It's already that time again. Just two days after men's basketball was virtually eliminated from Ivy League championship contention, the first step toward the next football season took place.
Penn Athletics released the 2009 football schedule around noon yesterday. With the Ivy League slate secured through 2023, there was little room for surprises when the announcement was made.
There were only two major changes from last year's lineup. Instead of going on the road for two of their three non-conference games, the Quakers will host two and travel for one this year. The other change also rests in the non-conference schedule; last year's trip to Georgetown was replaced by a homestay against Bucknell, which Penn last faced in 2006 when it won, 34-24, in Lewisburg, Pa., and Joe Sandberg was still carrying the rock for the Quakers. The then-senior rushed for 112 yards on 12 carries in that game.
The Red and Blue have started each of the last three seasons against inter-city rival Villanova as well as Lafayette. Not only do these two teams remain on the schedule in 2009, but the games will also stay in the same venues. The Quakers host the Wildcats on Sep. 19 and travel to Easton, Pa., on Sept. 26 to take on the Leopards.
Last year at Franklin Field, Villanova's Salim Koroma recovered a Bradford Blackmon fumble in overtime to seal a 20-14 win. The following week against Lafayette, Penn fell behind 24-0 in the first half and a valiant comeback effort fell short as the Leopards held on, 24-17. That victory gave Lafayette their first back-to-back wins over Penn since 1980-82.
After those two rematches, the Quakers head up to Hanover, N.H., to kick off Ivy League play against Dartmouth before returning home for the Bucknell game.
As usual, the Ivy League games will alternate from last year's sites. In addition to Dartmouth, the Quakers will travel to Columbia as well as to the homes of 2009 Ivy League co-champions Brown and Harvard.
Meanwhile, Penn plays host to Yale, Princeton and Cornell, which all fell to the Quakers at their home stadiums last year.
The game against Yale on Oct. 24 will be the 2009 Family Weekend football game, while the Homecoming game will be on Nov. 7 against Princeton.
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