In front of the players who created it, Al Bagnoli is hoping for some repeated history tomorrow.
This Homecoming, Penn (4-2. 2-1 Ivy) is facing Brown (2-4, 1-2) on Oct. 28, just as it did in 2000.
The previous weekend that year, the Quakers had lost by three at Yale, just like what occurred this past weekend.
Last year, a 34-20 win over Penn in Providence, R.I., jumpstarted the Bears' run to an Ivy League title, their first since 1999.
The loss to Brown last year also launched Penn into its current 4-6 stretch, its worst 10-game record since 1999-2000.
Before the loss to the Bears last year, Penn hadn't dropped six games total since the loss to the Elis in 2000.
The 4-6 stretch back then ended when Penn scored three times in the last five minutes to erase an 18-point deficit and beat Brown, 41-38.
Despite all the similarities, this year's game is missing one thing - 2005 Ivy League Player of the Year Nick Hartigan, who rushed for a ridiculous 1,727 yards and 20 touchdowns to lead the Bears to the championship.
In three career games against Penn, Hartigan ran for an average of 134 yards, with four touchdowns.
Brown's offense revolved around the running back the last two years, as the Bears rushed on over 57 percent of their plays. But this year, Brown has been much more balanced, actually relying more on its areal attack.
Despite the increased reliance on the pass, Bagnoli is still intent on stopping the Bears' running game.
"After that, once we can get them into predictable down and distances and predictable personnel, then you've got a better chance of stopping the pass," Bagnoli said.
The Bears average 3.3 yards per rush and 103.8 per game behind senior Akin Oyalowo and a number of other backs - four rushers have carries in at least five games - while passing for an average of 243 yards per game behind senior quarterback Joe DiGiacomo.
Bagnoli also has an extra focus on Brown's screen plays, which he says have been an important weapon for the Bears this season. As a result, Bagnoli said, the Quakers will be careful when they blitz.
The Penn secondary has had long stretches of inconsistency this season, giving up 219.7 yards per game. The problems have been magnified when the Quakers are unable to get pressure on the opposing quarterbacks.
"More than anything, it's just a responsibility-type thing," sophomore defensive back Jordan Manning said.
He added that with more game experience, the relatively young secondary will continue to gel.
Manning also felt that the front seven's pressure on the quarterback is a key to the secondary's success.
The defending champs are 2-4, but have faced a tough schedule, having played - and lost to - top teams Princeton and Harvard to start the season. But the Bears rebounded in a big way last week, dominating Cornell, 28-7.
Offensively, the Quakers should have sophomore quarterback Robert Irvin back at the helm. He aggravated an ankle injury first suffered against Villanova and missed the fourth quarter and overtime against Yale.
However, Penn continues to be inconsistent offensively, and needs to turn that around to keep its championship hopes alive.
"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot," Bagnoli said of his team's performance at Yale, mentioning holding penalties, bad snaps and missed field goals as evidence of this problem.
Meanwhile, although kicker Derek Zoch will keep his starting role, junior wide receiver Braden Lepisto may see some action. Zoch, who has been inconsistent all season, missed both his attempts last week, including a chip shot in the first half and a 37-yarder in overtime.
"We're trying to get some of the technical kinks worked out," Bagnoli said of Zoch.
The final lesson of the 2000 Penn team lies in its final result. After the thrilling comeback over Brown, the Quakers won the Ivy League title that year, and two of the following three years.
But of course, Penn needs a win here to get the deja vu started.
