Penn's sprint football captain Dave Lopez hopes last year's loss to Cornell will not be reprised this year. Having beaten Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y., at the beginning of last season, the Quakers were upended at home by a revitalized Big Red squad, 24-17 later in the year.
"We know we need to go in there and win if we are going to keep any chance of winning or sharing a title alive," Lopez said.
Earlier this season, Penn had an opportunity in the Allegiance Bowl to exact its revenge on Cornell for last season's loss, but again it faltered in a 20-12 defeat. And with a loss to Army last Saturday, the margin for error for the Quakers is quickly becoming smaller.
As for the game last Saturday, not much can be said for the Quakers except that their defense did not operate as it should have.
"We played pretty well," sophomore safety Michael Brous said. Army "played [tough] against us, and we couldn't get the ball in the end zone. When that happens, you're not going to win a game."
And, just like last week, there will be a strong defense standing in the Quakers' way, not to mention an aggressive offense that won't hesitate to run the ball and keep Penn's defense on its toes.
"Cornell - up front, their defensive line and linebackers are good players," Brous said. "They run the ball pretty well, but nothing that we can't handle."
Lopez noted that the strength of Cornell's offense is senior running back Michael Fullowan, who scored a touchdown against Penn last season. For Lopez, it is essential for Penn's defense to make sure that Cornell's dynamic duo of Fullowan and Allegiance Bowl MVP quarterback Zak Dentes does not make a connection today.
"Their running back is very good, and their quarterback had a good game against us last time," Lopez said. "We've got to stop him - if we stop those two guys, they're not going to be able to do anything."
For the past two seasons, the Big Red seemed to have the habit of raining on Penn's parade, making Penn's dreams for a CSFL title nothing but passing memories. But this time, Cornell has made itself a prime target: The Quakers are honing in for a decisive victory against their Ivy League rival.
"Obviously, we owe them some payback. It would be nice to beat them at home," Lopez said. "It's important to make sure our season stays meaningful."
