Tomorrow's game against Cornell will be a special one for the seniors on the Penn football team. Not only will it be their last game, but it will also provide them the opportunity to become the winningest class in the history of Ivy League football, eclipsing the 34-5 record accomplished by last year's seniors. Needless to say, the motivation factor is high, and after last week's sub-par performance against Harvard, the team is looking to come back in full stride.
Harvard, on the other hand, needs only a win over Yale to claim sole possession of the Ivy League title. A loss for the Crimson and a win for the Quakers, however, would give Penn a share of the championship as well -- making it three Ancient Eight crowns in a row for the Red and Blue.
"We can't control what goes on between Yale and Harvard," Penn head coach Al Bagnoli said. "But we can control what happens between us and Cornell, and if Yale is good enough to upset Harvard, you know that'll be the third championship these guys have had in four years. So there's still a lot riding on this game, and our seniors will come out ready to play."
For Cornell (4-5, 4-2 Ivy), second place in the Ivy League is what it is shooting for tomorrow.
And for the Quakers (7-2, 5-1), it will be no easy task, considering their starting quarterback for most of the season will not be taking snaps.
Junior Pat McDermott was sidelined before the Harvard game with a popped collarbone, and freshman backup Bryan Walker took over for him. Walker went 18-30 for 178 yards and a touchdown against the Crimson in his debut as a starter.
"We don't have much choice," Bagnoli said. "Bryan's the guy we'll go to. Bryan hopefully will have a good practice week, he's getting better with each snap, he's going to make some mistakes, he's got a pretty good upside, and we'll just keep our fingers crossed."
McDermott will travel with the team, but there is still uncertainty as to whether he will be able to log any playing time.
Several Penn players have expressed confidence in Walker.
"Walker he has been throwing the ball great all year, even as backup to Pat," senior wide receiver Gabe Marabella said. "He's got a real strong arm, can throw the deep ball well. We're just as confident with him in there as we are with Pat; we're going to stick to our game plan, run everything we've run with Pat. Walker can do it just as well."
And while the Quakers are coming fresh off the loss to Harvard, Cornell is riding a three- game win streak. The Big Red is 3-1 at home this season and are likely to give a better fight in tomorrow's game than it did last season against Penn. In that game, Cornell was walloped, 59-7, a finishing touch to Penn's unbeaten 2003 campaign.
The series is full of history dating back to 1893, when Penn defeated Cornell 50-0. This will be the 111th meeting between the teams, and the Quakers lead the all-time series 63-42-5. The series is the fifth-most played in college football history. In the past few meetings, however, Penn has dominated, defeating the Big Red by an average of 34.3 points the last four games.
Nevertheless, this season Cornell has been relatively successful in comparison to past years. The Big Red has been able to string together a 4-2 record in Ivy League play, much improved from its measly 0-7 conference record last year. Cornell is also coming fresh off the heels of a dramatic come-from-behind victory against Columbia, which was led by Big Red senior quarterback D.J. Busch.
"They had a big comeback, scored a lot of points in the fourth quarter to beat Columbia," Bagnoli said. "They're going to be fired up for us, because you know we beat them pretty good last year. They're playing with a lot of momentum right now."
However, Bagnoli does not express much concern, noting that the Quakers are a "very good road team."
But be successful in Ithaca, N.Y., Bagnoli will need consistent performances from his star players. After logging more than 100 all-purpose yards against the Crimson, junior running back Sam Mathews should prove to be a nice complement to the passing game. Senior wide receiver Dan Castles became the Penn all-time leader in touchdown receptions last week with 27 -- he has eight so far this season.
Bagnoli believes the key to Penn's victory will be much more than the individual players who are out on the field.
"When given the chance to make big plays, we have to convert on making big plays," Bagnoli said. "It's hard to drive the ball 80 yards in 17 plays. You got to have one big play once in awhile. And that's the one thing we haven't been able to do, and that's the one thing I'm keeping my fingers crossed, we make some 50-60 yard plays."
Cornell's secondary is anchored by this Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week Sean Nassoiy, who intercepted two passes against Columbia last weekend. Cornell's defense has been giving up an average of only 17.9 points per game.
On defense, Penn will have to focus on Busch and junior running back Joshua Johnston. Busch threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and one with 37 seconds left to help elevate the Big Red over the Lions. The 6-foot-1, 212 pound Johnston had 71 yards on the ground, and poses a significant threat.
Johnston "is a tough runner," Penn senior linebacker Luke Hadden said. "He's a pretty big kid, sort of like [Brown running back Nick] Hartigan, that type of player, and he runs the ball tough. They got a big veteran offensive line, and they'll have a good inside running game."
Hadden is the Quakers' defensive leader, having registered three straight games with 10 tackles or more. After giving up 31 points last week to a powerful Harvard offense, the defense will look to regroup and get more stops against a resilient Cornell offense.
The seniors have expressed the importance of the game to their careers, as it will help them ascend to being one of the greatest classes in Ivy League history. However, the mood in the locker room after weekday practice was not serious or pressure packed. The seniors were taking a lighter attitude heading into the game.
"A win would be a great way to end my career," Hadden said, echoing some of the sentiment in the locker room. "It was a tough setback last week, but I want to go out as a winner, and on top with the rest of our seniors. We're going to have fun, it's our last game."
