This Week On 33rd Street | Oct. 24

Will Penn avenge last year's stunning loss on national television to Yale this Saturday at Franklin Field? Our editors weigh in:

Ivy eyes on Princeton at Harvard

While Penn takes on Yale this weekend at Franklin Field, the most important Ivy League football contest of the season thus far will be taking place up in Cambridge, Mass., at the same time.

Harvard, Princeton and the Quakers all sit atop the Ancient Eight with undefeated records in the conference. Each team has started Ivy play 2-0, with Penn’s quadruple-overtime squeaker the closest any of the three has come to losing.

However, this weekend, either Princeton or Harvard will fall from the ranks of the unbeaten. The Crimson host the Tigers in Cambridge tomorrow afternoon.

The Crimson have also entered the national FCS rankings, coming in at No. 23 in this week’s table.

Harvard is led on the defensive side of the ball by junior defensive end Zach Hodges. The junior has forced three fumbles this season, recovered another and is averaging 2.1 tackles for a loss per game, leading the team in all three categories.

The Crimson will look to pound the ball on the ground with running back Paul Stanton, Jr., who leads the team and is second in the Ivy League with eight scores.

Though Harvard features a handful of threats on both fronts, Princeton will not go away easily. Last season, the Tigers rallied from a 24-point deficit in the fourth quarter to knock off the Crimson, 39-34. That victory by rival Princeton helped send Penn on its way to the conference title.

While Harvard has won 15 straight at home, the second longest streak in the nation, the Tigers have won five of their past six away from New Jersey.

With the highest scoring offense in the Ivy League on their side (42.4 points per game), Princeton will rely heavily on junior quarterback Quinn Epperly and senior wide receiver Roman Wilson.

The winner of Saturday’s game will take command of the driver’s seat in the Ivy League standings along with the Quakers, unless Yale is victorious tomorrow.

Penn women's basketball picked third in Ivy Media Poll

After today’s Ivy preseason poll, it is looking like third place is the charm for Penn women’s basketball.

The Ivy League’s preseason media poll came out today, and the Quakers were picked to finished to finish in third place, mirroring the final standings from a year ago.

For the first time since 2004-05, the Red and Blue also received a first-place vote, as one media member among 17 total chose Penn to finish first.

Princeton, the four-time defending Ivy champions, are the favorites to win for a fifth time in a row, receiving 13 first-place votes despite the graduation of two-time Ivy Player of the Year Niveen Rasheed.

Harvard, led by junior Temi Fagbenle, followed Princeton and had the three remaining first-place votes.

Yale finished fourth in the poll, followed in order by Dartmouth, Cornell, Brown and Columbia to round out the Ancient Eight.

This is the first time in the Mike McLaughlin era for Penn that the Quakers have received a vote to finish in the top spot. McLaughlin’s squad returns all five starters from last season.

In that 2012-13 campaign, the Quakers finished 9-5 in the Ivy League after being picked to finish fourth in the preseason. Overall, the Red and Blue went 18-13, winning the first two postseason games in program history.

It was also the first time in McLaughlin’s tenure as head coach that the Quakers had a winning record, both overall and in Ivy play.

The 2013-14 team will be led by senior captain Alyssa Baron, a three-time All-Ivy pick, who led the Red and Blue in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game.

Penn also brings back sophomore guard Keiera Ray, who was key to last year’s successful Ivy run as a freshman, along with a trio of junior starters – guard Kathleen Roche and forwards Kara Bonenberger and Katy Allen.

The team will also return senior guard Meghan McCullough, who comes back after tearing her ACL last year, as well as senior forward Courtney Wilson.

With a strong nonconference schedule that features ACC powerhouses Notre Dame and Miami, the Quakers will face some stiff competition before beginning Ivy play with a bang, facing the defending champion Tigers on Jan. 11.

Penn finishes second in preseason Ivy poll

Harvard received every first-place vote in the preseason Ivy League poll that was released on Wednesday.

Penn wasn't far behind the Crimson though, finishing second.

Penn, Yale and Princeton were all within seven votes of one another, setting the stage for a very close Ancient Eight race going forward.

Here are the complete standings:

Roundtable: Who needs to step up for men's soccer?

Penn men's soccer currently finds itself tied for first in the Ivy League. Which player or group needs to step up the most if the Quakers are going to win the Ancient Eight?

Sports Editor John Phillips: While scoring comes and goes,comma and shooters like junior Duke Lacroix and senior Stephen Baker will have good days and bad days, Penn's defense is going to have to continue to step up in the same way they have recently. The Quakers are just one of four teams in the NCAA that haven't allowed a goal in league play, and the longer they keep that streak going, the better their chances.

So it's all on Tyler Kinn. The senior goalkeeper has had an easier time this year thanks to the improved defense led by co-captain Jonny Dolezal, but there is going to come a game or two where Kinn will be asked to come up big in net, and he'll have to respond. His goals against average is at a solid 1.43, but if he can get that number a little lower, then the Quakers will be in every game.

Senior Staff Writer Mars Jacobson: I'd definitely agree with John that Penn's defense is going to make the greatest difference in the Quakers' bid for an Ivy title. College soccer games, in the Ivy League especially, are defined by such small margins that a solid defense can make or break teams.

But while Kinn will play a big part of that, I believe the two starting center backs, senior Austin Kinn and junior Jason DeFaria, will have to step up the most. And it's not even so much that they will have to step up, but rather that they will have to continue to play well. A stable partnership in the center of defense is almost a prerequisite for any team vying for a championship, and the Quakers have had an extremely stable one the last few games.

In fact, so far in Ivy play they have been rock solid. Penn has shut out three consecutive Ivy opponents for the first time since 2010 — also the last time the program made it to the NCAA tournament. Coach [Rudy] Fuller has plenty of offensive firepower at his disposal to score goals, so the Quakers will be highly competitive in games as long as the defense continues to limit opposition chances.

The addition of freshman Matt Poplawski in the center of midfield over the past few games has also added a bit of energy to the Red and Blue, as he helps to shield the back four from opposing attacks. If Poplawski and the defense continue their impressive form, the Quakers will have a great chance to be in the big dance come late November.

Associate Sports Editor Alexis Ziebelman: I agree with John and Mars that Penn will have to rely heavily on its defense to clinch an Ivy title but the offense must also keep up its good work. However, there is no one player that can carry the team. Tyler Kinn will be a key player in stopping shots and Austin Kinn and Jason DeFaria should continue pushing the ball up the field, but you cannot win a game without goals, and that is what the offense is for.

As for the defense, the Quakers have had a good run so far of three straight shutouts because of their ability to work together as team rather than have a standout performance from any one player. Each and every player has equal weight to step up his game and keep the team winning games.

Three Up, Three Down: W. Soccer vs. NJIT

Tonight, the Quakers will take on the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders, a match that will most likely help the Penn squad maintain their momentum heading into a long stretch of Ivy matches. It will be tough for Penn to overtake first-place Harvard, but it all begins with the first step: lowering the Highlanders. Here’s three up and three down:

THREE UP—

Penn’s Defense: The Quakers’ defense has been almost impenetrable this season, resulting in six 1-0 Penn wins. The Red and Blue have also collected an impressive nine shutout victories in 13 games this season. While NJIT has the ability to generate shots on goal, they have shown inconsistent offense in the second half, only managing to squeeze out four goals after halftime all season.combined into one sentence For an offense that has struggled to produce, NJIT will have their work cut out for them against a goaltending duo for Penn that has a combined 0.872 save percentage.

Kerry Scalora, Tahirih Nesmith and Megan York: The three leading scorers for Penn have proven time and time again this season that if the opportunity is there, they will sink the necessary shot. Between the three offensive juggernauts, they’ve scored 12 goals and tallied five assists, totaling 29 points. Their 29 points are one point less than the combined points of the other 11 contributing point scorers on Penn’s squad. They also have five game-winning goals between them, including three notched by Scalora.

Clutch: It’s clear to everyone — Penn is clutch. The team plays solid from the bottom to the top, contributing in all aspects of the game and showing a complete team effort that has allowed Penn to reach a solid .808 win percentage. Penn’s defense has allowed the Quakers to stay in close contests — so close that ten of their games have been decided by one goal or less, including those six 1-0 victories. Their ability in the clutch may not need to be used in this nonconference match —added comma in the last two games against NJIT, Penn has scored 12 goals to the Highlanders’ zero.

THREE DOWN —

Playing at NJIT: This game marks the first time that Penn will play at Lubetkin Field,added comma and knowing how the series between these two teams has played out in recent years, it won’t be a welcome visit for the Quakers. The Highlanders have a mere .500 win record, identical to Penn’s win-loss ratio on the road. Penn needs to strike and strike early in hopes of avoiding a road upset.

Penn’s Offense: At this point, Penn’s offense is grasping for straws. The Quakers have 10 different goal scorers and have scored 22 goals to their opponents’ mere five on the season, but they lack one sole offensive force to rely on late in a game. Only the Quakers deter their ability to generate SOGs and goals against NJIT sophomore goalkeeper Samantha Bersettok, who boasts a 0.728 save percentage, including four shutouts.

NJIT will be ‘no holds barred’: For a team that is out of playoff contention and nearing the end of the season, the Quakers should expect a squad who will bring everything it’s got. The Highlanders are searching for a signature win and a surging Penn squad would make for a beautiful headline come Wednesday morning in the NJIT News Room. It is also the kind of loss the Quakers must avoid if they have any hope of reclaiming the top spot in the Ivy rankings. Penn must put the pedal to the metal and drive NJIT into the ground.

Mano-a-Mano: Is Penn football ready?

After Penn fought its way to a 21-7 victory over Columbia, the Quakers are preparing to return home to face Yale. While the Red and Blue dominated the Lions defensively on Saturday, there are some concerns about how the team will do the rest of the way in Ivy play. So are the Quakers ready for the rest of their Ancient Eight slate?

Sports Editor Steven Tydings: In many ways, the Red and Blue are right where they should be through five games. They have won both of their Ivy games and even won a nonconference matchup, something last year’s Ivy champs were unable to do.

However, while the Quakers beat Columbia 21-7, their first double digit victory in 17 games, it was clear that Penn lacked something against the Lions. The team lacked a killer instinct, not putting away Columbia early like Princeton was able to two weeks prior. It is often said that the hallmark of a great team is the ability to blow out inferior opponents, yet Penn was simply unable to do so.

Sports Editor John Phillips: The hallmark of a good team is to be able to blow out inferior opponents. The hallmark of a great team is to win the big game. I don’t know if Penn is a great team yet, but I think reading into games against poor competition like Columbia or strong competition like Villanova is the wrong way to go about it. Rather, think about what the Quakers did when their backs were up against the wall versus Dartmouth. David Park stepped up with a huge blocked kick and the Red and Blue pulled it out in spectacular fashion.

ST: There is no doubting Penn in big moments anymore, especially after the Dartmouth game or Billy Ragone and Andrew Holland’s last-minute victories last season.

But Penn’s upcoming opponents may not let the Quakers get into those tense final moments. When looking ahead to the Red and Blue’s November tilts with Princeton and Harvard, Penn will need to be sharp from the start if the squad wants a chanceremoved “with” to win with the ball in its hands at the end of the game.

And with the Quakers’ injury list looming large, whether it’s Conner Scott’s recent absence at wide receiver or Brandon Colavita’s ongoing knee issues, Penn will need to make up for a pretty big presenceinstead of “some...presences” on the offensive side of the ball. If anyone on the defense starts to miss time as well, the Quakers will be behind the eight ball when Princeton and Harvard come knocking in a few weeks.

JP: I remember that the game against Princeton on the road last year was one that the Quakers very easily could have lost, but the defense, which we have seen come through in big spots, did so again that day to seal a victory. So much is often made about the Quakers’ offense, but it’s really the strength of the defense that makes coach Al Bagnoli’s teams great. I trust them heading into Princeton and Harvard.

I agree that the offense isn’t the one that Bagnoli envisioned at the start of the season, but Scott’s absence hasn’t been hugely felt, as the other wideouts have really stepped in to fill the void. I think you’re right that if the defense takes a blow — say Dan Davis gets injured — then the Quakers could be in trouble, but right now, I think they’ll be just fine.

VERDICT: Calm yourself, Steven. The Quakers and their dominant defense should be just fine heading into the second half of the season. John wins.

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It's Puck Frinceton time, so buy your shirt now! For the first time ever, The DP is offering Puck Frinceton shirts for Penn football season. Princeton comes to Franklin Field for what's looking like the most crucial Penn-Princeton football game in recent memory, so what better time than now to show your hatred for the orange and black?

Also for the first time ever, we have a choice of short-sleeve ($12) and long-sleeve ($16) versions. Order your shirt here!

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - Penn men's soccer vs. Dartmouth

THE GOOD: Duke Lacroix

The junior forward tallied two goals and an assist Saturday night, propelling the Quakers to a 3-0 win against Dartmouth. Lacroix was a sparkplug all game, using his speed to make dynamic runs that put tremendous pressure on the Dartmouth defense. He is now Penn’s leading goal-scorer with six on the year.

THE BAD: Dartmouth’s Ivy League record

Despite an overall winning record of 4-3-4 and some impressive performances out of the league, Dartmouth has lost all three of their matches in the Ivy League thus far. Saturday night’s loss against Penn likely put them out of contention moving forward within the league. The team’s upperclassmen were clearly frustrated toward the end of Saturday’s match, leading to some chippy play.

THE UGLY: Saturday night’s midfield play

There was nothing elegant about the midfield play between Penn and Dartmouth Saturday night. The physical play throughout the game between the two sides left room for very minimal intricate passing and skill. However, the tenacity of the Penn midfielders won the day, as players like Louis Schott consistently won the ball and set up the Quakers for victory. It wasn’t pretty though.

-by Colin Henderson

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: Penn football at Columbia

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly: W. Soccer vs. Dartmouth

Penn avenged last season's loss with a 1-0 victory over the Big Green at Rhodes Field. The lone goal came from junior forward Megan York in the 57th minute, while sophomore midfielder Erin Mikolai received credit for the assist. The win catapults the Quakers into second place in the Ivy League, behind Harvard, which is unbeaten in conference play.

THE GOOD: Red and Blue push back. Dartmouth is a notoriously physical team, but the Quakers held their ground in the face of the Big Green's bruising play. Penn's toughness and composure, in conjunction with a deep bench, were crucial in securing a win.

THE BAD: Goals are still few and far between. Penn has only recorded multiple goals once in its past seven games and has logged one goal or less in nine out of 13 matches this season. This puts constant pressure on what is, luckily, the conference's best defense.

THE UGLY: Wait, you can do that? Though the Red and Blue stood their ground physically, it wasn't always pretty. In particular, it was a favorite defensive tactic, on both sides, to simply run over the player with the ball. Fouls were called in response...sometimes.

Liveblog: Penn vs. Columbia football

We come to you live from Kraft Field in New York for Penn-Columbia football. Joining me is staff writer Holden McGinnis as we give you live updates as the Quakers (2-2, 1-0 Ivy) look for a victory against the Lions (0-4, 0-1).

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - Penn field hockey at Columbia

THE GOOD: Jasmine Cole ... again

Nothing new here. After the Quakers fell behind Columbia 1-0 early in the game, the freshman force of nature responded with two absolute rips that found the net within three minutes of each other to give Penn the halftime lead. Cole improved her Ivy League-leading goal tally to 15 while in the Big Apple. It was Cole’s fifth multi-goal effort of the year.

THE BAD: First Ivy League loss

The Quakers failed to stay undefeated within their conference on Friday night. With Princeton still without a loss in Ivy League play, Penn will likely need to win out to finish at the top of the Ancient Eight. Still, a final week showdown between the Quakers and the Tigers looms.

THE UGLY: Déjà vu

This one has to be frustrating. For the second time in as many seasons, Penn dropped an overtime battle to Columbia. Last season’s loss was more understandable, as then the two squads were more evenly matched. But the Lions came into this matchup as just one of six 1-2 teams in the conference while the Quakers had been undefeated in Ivy play.

-by Seamus Powers

Behind Enemy Lines with Dartmouth midfielder Emma Brush

Penn’s women’s soccer team will take on Dartmouth under the lights at Rhodes Field tomorrow at 5pm. In advance of this matchup, we caught up with the Ivy League's third-leading goal-scorer, Emma Brush, on her mindset regarding the matchup.

Daily Pennsylvanian: As the third-leading scorer in the Ivy League, what factors have allowed you to become such a great scorer?

Emma Brush: I think a lot of it is motivation from what my teammates are doing. So I look at our back line and they have gotten a shutout in six of our last seven games and the only time we’re not gonna get a result is if we’re not scoring. After tying UNH 0-0 and Johns Hopkins 0-0, I realized - especially as a forward and fifth-year player - I really need to make it my responsibility to score a goal and get on the board because that’s what I can do best for the team. If I went into a game thinking I would get on the board, I was more likely to do so.

DP: What are the keys to the matchup at Penn this weekend?

Brush: It’s an away game and Penn is physical. They’ve got a lot of heart and lot of drive. We have to make sure we come out with lots of intensity, way more than they bring. If we do that, we can set the tone of the game, and hopefully keep doing the things we have done well to get a result. But I really do think it comes down to how we come out, from the very beginning.

DP: Do you have a plan to thwart Penn’s shutdown defense?

Brush: I think that has to do with us using a wide variety of attacks, really switching it up. I think we have proven that we’re really good at going wide and crossing the ball in. But if Penn shuts us down wide, then we can change our minds and centralize. We’re gonna try to get a lot of shots on the keeper. We have our outside back who can drive the ball up field and serve it in. We have attack coming from a lot of different points on the field and I think that will be a good way to take down their defense.

DP: How will you guys handle Penn’s offense?

Brush: I just hope our defense will keep doing what they’ve been doing. Strong individual performances, but also cohesion as a back line. And it all starts with our keeper Tatiana [Saunders]. She has been a great leader in the back, and if she continues to do that, along with our center back and direct the back line so that we’re all on the same page, I think we’ll really be able to stop them. And then it applies to the entire field. Like our center mids, Kim [Rose] and Marina [Moschitto], are both captains, they know what it takes, they know how to go in hard, they know how to stop shots, and give us turnovers. So I think that’s important as well.

-by Corey Henry 

Three Up Three Down: Penn volleyball vs. Harvard & Dartmouth

In its second Ivy weekend of the year, Penn volleyball (8-8, 2-3 Ivy) saw some encouraging signs, taking a set from reigning Ivy champ Yale in a losing effort and sweeping Brown to cap off a stretch of four straight road games. Back in the cozy confines of the Palestra, let's see who's hot (and who's not) as the Crimson (8-6, 3-2) and Big Green (8-9, 1-4) come to town.

Three Up-

Susan Stuecheli: The senior captain absolutely torched Brown on Saturday, recording 15 kills to go along with a robust .636 hitting percentage. If the middle blocker can continue producing on the offensive end, it will be difficult for opponents to generate much momentum against the Red and Blue.

Molly Kornfeind: Dartmouth's fantastic freshman earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors for her play last week. Kornfeind totaled 30 digs and 30 kills over the course of the Big Green's weekend split against Columbia and Cornell. Penn will need to keep the ball away from her side of the court.

Corinne Bain: Harvard has a superstar newcomer of its own in Bain. The setter currently ranks fourth in the country in aces per set at .63 and was also named Ivy League Rookie of the Week back on Sept. 10. Against UMass-Lowell on Sept. 18, she tallied a whopping seven service aces. Bain will be a huge test for the Quakers' defense.

Three Down-

Arielle Winfield: Penn's star newcomer has recently run into a rough patch. Against Yale, she recorded five errors to only four kills, and added a second consecutive night with a negative attack percentage when she committed three errors to one kill in a single set of work against Brown. Winfield needs to re-establish herself on offense.

The volleyball net at the Palestra: It's been far, far too long since the Quakers were able to play a match in front of their home fans. Penn's last home game came all the way back on Sept. 15, when the Red and Blue were hosting the Crowne Philadelphia West Penn Invitational. Some home cooking will do Penn good.

Dartmouth's season: The Big Green have entered a death spiral after starting their season off 7-3. A five-set win over Cornell snapped a six-match losing streak, but this year's campaign has shown that Dartmouth still has a ways to go before the memories of last season's 2-22 debacle can be forgotten.

Behind Enemy Lines with WKCR Sports director Miles Johnson

Normally on Behind Enemy Lines, we interview a player or coach from one of Penn’s upcoming opponents. This is one of the exceptions as I spoke with Miles Johnson who is the sports director for WKCR, Columbia’s student radio station. Johnson covers all of Columbia’s football games and we spoke about Columbia’s quarterback situation, the Lions’ struggling secondary and whether Columbia can pick up a win this season.

Daily Pennsylvanian: Starting with week one and Brett Nottingham getting hurt, how can you describe the quarterback situation?

Miles Johnson: It has been tough, including from my standpoint trying to predict what the team will look like week to week. Nottingham went down week one with a wrist injury against Fordham after he had really been pressured a lot during the game. The offensive line has had issues all season and he was forced out of the pocket from a blitz on his left side, so he rolled out and tried to make a play and fell on his wrist.

Going from there, knowing he wasn’t going to make it back for the rest of the season, they have been in flux because that is a huge question mark now with who is going to be at quarterback. I actually just got finished talking with coach [Pete] Mangurian who has now named Kelly Hilinski, who is a 6-foot-6 true freshman, to be the starter until further notice.

Before then, it had been [Trevor McDonagh] the game after [Nottingham got hurt] against Monmouth and since then, they have been doing trial runs for each player, Hilinski and McDonagh, both at Princeton and at Lehigh.

For me, I don’t think it really matters who plays quarterback for this football team. For this incarnation of the Columbia Lions, that isn’t their biggest problem. McDonagh and Hilinski are about the same in terms of ability at this stage in their careers, although Hilinski obviously has a lot more upside.

DP: With the struggles at quarterback, the Lions’ security blanket has been Marcorus Garrett at running back. What can you say about the performance of Garrett so far this year?

MJ: I think Marcorus has been a beast all year. In the first three games, we were all clamoring for him to get more touches since I believe the game at Monmouth was the one where he had 15 carries for over 150 yards and there are some games where he is averaging near that from the first time he touches the ball.

Some of that is the offensive line because they are better at run blocking but some of that is because he is just an explosive back. With [Penn senior Brandon Colavita] being out, I look around the Ivy League and it looks like Marcorus Garrett is one of the best backs in the league. A lot of that is because his ball-carrying vision is just so incredible. He makes holes where they absolutely don’t exist and he has a lot of quickness laterally.

I don’t think this team has relied on him enough if that is even fair to say. He got a few more carries last week but I feel like he should be getting 30-35 touches every game because they have had so many issues at quarterback. Part of that is because when you watch these games, Columbia gets down early and you can’t run the ball if you want to stay competitive.

DP: Moving on from the offense, the defense has put up some pretty bad numbers, including giving up 52 points to Fordham and 53 points to Princeton. Where have been the major holes on the defense?

MJ: I think you pointing out Fordham is a little weird but the 53 points against Princeton is fair. I think it is the secondary. I am much more satisfied with the way the front seven have handled the defensive side of things, especially with some teams coming in and struggling at first to run the football.

Part of that is also due to injury. We talked about Nottingham being out but Seyi Adebayo who was a captain of the team and was really the lynchpin. He and [Zach Olinger] really held that front seven together. I like the linebacking core a lot. I think Olinger and Vinny Pugliese have done a pretty good job, but it has really been the secondary that has been abysmal.

Outside of Travis Reim – who did a really good job against Monmouth facing a receiver that was much bigger than he was – [Jeremy] Mingo has really struggled. So has Malcolm Thaxton at the other corner position. And with the exception of one hit that Marquel Carter put on [Lehigh receiver] Lee Kurfis in the third quarter of that game – knocking the ball loose on what would have been at touchdown – he has struggled, too.

It has been a lot of blown assignments. And I hesitate at this point blaming it all on the players because the way that the defense have been scheming, it has not been working. You go one week where you let Roman Wilson of Princeton get a ton of yards receiving and then you go the next week and let Kurfis go for 14 catches, 130 yards and two touchdowns.

It seems like the other team’s best receiver really does play well against Columbia and sure, part of that is because our defense blows an assignment but at some point, they have to sit down and say if we are going to be beat, it isn’t going to be by Lee Kurfis or whomever. I don’t care if you have to put the entire team on that one guy, he’s not going to beat you. But that’s not what we’ve seen so far.

DP: With some of these blowouts and tough losses, how do you go about covering these games and filling air space on the radio?

MJ: It is definitely tougher for the games that are blowouts, but this team is never boring. Even if it is the coach bringing in the true freshman in at quarterback that no one expected or whether it is commenting on the brilliance of Marcorus Garrett so far, this team is really not ever boring.

It is tough when the games are blowouts, but there are flashes of hope in some places. I think we kind of comment on that and we just try to have fun with it. Columbia is certainly interesting in terms of its football history and we talk about that a lot. And we just try and capitalize on your opportunities so every time we see Zach Olinger make a nice read, we are sure to go ahead and talk about that.

And the thing too is that we are not here to serve Columbia athletics so if we are going to be on the air for two hours during a game and we see objectively that they are doing something wrong, we are going to talk about that. And that is true whether they are down three points or down 300 points. If Malcolm Thaxton gets burned on a corner route, then he gets burned on a corner route and that’s what we are talking about. If Marcorus Garrett rushes for a 65-yard gain, then that’s what we’ll talk about, too.

As long as there is a game going, that’s what we’ll be talking about it … and as objective journalists, we are literally calling it as we see it.

DP: Two years ago, the team waited until the last game of the year to pick up its first win. Do you think that this team is fated to go 0-10 or do you see a win on the horizon for this Columbia team?

MJ: I don’t know. It is really hard to say and I’ll preface all of this by saying that this schedule is tough for anybody. It is a tough schedule no matter who is playing it. You’ve got Dartmouth on the road for their homecoming which is always tough. And the schedule they’ve had so far – seeing Princeton on the road – is tough. You never want to open against Fordham with the way Fordham has been playing. You’ve got Yale on the road.

Honestly, I don’t see them winning more than one game and it seems like it may be another “win or go winless” Saturday against Brown. Going into the season, I thought Yale might be the one weak spot where you could potentially see a win but Yale has played really awesome football so far and I don’t see them beating Cornell. If it was Cornell at home for the Lions, I could see them coming out with a win, because besides [senior quarterback Jeff Matthews], Cornell doesn’t have a lot going for them.

But that being said, Cornell up at Ithaca is going to be tough. And Lehigh didn’t really have all that much going for them except [quarterback Brandon Bialkowski] and he eviscerated them for 320 yards. With the way that this secondary has been playing, it doesn’t seem like you need much more than a decent passing game. And with someone like Jeff Matthews back there, it is really hard.

So that’s why I’m hesitant in picking Cornell [to lose to Columbia]. I have a tough time seeing Columbia coming away with more than one win. Two wins would be a huge success.

Part of that, if we are being completely fair, is injuries. We were talking about it on [WKCR sports radio show] “The Firing Lion” last week about how many wins does Brett Nottingham make up for individually. I think it is kind of weird to think about in football because it is not like basketball or baseball because it is so much harder to calculate.

But at the same time, there are some games that Columbia would have been able to be competitive in if their defense hadn’t been on the field for so long and that is symptomatic of not having Nottingham. This is a Lions team that has been in the red zone five times all season. A Columbia team that is absolutely atrocious on third down, looking at the statistics they are 9-for-53, and Mangurian talked about that, too.

Against Lehigh, the defense all things being equal, did a pretty decent job, considering the line in Vegas was over what the Broncos-Jaguars game was. And I think that is a testament to how well the defense played and they would have had a chance if the offense had been able to move the ball. And they can’t do that right now since they don’t have anyone to do it at quarterback.

Looking at the rest of the schedule, maybe they’ve got a shot against Cornell if the offense really shapes up and is able to hang in the game but at this point, Columbia is reliant on the defense to win games. And it is really tough to rely on the defense to win individual football games, so it is looking like we might have another “win or go winless” Saturday at the end of the year.

Behind Enemy Lines with Dartmouth men's soccer coach Chad Riley

After finishing in second place in the Ivy League last season, Dartmouth men’s soccer’s coach, Jeff Cook, left the Big Green to become the Philadelphia Union Academy U16 coach. To replace him, Dartmouth promoted assistant Chad Riley to head coach. Riley spoke about the transition to head coach, his team’s strengths and what to expect against Penn on Saturday.

Daily Pennsylvanian: What are some of the changes you made since becoming head coach?

Chad Riley: I wouldn’t say there are any drastic changes. I think coach Cook was a very successful coach here, and you are just always trying to evolve things. So I don’t know if I could put my finger on sort of one big thing that I’ve changed now but just trying to evolve things to highlight the good parts of our team for this 2013 season.

DP: What have you learned in transitioning from an assistant coach to a head coach?

CR: I think it’s something you think about a lot as an assistant coach. You just see more of the weight placed on all of your decisions with your team and all the things that go into a game and the difference between giving suggestions and making decisions. I think that is one of the biggest distinctions.

DP: Do you feel differently coaching at Dartmouth compared to at your alma mater Notre Dame?

CR: Yeah, I definitely think it’s different. I coached at Oberlin and St. John’s before going back to Notre Dame, so I think I had a good sense of that. Something unique for Dartmouth was [that] the coach I played for at Notre Dame [Bobby Clark], then worked with for six years, was also the Dartmouth head coach for nine years earlier in his career, so I definitely felt a connection to Dartmouth.

But I do think it was very exciting to be in a new league and I knew a lot of the coaches through recruiting and different things in the Ivy League. But it’s definitely been a lot of fun and very exciting to be part of a new league.

DP: You guys had a really strong out-of-conference schedule and then lost two close Ivy matches. What are you doing to try and turn it around?

CR: I think in the Ivy League, every game is tough because there is so much importance on each game and because there is no conference tournament. That is an exciting part of our league but it puts so much importance on each game, and I think any time you don’t score goals you leave the game in the balance.

Probably like every coach in the league you would talk to tries to figure out a way to score goals because that changes the game in your favor and it creates different situations on the field. Overall, I think our goal every day and every week has been to get a little bit better with what we are doing, and I think that continues to be the goal in trying to get results as well.

DP: What is your biggest strength as a team and how does that play into facing Penn this weekend?

CR: I think Penn is a very talented team and a well coached team. They’ve done well with their start in the Ivy League. I know a few of their players through the recruiting process and certainly got a lot of respect for coach Fuller and their team. I think one of the things that we try to make a hallmark of every Dartmouth team is a really close-knit team and I think that manifests on the field with being a team that works for one another.

DP: The last two years when Penn played Dartmouth, you guys have come out early with a few key goals that the Quakers haven’t been able to come back from that. Are you going to have a similar strategy this time as well?

CR: Yeah I think you are always trying to score early. I think that changes things and I think — I was part of the game last year, but not the year before — in some ways you can plan for that, and it either happens or it doesn’t — and the game is sort of open during that time with both teams are getting chances. But I wouldn’t say that is a strategy — I think you just prepare for the game, and sometimes that is something that happens early on.

This Week on 33rd Street | Oct. 17

This Week on 33rd Street, we discuss the potential trap game that Columbia presents for Penn football and give our predictions for Saturday's matchup.

Athlete of the Week - Penn football safety Sebastian Jaskowski

Our Athlete of the Week is Penn senior defensive back Sebastian Jaskowski, whose 12 tackles, forced fumble and fumble recovery led the Quakers to a solid defensive effort even in a 27-14 loss at William & Mary. I caught up with Jaskowski to discuss how close the defense came to claiming a moral victory last Saturday and how the Quakers can avoid getting gashed by Columbia offensively like they did last year.

Palestra to host Sixers practice

Saturday will mark the newest incarnation of The Line, in which students who have pre-ordered season tickets as well as student walkups will be able to reserve their seat starting at noon at the Palestra.

But it will also mark a real live NBA practice at the Palestra. Starting at 11 a.m., the Philadelphia 76ers will hold an open practice at "The Cathedral." The practice will likely run over into the Select-a-Seat Event starting at noon, but students are more than welcome to come check the Sixers out.

It probably doesn't hurt that the Sixers' owner is Wharton alum Josh Harris. The Sixers previously scrimmaged at the Palestra in Dec. 2011 free and open to the public, first-come, first-serve. The franchise also introduced its new owners in a press conference at the Palestra in Dec. 2011.