NEW HAVEN, Conn.
Penn football coach Al Bagnoli seems to have the luxury of quite the selection when it comes to choosing who will be under center for the Quakers.
Bagnoli employed a combination of both starting sophomore Robert Irvin and junior backup Bryan Walker in the game against Yale on Saturday, much like he has throughout this season.
When Irvin (14 for 20 for 141 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT), left in the third quarter with a recurring ankle injury, Walker came into a tied game, but was unable to jump-start the Quakers' offense and put any points on the board. The game ultimately ended in an overtime kicking contest with the Elis on top, 17-14.
"There were some plays we made that were there, and we just couldn't come on top of all of them," Walker said.
While Walker has served as a backup to Irvin this year, Bagnoli has used the two interchangeably all season, sometimes swapping between the pair multiple times within the same drive.
This versatility has kept opponents on their toes.
"We prepared for both quarterbacks," Yale football coach Jack Siedlecki said. "But our kids were obviously very aware of the situation, and we had to work preparing for both of them all week."
The two differ immensely in their skill sets, as Irvin is a pocket passer while Walker is more of a threat with his legs.
But Saturday against the Elis, Walker opted to pass almost exclusively. He threw 16 times while rushing for only four yards against a Yale defense intent on smothering the run. Walker hit half of his passes for a pedestrian 89 yards, a number for which his gains on the ground would usually have compensated.
Yale quarterback Matt Polhemus also completed 50 percent of his passes and was 11 for 22, but the difference was his 37 on the ground to add to the threat of Ivy League leading rusher Mike McLeod.
Prior to Saturday's game, Walker had gone 7-of-24 in the air for 79 yards, while rushing for more than that in only seven carries.
Ivy teams have quickly realized how crucial it is to stop Penn running back Joe Sandberg - who on Saturday responded to the pressure, charging through as many as eight defenders in the box for 125 yards.
But he can't carry the offense on his own.
Irvin's arm far exceeds Walker's, as the sophomore has completed 61 percent of his passes for 1,126 yards while Walker connects at a 38-percent clip for only 168. And while Irvin has thrown eight picks, he (with the exception of one from Sandberg on a trick play) has thrown every one of the Quakers' passing touchdowns.
However, Walker's contribution to the team has not been trivial in the least.
The junior's different method of attack has had the effect of revitalizing Penn's momentum late in close contests.
But while Walker's contribution provides a helpful spark when the team needs a change of pace, it is Irvin who ultimately gets the job done in the air.
The Quakers need Irvin to get better in a hurry, as they will be in big trouble if they rely on the passing skills of Walker.
A few more completions from the quarterback late wouldn't have hurt Penn's chances of winning, and may have even resulted in a more favorable decision for the Quakers that would have prevented the game from going into overtime. Walker had a nice stretch, but each of his last five throws fell incomplete.
When all was said and done, the Yale team had accomplished something they hadn't pulled off in five years - they defeated Penn.
Now all the Elis have to work on is teaching their fans when it is appropriate to rush the field.
Parisa Bastani is a junior Biological Basis of Behavior major from Basking Ridge, N.J. Her e-mail address is pbastani@sas.upenn.edu.
