On the same day that Penn linebacker Kory Gedin watched his offensive counterparts struggle against a mediocre Brown team, his former school used its offensive power to kick the then-No. 4 Miami Hurricanes out of the national title race.
Things have certainly changed in a year for the College sophomore.
After gaining national acclaim in high school and playing one year at the University of North Carolina, Gedin has an impressive football resume. But he likes where he is now best.
"You can't think back, can't regret," he said. "I think I made the right decision to come here."
Since arriving in West Philadelphia, Gedin has done a lot more than ride the sidelines with other first-year players. He has become a leader of an inexperienced linebacking corps that has had to assume extra responsibilities this season with the loss of two starters to injury.
Gedin first led by example at Gonzaga High School in Washington. He was named the No. 15 inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com and had big-time Division I-A schools such as Georgia Tech and Boston College pursuing him.
Gedin chose UNC for its strong academics but soon encountered roadblocks that prevented him from transitioning smoothly into college life.
In his freshman year, Gedin tore his hamstring after completing preseason with the Tar Heels -- keeping him out of competition -- but Penn coach Al Bagnoli said there were also "non-football factors" that made Gedin look elsewhere.
"He did not like it there," Bagnoli said. "He wasn't in his comfort zone as a kid from New York and D.C., so he looked to try to get back to a more Northeast school."
Gedin contacted Penn at a time when the Quakers' starting linebacker spots were looking increasingly unstable.
All-Ivy co-captain Steve Lhotak had just finished his senior season and future captain Ric San Doval underwent surgery in the spring.
"It made sense that linebacker was going to be a key position," Bagnoli said.
Gedin left North Carolina "amicably," according to a representative of the Tar Heels football program, and became a member of the Quakers.
Gedin's season began like that of a typical first-year player, but changed dramatically in the preseason scrimmage when San Doval's replacement, sophomore Mark Herman, went down with a season-ending injury.
This left Bagnoli with no choice but to start Gedin, despite his lack of experience with the team and the playbook.
"We didn't want to put Kory on exactly that fast a track, but as soon as Mark went down, we had to put him in," Bagnoli said.
Gedin certainly grew up quickly. He currently ranks second on the team in tackles with 41, 3.5 of which were for a loss.
Bagnoli said the defense has not "tapered down" from its skill level of last year when the corps was laden with All-Ivy veterans.
"It was tough initially, but having Kory come in has been great for our team," fellow linebacker Chad Slapnicka said. "The young guys have done a great job stepping up, learning the system and giving us some more depth."
Gedin said learning the new defensive system took some adjustment.
"It's tough to learn the system because there are a lot of different checks," he said. "But I went through this last year going to UNC. It's the same everywhere, just different faces.
"I think we're doing well."
Gedin quieted any doubters in his second game with the Quakers, in which he tallied eight tackles against Villanova, a veritable Atlantic-10 threat.
For a first-year player, "he has done a terrific job," Bagnoli said. "He has done a really nice job with the mental part, a nice testament to his football smarts."
While Penn will never test its skills against the top Division I programs in the nation, Gedin has little reason to regret exchanging Carolina blue for Penn's red and blue.
"When he left [UNC], the program was in disarray with kids leaving left and right for a variety of reasons," Bagnoli said. "He didn't really go through an appreciable amount of active time there."
Plus, Gedin's teammates can now tease him about his decision-making skills after he left the squad that later beat the No. 4 team in the country to play Ivy League football.
"Every now and then we make a little joke," Slapnicka said. "Especially when they have a big win like they did against Miami, and we gave him such a hard time about how Miami was going to kill them."
Bagnoli acknowledged his good luck in having one of the best sophomore middle linebackers in the country essentially fall into his lap.
"The match was correct and he had a tremendous [hamstring] rehab," Bagnoli said. "We are very, very fortunate."
