The kicking game cost the Quakers four conference games last year, right?
Not quite.
Place-kicker Derek Zoch began his epic slump by banging a field-goal try off the post in overtime at Yale. But that kick came after a three-and-out that gained just six yards and forced Zoch to take a 37-yard attempt. Not exactly a chip shot.
And while errant or non-existent kicks also helped lose games against Brown, Princeton and Cornell, the Quakers' offense was hardly producing much in the way of wiggle room - or field position - to take pressure off.
So while it's easy to blame the losses on the kicks, and to some extent they deserve it, an extended drive here or a completed pass there might have made it all irrelevant.
But that's an academic concern for the Quakers at this point. Here are five issues that will have a more immediate effect on whether Penn's offense succeeds or fails.
1. Can Penn manage without a huddle?
After a disappointing pair of seasons, maybe new coordinator Bill Schmitz's offense, which will eschew the huddle in favor of an up-tempo scheme leaning toward vertical passing, will be the change Penn needs to get the program out of its slump.
And its not just a question if Penn can manage -- can the opposing defenses manage?
Penn will get an edge if the other teams can't adjust and the Quakers can recognize immediately mismatches on the field.
With quarterback Robert Irvin taking steps over the summer to become "more versatile," he maybe be more prepared for this offense.
But under pressure and away from the sterilized world of practice, it will come down to how well the players can communicate with each other.
2. Will Irvin play like a junior or a sophomore?
Irvin became only the second sophomore ever to throw over 2,000 yards for Penn, but more is expected out of him this year.
Item No. 1: Interceptions.
Irvin has said he's lost weight and will try to make himself more of a threat on the ground as well as using his arm.
Playing with a new offensive scheme, could cause Irvin to make some sophomore mistakes, so his final test will be to prove he can make adjustments and use his strengths in the system.
3. Will Penn's new offensive tackles be able to cope?
Difficult to say. The Quakers start age on both the left and right sides, but not experience. Senior Harry Kenning and junior Chris Kovalcik have only one career start between them. Neither has the proven record of some of last year's mainstays, like departed left tackle Marko Grzan. Kenning, a converted defensive lineman, played in only one Ivy game last year, against Dartmouth.
Penn does have backup at that spot; Will Milne backed up Grzan at left tackle last year and occupies the same slot in 2007.
But there will be an even greater burden on this year's tackles now that Sean Estrada is not around to help at guard and Andrew Wietstock has also left. Time will tell whether this year's crop is prepared to step up to the challenge.
They're not alone.
4. Who will pick up Matt Carre's receiving yards?
All the throws in the world still need someone to catch them. For Irvin, that means relying on a wideout corps that only boasts one proven producer - Braden Lepisto, who was All-Ivy as a junior.
Put junior Dan Coleman in a category all his own. He was a pleasant surprise for the Quakers last year, cracking the depth chart and racking up 85 yards in Penn's season-opening win. But an ankle injury and its lingering effects shelved him for most of the season's remainder. Now he's back on top of the depth chart, and healthy, too.
Speaking of surprises, fullback Nick Cisler provided a few as 2006 wound down. The 240-pound walk-on emerged as an aerial threat after he shook off a nagging injury, hauling in 88 receiving yards in two games at one point. If the wideouts fail to step up, Penn may call on Cisler - and Joe Sandberg, who's caught his share of passes - to get open out of the backfield.
5. Will his new offense make Al Bagnoli more comfortable taking risks on fourth down?
Probably not. Penn was near the middle of the pack in fourth-down attempts last year, but was second-to-last in successful ones. The Red and Blue converted only six on the season, for an unimpressive 37.5 percent rate (The league average hovers around 50 percent.).
Plus, the coach has a new, improved kicking game That may make him more inclined to try for three points on those fourth-and-shorts from the 27.
And though he hardly comes off as the go-for-broke type, perhaps the fake-extra-point to decide the game against Cornell is the sign of a bolder streak in the veteran coach.
