corner Michael Johns saved the game with an interception.
4. Not as much pressure
Whether the team wants to admit it or not, it was clearly weighed down by the pressures of a 20-game Ivy League win streak and the expectation of a third straight Ancient Eight title.
Next year's group has the chance to move out from under the shadow of its predecessors. In the past, every other team geared up to play Penn, something that wore the Quakers down by the time they played Harvard. But next year, those teams will turn their attention to the Crimson, allowing Penn to fly a bit more under the radar.
Not having to deal with the same type of pressure should create a more positive atmosphere around the team. No longer will there be so little to gain and so much to lose. If nothing else, it should give the team a fresh start.
Harry Berezin is a senior history major from San Francisco and is Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. His e-mail address is harryb@sas.upenn.edu
