Football | Lost another one to 'Nova

When the Quakers blocked an extra point in the first overtime on Friday, they sensed that a victory over Villanova - one that had eluded them since 1911 - might finally be within their grasp.

But moments later, Bradford Blackmon's grip wasn't strong enough. The ball and the win slipped out of his fingers on first down, as Salim Koroma pounced on the tailback's second fumble to allow the No. 19 Wildcats to leave Franklin Field on top, 20-14.

"He's a young kid, he was trying to make a big play," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said of Blackmon. "We're due for some better luck."

Bagnoli's Villanova counterpart, Andy Talley, was the recipient of that good fortune.

"When you go to overtime, it's all about luck," Talley said. "Don't even think it's about who the better team is. Flip a coin - it's luck."

Indeed, the highlight-reel, game-winning touchdown run from Villanova quarterback Chris Whitney - who entered in the fourth quarter - was actually a broken play.

On second and four from the Penn nine-yard line, Whitney was supposed to complete the handoff, but instead he faked it and kept the option himself, spinning left to take it to the house.

"When I make the mistake, I'm thinking, 'Shoot, I really got to do something so I don't make myself look bad on this play,'" Whitney said.

Those six points were the first by either team since halfway through the second quarter. After a run-and-gun 20 minutes, in which four of the game's opening eight drives ended in the endzone, both defenses settled down.

The Red and Blue's much-touted secondary ended three promising Villanova series prematurely in the second half. All-Ivy corner Chris Wynn, who dove up the middle to pick off an Antwon Young pass in the second quarter and again lept for a pick in the front corner of Penn's endzone in the third, showed that he's tough to beat in single coverage.

Some less heralded Quakers followed his lead, as sophomore defensive backs Josh Powers and Jonathan Saelinger came away with touchdown-saving catches.

"I think we saw that - God forbid that something should happen - but if some people do go down, we have other players to step in and do great jobs," Wynn said.

But after an uncharacteristic halftime lashing from Talley, the Wildcats also picked up their coverage after the break, allowing just three first downs. The 23-year head coach said that Penn's diverse play-calling caught his squad off guard early.

Senior Robert Irvin, returning from his second shoulder surgery, was poised and his arm looked strong against the team that last year intercepted him five times and ended his season.

Irvin finished 15-for-23 for 179 yards, hooking up with Kyle Derham for a 29-yard play-action rollout to tie the game at 7.

And in the second quarter, Irvin executed a halfback draw to perfection, allowing Michael DiMaggio to power his way into the endzone. The handoff was smooth enough to fool not only many of the 14,758 in attendance, but also the Wildcats' rushers, one of whom threw Irvin to the ground, thinking he had a sack.

But as Irvin went down, DiMaggio was already dusting himself off after his 12-yard run put Penn up, 14-7.

The Wildcats evened the score just four plays later, when Young lofted a pass up the middle that landed in the hands of Matthew Szczur, who had one step on the Quakers' last man.

As was expected, DiMaggio and Blackmon split Penn's carries - 15 each, as it turned out - and, fumbles not withstanding, were equally effective.

Those fumbles, of course, loomed large. Bagnoli lamented that "this game for us has no margin of error."

But considering that Villanova was heavily favored and had already played two games, Talley was impressed with the Quakers' showing.

"I think Penn has a great chance to be Ivy champs again, I really do," Talley said. "Because I think we're a pretty good team, and, I mean, they almost beat us."

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