Note: As we move into basketball season, items about the Big 5 will be included in "Random Notes"
1) Philly.com has launched a new college basketball blog dedicated to City Six hoops. Not only will the blog have posts from the Inquirer's college sports staff of Mike Kern, Bob Cooney and Dick Jerardi, but five of the six City Six coaches will also post their thoughts.
Interestingly, Villanova's Jay Wright -- in classic we're-too-good-for-the-rest-of-the-city fashion that Villanova demonstrated when it almost left the Big 5 -- "was not able to make the commitment because of his busy schedule during the season," according to the first post. Is his schedule really that much busier than any of the other coaches? The only possible answer is that the Big East does involve more traveling than the other conferences represented in the city, as the Wildcats travel to Wisconsin, Florida, Illinois and Indiana for conference play. (Ironically, their farthest non-conference game is at Madison Square Garden.)
2) Nittanydelphia, a blog dedicated to Penn State and Philadelphia sports, is publishing previews of all Big 5 teams. Here is Penn's entry. From there you can find the other schools' as well.
3) Many preseason publications had the Harvard men's basketball team finishing as high as third in the conference. One key reason voters saw the Crimson moving up from seventh to third was 6-foot-10 freshman sensation Andrew Van Nast. However, Van Nast has injured his shoulder and will miss the entire year. The Crimson are not completely out of luck, since they do return all five starters from last year.
4) Looking over the Sagarin NCAA football ratings, four Ivy League teams are ranked above at least one FBS team. Harvard is the top Ivy team at no. 135 and is ahead of eight FBS teams, including Washington State of the PAC-10. No. 156 Brown is ahead of two FBS schools, and both No. 162 Penn and No. 165 Yale are ahead of No. 171 North Texas.
The Penn basketball team might be facing the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation this Saturday, but at least the chances that they'll face North Carolina's best player are quite slim.
Senior Tyler Hansbrough, who decided to stay in school for his final season instead of declaring for the NBA draft, has been limited due to a stress reaction in his right shin. In fact, he hasn't practiced in two weeks. And according to coach Roy Williams, "It's extremely doubtful that he would play against Pennsylvania, and I emphasize extremely doubtful."
(Hey, at least he didn't call us Penn State.)
The reigning National Player of the Year has 48 points and 15 rebounds in two career games against the Quakers.
The Tar Heels also are without guard Marcus Ginyard, one of their best defenders.
1) What does Princeton have in common with Indiana, Maryland, Stanford, Texas Tech and Arkansas? According to the San Francisco Chronicle, they're all "esteemed basketball programs" that might finish last in their conferences.
2) Basketball players have always been some of the most obvious BMOCs on campus here at Penn. And even though he's only a sophomore, Tyler Bernadini has been selected by Comcast SportsNet as Penn's representative for their "Big Men on Campus" series.
3) ESPN The Magazine has come up with one stat for each Division I team that best represents both last year and future results. (Unfortunately, the link requires a subscription to ESPN Insider).
Here is Penn's, with the rest of the league after the jump. The team's are ranked in order of predicted finish.
2 ) Penn
74.5
The Quakers are coming off of their first losing season since 2000-01, but led by Ivy ROY Tyler Bernardini, they're well-stocked to challenge Cornell ... if they D up. Penn gave up 74.5 ppg last season, its worst performance in 20 years.
1 ) Cornell
75
Cornell feasted on foes that it held below 75 points last season, going 17-0 when it did. And with three returning double-digit scorers--unusual depth for an Ivy team--it will once again take a big scoring night to knock off the Big Red.
3 ) Harvard
5
Harvard went 8-22 last year, including 3-11 in league games. Benefit of the doubt, it was a transition period for first-year coach Tommy Amaker. This one should be smoother, as all five starters return, including G Jeremy Lin (12.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.6 apg). Time to see how many of Amaker's lessons have sunk in.
4 ) Yale
46
Yale has been .500 or better in conference play for eight straight seasons. With four new starters, that streak could be in danger. Defense could still save the day, though. The Bulldogs were 11-1 when they held opponents to less than 46% from the field, just 2-14 when they didn't.
5 ) Brown
6, 4
Chris Skrelja, a 6'6'' forward, was one of 10 players in D1 to average more than six boards and four dishes. The Bears will lean on that unselfish, all-around game a bit more as they try to replace a pair of 15 ppg guards (Mark McAndrew and Damon Huffman).
6 ) Princeton
23
Before last season, the Tigers had had only two 10-game losing streaks in their 108-year history. But after a 2-0 start, they dropped a school-record 12 in a row, then later lost nine more. Setting the school mark for losses (23) was no way for Sydney Johnson to begin a long tenure as coach.
7 ) Dartmouth
12
How special is senior F Alex Barnett? Not only was he second-team All-Ivy on a crew that went 3-11 in conference, but he was also one of 12 D1ers to average more than 15 points, seven boards, one steal and one block. He's going to need to do even better than that. No other returning player scored 200 points last year.
8 ) Columbia
48
The Lions lost four starters from a 14-15 team, but if that means senior guard K.J. Matsui (7.2 ppg) will get more looks, then fine: Matsui nailed 49% of his threes, sixth best in the country. Then again, 102 of his 124 tries came from downtown. He has to put the ball on the deck to keep defenders honest.
As fall sports start to wind down, winter sports begin. And never is that clearer than this weekend. From Friday Nov. 14 to Sunday Nov. 16, there are 13 Penn sporting events involving 12 teams (volleyball plays twice).
This poses a problem for Quakers fans who want to watch two or more games simultaneously. Fortunately the three biggest events -- the football game vs. Harvard, the M. Hoops season opener at North Carolina and M. Soccer's win-or-go-home battle with the Crimson for the league title -- are all at different times (Saturday at noon, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively).
However, watching the UNC game still might be tough, as it's only on NESN and Fox Sports South, two channels that aren't part of normal Philadelphia cable packages. While sports bars like Cavanaugh's on 39th St. will, of course, cover the game, there is another option: According to The News & Observer, the game will be available online.
Meanwhile, the basketball game -- with announcers Jones Angell and Eric Montross at the Smith Center -- will be broadcast free and live on tarheelblue.com.
It turns out Tar Heels fans have an even bigger dilemma on their hands than Quakers fans. While the Quakers are in town for basketball, the football team will be playing Maryland at the exact same time (well, technically it starts at 3:30). And while the basketball team -- which became the first unanimous preseason No. 1. in the history of the USA Today/ESPN poll earlier this month -- still dominates the Chapel Hill campus, the football team actually is ranked 17th in the nation and would win the ACC Coastal Division if it wins out and Virginia Tech loses one of its last three games.
(HT to Krista Hutz)
1) The Bulletin profiles Penn freshman point guard Zack Rosen, saying "He's not a showman. He's a point guard. A throwback floor general who counts wins instead of numbers. Classic Ivy League."
2) Remember how the NCAA pushed back the three-point line this year for men's teams? Well in case you don't, here's a summary of the changes and potential impact from The Washington Post. It will be interesting to see how this effects Ivy League teams' chances of earning a major upset, whether in the regular season or NCAA tournament.
3) Yale Sports Publicity released a season preview of the Bulldogs' men's basketball team.
4) As part of Penn Athletics' marketing push for men's basketball, fans can now bid on a "Men's Basketball Player Experience" in which the winner and one guest can sit next to a former Penn great. First up is last year's captain Brian Grandieri.
5) As you can see on the schedule, nine men's basketball games will be aired on television this year, with the highlight being the 10 a.m. Drexel game on ESPN Nov. 18. The hat tip goes out to The Cornell Basketball Blog for pointing this out.
That site is one of the best sources of Ivy League basketball news, and while it does focus on Cornell, it normally is relatively unbiased. However, this time the blog is extremely opinionated in discussing Penn's basketball broadcasts.
Talking about a strange decision, the Philadelphia/South Jersey area television network, CN8 opted to broadcast five of Penn's games, including on the road at Dartmouth and in the Palestra gainst Princeton. Now those are some attractive games. Not! If it is not paintful enough, the gods of television also decided to show Penn at Princeton on ESPNU. We would like to see the tv ratings on that one. Just no love for Cornell-- the Ivy League's defending champions, the Preseason Favorite and the Ivy League school with the largest alumni base.
First off, besides the Princeton and Dartmouth games mentioned above, the games that CN8 will televise are the Villanova, Saint Joseph's and Temple games (as well as the one against Harvard). Clearly televising Big 5 games is a good move for a Philadelphia-based television station.
Second, the reason for the Princeton away game being televised on ESPNU (or why last Friday's football game at Princeton was on ESPNU) is that Princeton has a deal with ESPNU to cover several games throughout the academic year. In fact, in each of the last three years the Penn at Princeton basketball game has been on ESPNU.
Finally, Cornell will get at least two televised games, against Indiana and Syracuse, as well as potentially more if they go far in the preaseason NIT. (If you click "details" for each game on the schedule you can see the media information.)
All said, does this reaction by The Cornell Basketball Blog remind anyone else of Andy's Cornell opinions on The Office two weeks ago?
PRINCETON, N.J.--Good evening folks, David Bernstein here at Princeton Stadium for the 100th all-time matchup between Penn and Princeton. There's a sizable Penn crowd tailgating in the parking lot, so hopefully the crowd really gets up for this one.
FINAL: Penn 14, Princeton 9
The Quakers were able to run down the clock and walk away with a victory that keeps them alive in the Ivy title race -- if Brown falters.
1:50, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
Princeton burns its last timeout after a Kieffer keeper (sorry, I couldn't resist). And on 3rd and 8, Garton makes a HUGE play and gets the first and stays in bounds. Now it's Princeton vs. The Clock.
2:40, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
A DiMaggio run gives Penn some breathing room, but and Garton runs for a first down as the clock continues to tick down. On 3rd and 6, Garton executes a nice play fake and rolls right. His pass is a little underthrown, but tight end Josh Koontz comes back to get it. First and ten Penn on its own 40.
6:07, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
The Tigers can't capitalize on the fortunate turn of events, and can't move the ball after three incomplete passes. And yet again, the punter Coyle lofts a great kick, and pins the Quakers at their own three. It's gotta be tough to operate with this kind of field position time and time again.
6:42, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
Anderson moves the chains on first down with a pass to Culbreath (who makes a nice catch on a ball thrown behind him) after nearly being taken down near the goal line. On the ensuing play, Culbreath takes it outside for about ten yards, but the real dagger is the flag on the play. A personal foul on Marc Washington moves the Tigers up to their own 44, 1st and 10.
7:24, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
A three-and-out by the Quakers (stuffed run, batted down pass and completion to FB Jason Miran) leads to another punt by Belasco, a beauty (finally) that goes for 42 yards net. First down Princeton on the 9.
9:11, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 9
On 3rd and 11, Ertman makes a nice open-field tackle on Berry, but the refs are extremely generous with the spot, and give Princeton a first down.
And on the very next play, Anderson airs it out to a double-covered Thanheiser, who hauls in a ridiculous catch. Powers and Jonathan Moore got beat, with Powers actually almost committing P.I. on the play. That put the Tigers on the goal line, and Culbreath banged it in for the score. Anderson misfired on a 2-pt. conversion, but this is a ball game now.
11:10, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
Anderson beautifully sells a reverse handoff and takes a page from Garton's book, running for 15 yards and a first down. On the next play a reverse to Berry is executed beautifully, but is called back due to holding (as Penn SID Mike Mahoney said, "That's unfortunate.")
12:51, Fourth Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
A DiMaggio run for two yards is followed by a Penn timeout, and the Quakers can't get the first. Bagnoli chooses to punt it away on 4th and 1, and punter Scooter Belasco (replacing an injured Kyle Olson) gets off an ugly kick that nets 22 net yards unreturned.
Random observation: the Tigers' uniforms are horrendous looking (sorry I haven't mentioned this before, but they're a blinding electric orange.
End of Third Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
After a Penn false start, a block-in-the-back call on a screen to Blackmon pushed the Quakers to their own 12 to deal with a 2nd and 18.
Shortly after, the Red and Blue convert a ridiculous 3rd and 12 on a 28-yard Garton run to the Penn 46. Garton absolutely refused to go down, getting almost 15 yards after contact and really firing up the Penn student section. That had to be energizing.
2:56, Third Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
Anderson threw up a lob to Andrew Kerr in the end zone, with Wynn on him like a center boxing out. But in flies Josh Powers, laying a hit on Kerr and breaking up the pass on 3rd and 11. The Tigers are forced to punt it away, and the special teams nearly makes an acrobatic save from the end zone on the punt.
On a side note, cornerback and captain Tyson Maugle will not return with an undisclosed injury. He had broken his nose earlier in the season, but it has not seemed to affect him the past couple of weeks.
3:30, Third Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
Will Thanheiser comes up with a 20-yard catch as Anderson scrambles left. Cornerback Chris Wynn was right there, but the pass was underthrown, so he got a little bit turned around. It's 1st and 15 from the Penn 42 after a false start. The Tigers go to the option once again, for a gain of four.
6:46, Third Quarter Penn 14-Princeton 3
A Penn false start and a Garton rush for no gain put Penn in a 3rd and goal situation, which Garton converts to wideout Matt Appenfelder, a ten-yard score. The first career touchdown pass and catch for those two, and a Samson PAT puts the lead at 11.
8:18, Third Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 3
Garton moves the chains again on a 3rd-and-3 run, and nearly completes a beautiful pass to Lawrence in the end zone, a fade route. But Lawrence was bobbling it as he went out of bounds.
On the next play, the Tigers sniff out an option pitch to DiMaggio, who was slow to get up. The silver lining is a 15-yard face mask on Princeton's Pete Buchignani, so it's 1st and 10 from the ten yardline.
10:18, Third Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 3
After a couple of hard-nosed runs by DiMaggio to start the half, Garton reverses field on a designed rush, and barrels into a Princeton defender (didn't catch who). Really nice athleticism and vision on the ground from the newcomer.
Shortly after, he hits Derham for a first down at the Tigers 29. On first down, Garton runs it again, for 7 yards. This kid really doesn't like to go down. Gotta love that toughness, you just hope he doesn't get banged up.
First- Half Stats
Mike DiMaggio: 7 rushes for 41 yards
Keiffer Garton: 8-11 passing for 71 yards, 6 rushes for 19 yards and a TD
Bradford Blackmon: 3 catches for 24 yards
Princeton's Brian Anderson has gone 8-12 for 92 yards, with Jordan Culbreath as his main target (3 catches for 37 yards)
Halftime Penn 7-Princeton 3
On 3rd and 5, linebacker Jay Colabella sacks Anderson for a loss of five. The Tigers hit the field goal this time, a 32-yarder right down the middle (Bologna's career-long). That completes a 7-play, 62-yard drive.
Princeton squibs it on the ensuing kickoff, and Garton will take a knee to end the half.
1:45, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Well, I guess Princeton is trying to keep pace in the defensive-backs-on-offense category. Meko McCray, a career DB, is now in the Tigers backfield, and runs it for four yards down to the Penn 11. Meanwhile, the Quakers burn their final timeout of the half.
2:33, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
The Princeton pass protection holds up nicely, and Anderson has ample time to hit Adam Barry near the left sideline for a big gain down to the Penn 32. On the subsequent first down, Anderson runs it for 17 down to the 15 yardline and another first.
4:13, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Now for the second "What the?" moment of the night. We see the fourth quarterback of the season as Brendan McNally (who had been converted into a safety during the preseason and logged an interception against Yale) comes out for first and second down (both running plays), before Garton reenters. A holding penalty on second down pushes Penn back, and the Quakers go three-and-out again. Princeton first down at its own 22.
6:26, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Penn gets the ball and promptly goes three-and-out with Garton back at the helm (good to see Bagnoli is showing at least a modicum of faith in the kid after a bad interception).
Princeton ball, and on the first play fullback Matt Zimmerman limps off the field after a catch for a loss.
And on 3rd down we have our first "What the?" moment of the game, a long Culbreath reception turns into a fumble and Penn recovery. Culbreath looked to be down (and the Penn defense's body language suggests as much), but Penn DB Tony Moses absolutely crushed him. The replays are inconclusive, but it very well could've been ground-caused.
Culbreath actually went down and stayed down, but after some medical attention he got up under his own power.
9:22, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
A couple of Culbreath runs, along with a short reception on an Anderson shovel pass take the Tigers down inside the 15.
Facing a third and nine, the Tigers are stuffed, with a blitzing Britton Ertman getting to Anderson. Call it a coverage sack.
And then, kicker Ben Bologna (barely) misses a 35-yarder, wide left. Quakers ball on the 20.
13:10, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Jordan Culbreath squeaks through the Penn line for the first down, and on second down Anderson hits Karr cutting toward the right sideline. A third-down Culbreath rush to the right gives the Tigers another first down.
15:00, Second Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Spoke to soon. The Quakers go play action again, but this time Garton's pass is WAY underthrown, and Tigers DB Barry Newell comes up with it. Now, an Anderson rush, a short pass to Culbreath and some technical difficulties later, it's 3rd and 1 at the Princeton 42 for the Tigers.
1:30, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
A nice play-action on second and five results in a 13-yard reception to Marcus Lawrence on the right sideline. Lawrence really sold the fly route, but Garton threw a nice ball to him on the hitch.
2:39, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
With their backs to the wall, the Quakers respond with a pair of runs (Garton, then DiMaggio), and then a rolling Garton finds Derham once more for a first down. Side note, Blackmon is habitually splitting out wide, something that coach Al Bagnoli has been having him do often this year.
4:31, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
A screen pass to wideout Andrew Karr is incomplete after Penn cornerback gets to him a little early. Tigers coach Roger Hughes wasn't happy, but he was one play later, when punter Ryan Coyle pinned the Quakers at the one on an absolutely beautiful punt.
5:00, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
A three-yard rush by Anderson on a fake handoff is followed by an option right to Culbreath. It's now 3rd and 6.
6:10, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Looks like the Tigers watched some game tape this week. They try a reverse on the kick return, but the Quakers succeed where they failed last week, sniffing it out.
On first down on the 26, Culbreath runs for 5--he's a pretty shifty back out there, and despite underwhelming size, he looks pretty tough to bring down.
On second down, Will Thanheiser makes a 16-yard catch at midfield to move the chains.
7:15, First Quarter Penn 7-Princeton 0
Princeton linebacker Steven Cody sniffs out an option to the left on first down, but on second down Garton gets into the end zone (the first of his career), this time on an option keeper to the right. He found a seam inside, and got in untouched. Andrew Samson's extra point is barely good after it's tipped by a Tiger on the line.
That was 84 yards in 13 plays for the Red and Blue in 7:45.
7:56, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
A 6-yard DiMaggio run takes the Quakers to the Princeton 3, and the Quakers take a timeout. It'll be first and goal when we get back underway.
8:10, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
Derham, sitting in a pocket in the Tigers zone on the left side, is found (a little late) by Garton, but it’s another first down regardless after Derham gets some yardage after the catch. Garton is looking pretty competent right now, evading the rush and making some decent reads.
9:20, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
Garton's pass to Derham is thrown behind Kyle Derham on second down, and on third and nine, the sophomore signal-caller scrambles to his right and finds Blackmon sitting right at the first down marker at midfield.
Not long after, DiMaggio rumbles for about 12 yards, moving the chains again.
11:00, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
Penn calls running back Mike DiMaggio's number on 1st and 2nd downs, good for a first down at the 28.
Garton--operating out of the shotgun--hands it off to Bradford Blackmon (who runs completely laterally) on first down, and pulls it down for a first down to the Tigers 39 on the next play.
13:04, First Quarter Penn 0-Princeton 0
After a Dave Kuncio kickoff, the Tigers started out at the 30 yardline, and got off to a nice start with a 13-yard run from Jordan Culbreath, the offense's go-to guy. An incomplete pass by Brian Anderson on first down and a Culbreath run for a loss, Princeton almost converts a 4th-and-11, but the receiver couldn't get a foot in.
It's going to be Penn ball at the 16, with Keiffer Garton (!) at quarterback after a RYan Coyle punt.
For those who went to the Red and Blue scrimmage the other day, one absence (among many) was junior forward Andreas Schreiber.
I haven't talked to any of the team's coaches, or Schreiber himself, about this yet, but a source who is very close to the team tells me that he hurt his shoulder in practice diving for a loose ball.
As for the exact nature of the injury, he has heard the terms 'dislocated' and 'separated.' Like my source, I'm not sure there is a difference. As for a return time, who knows, but it is probably a couple of weeks at the least.
Quarterback Kyle Olson is officially done for the season.
The team confirmed that Olson tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in his left knee in the second quarter of Saturday’s 34-27 loss to Brown.
That game was Olson’s first start of the season after battling with senior Rob Irvin for the top job since training camp. Olson – a junior transfer from Fullerton, a two-year school – finished the year 34-for-62 for 245 yards, no touchdowns and one interception for an efficiency of 84.81 in seven games.
He was also the team’s punter, averaging 38.5 yards over 43 kicks. Scooter Belasco, who punted a 47-yarder on Saturday, will take over, while Irvin and sophomore Kieffer Garton will split the play-calling duties.
As we enter November, we also enter the home stretch of most Ivy League seasons. So with just a few weeks remaining, here are title chances for all Fall teams. (Sports without standings -- such as cross country, rowing and golf -- are not included.)
Field Hockey (Currently Fourth place, with an Ivy League record of 3-2):
Val Cloud's team started out 1-2 in the Ancient Eight but has since won two in row over Columbia and Yale. But they still can only play the role of spoiler. No. 11 Princeton (6-0) has already clinched at least a share of the Ivy League title and NCAA berth, since it beat second-place Cornell, 4-0, on Saturday. Penn visits the Tigers next Friday and will look to spoil their perfect conference record and hurt their tournament seeding.
Football (Second place, 3-1):
Clearly, the team took a major hit when it lost to Brown, the only other undefeated team, 34-27, on Saturday. The Bears (4-0) now have a commanding Ivy lead that they probably won't relinquish since they finish with Yale, then doormats Columbia and Dartmouth. (The latter two are a combined 1-13 overall and 1-7 in the Ivy League.) Yet Penn is still only one game back with three to play; its best (but not only) shot is to win out and hope Brown loses to Yale.
Men's soccer (T-First place, 4-1-0, 12 points):
Of all Penn teams, Ruddy Fuller's club has the best chance of winning an outright Ivy League title. The simplest way to clinch the league would be to win its next two games. The Quakers first play Princeton (2-2-1, seven points) next Saturday and then host Harvard, which is tied for first, in the finale following game.
Otherwise, the Quakers can still win, but they'd need to watch out for Dartmouth (3-1-1, 10 points), which thrust itself into the title race by upsetting Harvard. If the Big Green beat Cornell next Saturday -- and considering Cornell is 1-13, 0-5 they probably will -- and Penn and Harvard both do not win that day, then Dartmouth would have at least a share of first place heading into the season’s final weekend. Brown, in fourth at 3-2-0, nine points, can technically still win the league if it wins out and the top three teams fail to win any of their remaining games.
Women's soccer (Fourth place, 2-2-2, eight points):
Despite returning every player from last year's championship team, the Quakers were officially eliminated from defending their crown on Saturday when Brown beat them, 1-0, in overtime. They lost too many league games they shouldn't have; they're 1-0-1 against two of the teams that are ahead of them (Columbia and Harvard) but are just 1-2-1 against teams below them.
Volleyball (Third place, 6-3):
The Quakers got two critical wins this weekend, beating both Columbia and Cornell at the Palestra. They are 2.5 games back of first-place Yale (9-1) and two games behind second-place Princeton (8-1). To win the championship, they almost certainly will need to win out, beating Yale Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth and Brown. Thus, they'd be 11-3 and Princeton and Yale would each have at least two losses. The Bulldogs and Tigers play each other on Nov. 15, so the Quakers would need the winner of that matchup to lose just one more game to setup a tie for the Ivy League title.
Good afternoon from Franklin Field. Matt Flegenheimer here to provide live updates on this all-important Ivy showdown. Quakers fans couldn't ask for a more beautiful Homecoming Day; conditions are perfect as the Ancient Eight's two undefeated powers each try to seize a stranglehold on conference front-runner status. Keep it here with the Buzz for up-to-the-minute reports on all the action.
FINAL: Brown 34, Penn 27
Samson's onside kick lands nicely in the hands of a Brown player. The Bears kneel to run out the clock, game over.
Brown 34 Penn 27, 1:21 Q4
Penn's drive stalls deep in Brown territory, but after a stop, Bagnoli sends everyone on a punt block and someone gets a hand in. Tyson Maugle recovers in the end zone, and it's a one-score game. Here comes the onside kick...
Brown 34 Penn 20, 4:05 Q4
Penn gets the stop it needs, but can't muster any offense thereafter. Faced with a fourth-and-two on their own 26, the Quakers opt for a Garton run off tackle to the left, a play Brown has sniffed out from the start. Brown scores three plays later on a play-action lob to Cloherty. After lineman Brian Wing blocks his second kick of the day on the extra point attempt, Brown leads by 14.
Brown 28 Penn 20, 9:33 Q4
First, an apology: The wireless connection in the Franklin Field press box has been in and out for most of the second half, causing the delay between posts.
Now, an update: Irvin fumbled again, in the midst of a promising drive around midfield, and Bears senior Joseph McPhee (who forced the fumble) pounced on it. Dougherty proceeded to hit tight end Colin Cloherty for a big gain over the middle down to the 12, then connected with Sewall on a screen pass in the left flat, which the wideout parlayed into a touchdown down the left sideline.
Penn responded with a solid drive--highlighted by a 35-yard pass from Garton to Koontz over the top of the secondary--but couldn't get past Brown's 21. Samson converted the field goal from 38 yards out to get Penn within a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Brown 21 Penn 17, 8:24 Q3
After a Brown three-and-out, Penn takes over at its own 8. Garton rushes up the middle for a short gain on first down, but on the next play, Irvin returns to fumble the snap, which is promptly recovered by Brown's Michael Lemmons. It's worth noting that Penn's backup center, sophomore Joe D'Orazio, was in for the botched snap.
Taking over from Penn's 10, Dougherty hits Farnham again on a quick screen, and the junior wideout finds a seam to reclaim the lead.
Brown 14 Penn 17, 11:01 Q3
DiMaggio makes the gutsiest play of the year so far, taking a short pass on 3rd and 11, shuffling forward for about six yards before being hit by a swarm of Bears defenders. He keeps his feet churning, though, spinning out of a tackle, and trudging past the first-down marker.
A few plays later, with Garton behind center, the Quakers dig deep in the playbook for an end-around to Lawrence, who runs right, drops back, and floats a pass to Garton up the left sideline for a gain of 21. Lawrence becomes the fifth Penn player to complete a pass this afternoon.
Irvin comes in for the goal-line situation, dumping a pass to Blackmon on first down, then watching his back shake a tackle at the seven, duck left, then scamper into the endzone to put the Quakers back on top.
Update on Olson: He sustained an injury to his left knee and will be undergoing X-rays this afternoon. He will not return.
Brown 14 Penn 10, Halftime
Penn decides to squib the ensuing kickoff--every football fan's favorite ploy--giving Brown possession at its own 43. On the second play of the drive, Dougherty fakes the handoff and unloads a pass to Farnham streaking up the right sideline. The wideout hauls it in, tiptoes the sideline, and finds the end zone for a 57-yard score, a mere 21 seconds after the Quakers had taken the lead.
Penn runs the clock out on the final possession of the half, and the teams hit the locker room after a wild opening thirty minutes.
Halftime stats:
Brown
Dougherty: 10-21, 141 yards, touchdown
Ritter: 2 carries, 23 yards
Farnham: 5 catches, 109 yards, touchdown
Penn
Olson: 12-16, 95 yards
DiMaggio: 12 carries, 44 yards
Derham: 3 catches, 20 yards
Brown 7 Penn 10, 1:15 Q2
An eventful drive for Penn, to say the least. After forcing a Brown three-and-out, Penn takes over near midfield. On the first set of downs, Olson runs a play-action, faces significant pressure from the Brown line, backpedals to his own 45, then lofts a pass off his back foot up the right sideline to
1) The Penn-Brown football game this Saturday will be nationally televised on Versus as the Ivy League Game of the Week. And unlike last week's fluff game between then-winless Columbia and still-winless Dartmouth, this game will actually be important. Both teams enter the game with 3-0 conference records, so the winner will be in the driver's seat of the Ivy title race.
Only twice before have Brown and Penn met with undefeated Ancient Eight records. Penn won both in 1984 and 1986 en route to league championships.
2) Both the men's and women's basketball teams have their preseason intrasquad scrimmages this weekend, just before the homecoming football game. And in case you need some practice watching morning basketball before the men's team takes on Drexel at 10 a.m. Nov 18 you're in luck: The men's scrimmage starts at 10:45 a.m.
3) On the heels of a documentary about the 1969 "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" game, this Saturday, NESN will air a 90-minute documentary on Ivy League football.
Rob Eiter was formally named the Penn wrestling head coach today. He had been the interim head coach after Zeke Jones stepped down to take over the head coaching position for USA Wrestling.
A full article will appear in tomorrow's DP.
Hey, Matt Flegenheimer here from the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Ct. The wireless service in the press box has been out all day, but with the second half set to kick off, we're finally connected and ready to go. Yale leads 7-0 after 30 minutes, scoring on a 17-yard drive following a Robert Irvin interception on Penn's first drive. Yale tight end John Sheffield took a pass in the right flat from Yale's Brook Hart (starting in place of injured Ryan Fodor) and went in untouched for the score. With Irvin struggling early, Al Bagnoli has gone to junior Kyle Olson from the end of the first quarter through the first drive of the second half. Stay with the Buzz for live updates the rest of the way.
Halftime stats:
Irvin: 4-10, 27 yards, Int
Olson: 6-14, 46 yards
Blackmon: 6 rushes, 27 yards
DiMaggio: 3 rushes, 6 yards
Koontz: 4 catches, 19 yards
For Yale...
Hart: 5-6, 29 yards
McCleod: 11 rushes, 23 yards
Haase: 3 catches, 23 yards
Penn 9 Yale 7, FINAL
Hart picked up two first downs on the ensuing drive, but was taken down by Drew Goldsmith on a huge sack to force 3rd and 18. Two incompletions later, Penn had the ball back on downs. With only one timeout left, Yale could only stop the clock once, and got the ball with 25 seconds left at its own 23 for one last shot. After two incompletions from Hart, former QB Brendan McNally picked off the final pass to end the game in style.
Penn 9 Yale 7, 4:35 Q4
Let's see what you've got, Brook Hart. Samson knocks a 31-yarder through after a nice, prolonged drive from Olson and the backs. DiMaggio run hard, picking up three first downs, and Olson completed a nice intermediate route over the middle to Derham to get them close. The drive stalled at the Bulldog 8, and the Quakers went backwards from there, but Samson put the Red and Blue ahead with a good-looking knock that was never in doubt.
Penn 6 Yale 7, 12:26 Q4
Bagnoli might regret this one. Two DiMaggio runs set up second and goal from the 1, then another inside handoff to DiMaggio is sniffed out for a one-yard loss. On 3rd and goal from 2, Olson rolls right, has nowhere to go, runs backwards to the 12 or so, then flips a pass to DiMaggio at the 10--about 8 yards behind scrimmage--where the running back is promptly bottled up. Samson field goal makes it a one-point game, but this lost opportunity could prove the difference-maker today.
Penn 3 Yale 7, End of Q3
Another golden opportunity for the Quakers as the third quarter comes to a close. On a 4th and 1 from their own 38, the Bulldogs try a fake punt direct snap to corner Paul Rice, but the snap comes in low, and Rice can't pull it in. He falls on it at the 33, and Penn takes over on downs.
Marcus Lawrence takes a screen from the left side and goes 8 yards on the first play of the drive, and DiMaggio picks up the first two plays later. On the final play of the quarter, Olson hits a wide-open Koontz for 8 yards over the middle to set up 2nd and 2 from the Yale 10.
Penn 3 Yale 7, 3:35 Q3
On the first play following another Penn punt, Hart gets decked by corner Tyson Maugle (back after missing two games with a broken nose) and coughs it up. Jordan Manning tries to scoop it, but ends up knocking back in Maugle's direction. Maugle corrals it from his back, and Penn takes over at the Yale 13.
After three short runs by DiMaggio, though, Penn has to settle for three on a 22-yard field goal by Andrew Samson.
Penn 0 Yale 7, 7:17 Q3
Penn squanders its great field position with a three-and-out, then a pooch punt by Olson that goes into the end zone for a touchback (13 net yards). Yale can't do much, either--the Penn D has been superb all day, only allowing points on an incredibly short field early in the first after the Irvin pick. Goniprow took down Hart for his second sack of the day to force 3rd and long, and Hart scrambled for a short gain on the next play to set up the ensuing punt. Penn takes over from its own 29.
Penn 0 Yale 7, 11:44 Q3
The teams trade punts, but Penn wins the field position battle. After stalling on the first drive of the half, the Quakers got a tremendous boot from Olson inside the Bulldogs' 4. After a three-and-out by the Elis, punter Tom Mante shanked one to his own 36, where the Red and Blue will take over.
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett lives by his speed. Hey, how else does a middle infielder with one homer and a .971 fielding percentage in 2008 get a spot on a World Series roster?
And now, he has done us all a favor. With his stolen base in Game 1 of the World Series last night, Taco Bell will be giving away free tacos to all of America next week.
So on Tuesday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, head down to 34th and Walnut to grab yours. I went after last year's series, and it was incredibly efficient, fast and, of course, free.
We normally don't make a big deal out of Penn football players who win Ivy League Player of the Week awards, since there are so many of them you can get on the list for just 73 total yards.
But the following nod certainly deserves recognition. After earning two interceptions, recovering a fumble, deflecting two passes and notching six tackles -- including one for a loss -- senior defensive back Britton Ertman received FCS National Defensive Player of the Week honors, as announced by The Sports Network.
(Since I hate having a short, two-paragraph Buzz post, I thought I'd throw in this nugget: The women's basketball team was picked sixth in the Ivy League media preseason poll.)
Penn beats Columbia, 15-10
Penn beat Columbia, 15-10, at Franklin Field on Saturday.
Editing: David Gurian-Peck and Rebecca Kaplan/DP
Video: David Lei/DP
Just like basically every single preview magazine, the preseason men’s basketball media poll picked Penn to finish second in the Ivy League, behind Cornell.
Interestingly, the Big Red received all 16 first place votes.
The complete poll:
2008-09 Ivy Men's Baketball Preseason Media Poll
1. Cornell — 128 points (16 first-place votes)
2. Penn — 110
3. Yale — 80
4. Harvard — 77
5. Brown — 75
6. Columbia — 45
7. Dartmouth — 33
8. Princeton — 28
(Also, did anyone read page E4 of yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer? If so you would've seen an ad for a Penn football game. One problem: It featured Penn's game versus Columbia, which already took place. D'oh!)
In case you were worried that Penn Athletics was only focusing on marketing the men's basketball team, the women's basketball team is also receiving the wisdom of Nelligan Sports Marketing.
Against Drexel Dec. 19, the team will attempt to set an all-time attendance record for a home game as part of the yearly “Pack the House” Challenge. Part of the campaign also includes getting school groups to come to the Palestra -- a necessity, since the game is during winter break.
Of all the women's basketball games I've been to, the most spectators I've ever seen is about 200. So there's certainly a lot of seats to be filled in the Palestra. Also it's interesting that both the women's and men's games against Drexel this year are part of NCAA-wide gimmicks. The men's team will play at Drexel for the first time ever, and it'll be at 10 a.m. as part of ESPN's 14-hour hoops marathon.
Here are two other Random Ivy notes:
1) Ivysport.com, which for the most part is a site that sells Ivy League apparel, has an "infopedia" on the Ivy League. Most of you probably already know the vast majority of what's on this site, but in case you ever want to find out which Ivy League school doesn't have a Latin motto (Cornell), or you want to see a good timeline of Ivy League history, this is the site for you.
2) Pumped up for college basketball after The Line? Well here's a reason to like every single basketball team in America. Penn's reason:
Glenn Miller has himself a deep rotation. Darren Smith and Tommy McMahon missed last season. Zach Rosen leads the recruiting class that's pretty awesome. Harrison Gaines has an awesome rich man name. And the Quakers have four returning starters. Flat out.
Former Penn goalkeeper Danny Cepero was an Ivy standout (0.43 GAA) in his senior season back in Fall '06 and got himself drafted by the MLS' New York Red Bulls' for his efforts.
What's he been doing since? Up until last night, not much -- Cepero hadn't seen a minute of action since he was drafted. But over the past week, he and his teammates have made some history, most notably last night.
On Thursday, Red Bulls starting keeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke became the first MLS players to be suspended for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Both were banned for 10 games, thrusting Cepero into the box at Giants' Stadium for the first time ever last night.
Pundits thought the suspensions would derail New York's playoff hopes. Instead, Cepero turned in one of the best debuts in soccer history -- not only did he look sharp in leading his team to a 3-1 victory over Columbus, but he also became the first goalie in the league's 13-year history to score a goal. On a free kick in the 83rd minute, Cepero booted the ball well downfield. The high-arcing shot bounced once in front of the Columbus keeper, over his head and into the net. The Baldwin, N.Y., native said afterwards that he was just trying to "put it in the general area with no intention of scoring."
In the process, he may have Wally Pipped Jon Conway.
(Video of the goal can be found here.)
Andrew Scurria here for The Buzz. Thanks for joining me for today’s home game against Columbia. It’s a sparse crowd and a sparser press corps but the air is crisp and the game is there for the taking.
FINAL: Penn 15, Columbia 10
Under pressure, Kelly threw up a wild, wobbly pass into the arms of Penn defensive back Josh Powers. Irvin took a knee; game over.
Check back with us for lots more coverage in the next DP.
Good afternoon from The Buzz.
1:22 Fourth quarter: Penn 15, Columbia 10
They got the stop, but now the Lions will have to march all the way down the field -- 86 yards -- in under a minute and a half with no time outs. Warm up the bus.
2:24 Fourth quarter: Penn 15, Columbia 10
I must confess that I have no idea what just happened. On that crucial fourth down, Columbia committed a false start penalty -- and Wilson then decided not to go for it, but instead to punt it away and count on its defense to stop Penn right away. Either way, Columbia needs a stop -- if Penn gets a first down, game over.
2:37 Fourth quarter: Penn 15, Columbia 10
Columbia is running out of time and has to convert a fourth-and-13 to stay alive.
4:23 Fourth quarter: Penn 15, Columbia 10
Penn put together a great drive, and wideout Kyle Derham caught a pass on a slant route that would have brought the Quakers within field-goal range. But an illegal blocking penalty -- another one! -- pushed them back, and Olson punted yet again, and yet again Columbia will start a drive from inside the 10.
11:36 fourth quarter: Penn 15, Columbia 10
Columbia went three-and-out as well. Jon Rocholl punted from the Lions endzone, but the combination of a great kick and an illegal blocking penalty on Penn means that the Quakers start this drive at their 30.
12:40 fourth quarter: Penn 15, Columbia 10
Yawn. Another punt, another Columbia drive starting -- this one from their own 12. Let's see if either team can make this game remotely exciting.
0:26 Third quarter: Penn 15, Columbia 10
Wilson chooses not to go for it on fourth-and-the-length-of-a-fingernail, and karma punishes him with a short, offline punt. Penn will start at its 37. Robert Irvin is back in for Penn after almost a whole quarter with Kyle Olson under center.
4:24 Third quarter: Penn 15, Columbia 10
Penn almost put together a nice drive, but a 15-yard pass interference penalty on wideout David Wurst killed it. Another good punt from Olson follows, and Columbia will need 85 yards to take the lead.
7:57 Third quarter: Penn 15, Columbia 10
Once again, the Quakers couldn't make anything of the opportunity. Olson punted to inside the Lions' 20, and Columbia also then went three-and-out. And then... missed snap to the punter and.. SAFETY. What a day for Columbia so far. They outgain Penn two-to-one through two and a half quarters and have a 15-10 score and an embarassing safety to show for it.
11:44 Third quarter: Penn 13, Columbia 10
About the only thing keeping the Penn offense on the field is Shane Kelly. The Columbia quarterback just made another big mistake, underthrowing a long pass by at least six yards. It went right into the hands of Ertman, his second interception of the day. Norries Wilson, Columbia's coach, is giving Kelly a tongue-lashing as I write.
13:04 Third quarter: Penn 13, Columbia 10
After that terrible second quarter of offense, Bagnoli brought Olson, Penn's backup quarterback, in for the second half's first series. Result: another three-and-out. Olson then punted it to the Lions' 42.
Halftime Stats
First downs: Penn 3, Columbia 12. Rushing attempts-yards: Penn 16-23, Columbia 25-148. Passing yards: Penn 57, Columbia 65. Total yards: Penn 80, Columbia 213. Time of possession: Penn 12:04, Columbia 17:56.
Halftime: Penn 13, Columbia 10
A long attempt from Columbia backup quarterback M.A. Olawale falls short. Halftime.
1:10 Second quarter: Penn 13, Columbia 10
Now it's the Penn offense that is sputtering. A three-and-out forces Penn to punt, and Kyle Olson boots it to the Columbia 34. It would have been a great time for a fake, but I guess Al Bagnoli didn't want to take a chance still pretty deep in Penn territory.
2:09 Second quarter: Penn 13, Columbia 10
Kelly found Knowlin, who beat Penn's Jonathan Saelinger on the single coverage, for a six-yard touchdown pass. Nine plays and 67 yards on that drive for Columbia. Mildly impressive.
2:21 Second quarter: Penn 13, Columbia 3
Columbia's running game has suddenly come alive as the first half draws to a close. They've gone nearly the length of the field and will try to punch in a touchdown from the Penn 14 when the teams come back. Penn just took its final time-out.
8:51 Second quarter: Penn 13, Columbia 3
Penn's Bradford Blackman punched it in from a yard out on third down and Samson converted the PAT, giving the Quakers a 10-point lead. It's Blackman's first touchdown of the year.
10:10 Second quarter: Penn 6, Columbia 3
The Lions tried to run and option and Kelly pitched the ball to sophomore running back Zach Kourouma -- but Kourouma missed the ball, and Ertman (him again!) picked up the ball and returned it to the two-yard line. Penn could go up by two scores in a hurry if they convert. Terribly costly mistake for Columbia.
10:51 Second quarter: Penn 6, Columbia 3
All Penn got out of that opportunity was a 31-yard field goal, but it's a lead at least. Andrew Samson is looking good.
12:04 Second quarter: Penn 3, Columbia 3
How do I even explain what just happened? Columbia was inside its own 20, facing a second-and-14, when Kelly took the snap, turned around and ran comically headlong into a teammate he didn't know was there. The ball popped loose and now the Quakers take over at the Columbia 18.
1:56 First quarter: Penn 3, Columbia 3
The score may be tied, but Columbia's offense is not looking so hot. They have no running game whatsoever and were forced to punt after getting 12 yards into Penn territory. It went long for a touchback and Penn takes over.
1:56 First quarter: Penn 3, Columbia 3
The score may be tied, but Columbia's offense is not looking so hot. They have no running game whatsoever and were forced to punt after getting 12 yards into Penn territory. It went long for a touchback and Penn takes over.
4:49 First quarter: Penn 3, Columbia 3
Penn got the Lions' 48 on their last drive and decided to go for it on fourth-and-2. but Robert Irvin bobbled the snap, and Columbia recovered the fumble. They now take over.
6:56 First quarter: Penn 3, Columbia 3
Ertman came up with another big play -- a batted-down pass intended for Columbia's best receiver, Austin Knowlin -- and the Lions were forced to settle for a field goal. Jon Rocholl booted a line drive through from 36 away. Eight plays, 42 yards, 3:39 elapsed on that drive.
9:40 First quarter: Penn 3, Columbia 0
Penn got a 37-yard field goal by Andrew Samson out of the last drive. Now it's Columbia's turn, and it's putting together a good drive too. Kelly just completed a long pass to Taylor Joseph to the Penn 39.
12:42 First quarter: Penn 0, Columbia 0
Columbia received the opening kickoff and started with good field position, but Lions quarterback Shane Kelly threw an interception to Penn’s Britton Ertman (a terrible interception) on the second play from scrimmage. Ertman returned it 40 yards to the Columbia 30, where Penn is driving now.
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