Sometimes it's been injuries. Sometimes it's been turnovers. Sometimes it's been the kicking game.
Saturday's game at Brown was a culmination of all of those pains that have plagued the Penn football team for the last three years.
This latest re-enactment of the Quakers' nightmare came in a 31-17 loss at Brown (3-4, 2-2 Ivy) on Saturday. Penn's third Ivy loss ensured that this senior class would go ringless.
"I'm very disappointed," Quakers coach Al Bagnoli said. "Right now, to be honest with you, I don't have enough answers. We have to go back to the drawing board."
On the one hand, Penn (2-5, 1-3) had nearly 500 yards of offense. On the other hand, the team had three turnovers and went 3-for-15 on third down, 3-6 on red zone opportunities and 1-for-4 on field goals.
"We've got to stop self-destructing," Bagnoli said. "We can't make mistakes against good teams on the road and leave points on the board."
Andrew Samson's missed 21-yard field goal on Penn's opening possession would be the start of many disappointments to come.
The next drive stalled. And then, after a Patrick Kimener interception, Penn quarterback Bryan Walker gave it right back. Brown's Darrell Harrison picked off a pass and returned it 65 yards to paydirt.
"This is one of the more frustrating games we've been in," Bagnoli said.
Just when things looked like they couldn't get worse, freshman running back Mike DiMaggio fumbled on his own 4-yard line, setting up an easy Brown score.
"On defense, we thrive on energy," Harrison said. "We make big plays like that to keep it going."
The Quakers couldn't catch a break. Running back Joe Sandberg left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury after gaining 46 yards on nine carries with a touchdown.
That turned Penn into a one-dimensional team playing catch-up in the second half. Down 28-10, the Quakers only handed the ball off twice while they went to the air 46 times. Walker tied his own school record with 60 pass attempts, completing 36 passes for 339 yards with two picks and a touchdown.
Wide receiver Braden Lepisto caught 10 of those balls for 141 yards; however, for Bagnoli, Sandberg's injury was no excuse.
"We still have to figure out ways to move the ball," he said. "Other kids have to step up and play."
With a win, the Quakers could have had a slim chance at winning a share of the Ivy title, if both Harvard and Yale had found two losses.
Now, the Class of 2008 replaces the Class of 1993 as the last team to not win an Ivy title.
"Eventually, we'll find our way out of this," Bagnoli said. "It may take a while, but we will."
