Behind Enemy Lines: Villanova coach Andy Talley

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What does this rivalry mean to you?

I have great respect for coach Bagnoli. I coached at Brown for six years and I have great respect for the Ivy League. I love the rivalries within the league. I love the way they do things and the tradition is fantastic.

So when you're playing a great school with a legendary coach and a tremendous academic and football tradition, it's special. The Villanova game across town, out in the suburbs, Villanova-Penn. It's a natural deal. Two schools that deal for the same audience, the same newspaper space. It's going to be a great game, a real tough game for us, one that I wish I didn't have on my schedule, frankly. We have to play the Ivy League champion almost every year.

Our league is tough enough in the CAA without having to schedule a team like Penn, so it has everything. Three times, this game has gone down to the last play of the game. It's a great rivalry, and we'll get Penn's best game. No questions about it. It's like playing a top team in the CAA. We have our hands full with this one.

What do your players look to get out of this game and the non-conference slate on the whole?

For us, a win is very important. A win is important in the longterm stepping stone to get into the playoffs. We already have two losses - to Boston College and then we got upset by Fordham. So, we can't afford another loss because we're playing a really rough league schedule and three of the best teams in the league are away. So this is a must game for us.

How different do you think this game would be, this rivalry would be, if Penn could make the FCS playoffs?

I don't think it would be any different. It's a must-win game for us. For them, it's not a must-win game. It's just a barometer game for them, because what matters to them is the Ivy League championship. So, I think playing a Villanova who is a nationally ranked team gives them credibility, and in that respect, they're looking to show people that they belong in the higher echelon of college football at this level.

For me, it's to win, to move on, to make the playoffs. That's our goal. I think there's more pressure on us than on Penn, wouldn't you say?

I would, for sure. Penn definitely thinks about its non-conference schedule differently than a Villanova, than a William & Mary. Do your players understand that Penn's stakes are different than your stakes?

No, I don't think so. Here's how they view Penn. A championship football program. The hardest-hitting team we play. Extremely well coached. If you're going to win the game, you have to win the game. They're not going to come in, throw interceptions, get stupid penalties, turn the ball over. They're not going to get out-coached. They're not going to make the mistakes and turn the game over to us.

I've talked to them all week about that, reverting back to the fact that this game has been decided by the last play three times, when we were really good. That's the impression. When you play in a black-and-blue league like the CAA, you understand who your opponent is. You don't just look at the world through rose colored glasses and say, 'You know, Penn, oh okay, no problem.' No. Our kids know the history. They're very aware of the athletic ability. They look at Billy Ragone, one of the best quarterbacks we've played against. And defensively, historically, we've had trouble running the ball against Penn. They're very difficult to run against.

They have a pedigree, and when you play a team year in and year out, you get a strong opinion and realistic opinion of who they are.