Encouraging news from Lafayette coach Frank Tavani?

It's easy for Penn fans to see the boxscore and quick recap from last night's game and start to worry. But just because the Quakers are 0-2 again doesn't mean that it's time to write off the season.

After last night's post-game press conference in Easton, Lafayette coach Frank Tavani, a true class act, told Matt Flegenheimer and me the following: "You guys got a good football team. They're gonna be alright. It's two tough games, I know, but believe me."

And I still believe him.

The Quakers were nothing short of miserable in the first half, but their comeback was astonishing. Why? Because it was a comeback against a Lafayette defense that might well be the best defense Penn faces all season. Because it was a comeback against a Lafayette offense that put 24 points on the board in the first half. Because it was a comeback on the road against a very good, underrated Lafayette team that completely demoralized Penn in the first half.

Penn's other loss so far came in overtime to a Villanova team that knocked off top-ranked Richmond last night. Harvard and Yale both lost Ivy League games yesterday, leaving the league wide open for anyone to take. Penn was fortunate to have non-conference tune-ups against two of the better teams in the Football Championship Subdivision (read: D I-AA). The Quakers are still undefeated in Ivy League play. There's no need to get nervous, at least not yet.