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(05/15/98 9:00am)
For four years, I have been a part of The Daily Pennsylvanian's Only Staff That Matters even though I never thought seriously about a career in journalism. I am an engineer, but I am an engineer who loves sports. And for that simple reason, I decided to trek out to the introductory DP meeting my first week at Penn. The Pink Palace was packed that day with naive freshmen who had no clue what it would be like to write for a college paper. About 20 of us were interested in covering sports -- an amazingly high number. But this was 1995, and nothing was bigger than sports on the Penn campus. We were a school caught up in the momentum of two straight Quakers' titles in basketball and a recent NCAA tournament win. We had read the Sports Illustrated article on Penn's undefeated football season that detailed the demolition of Keith Elias and the hated Princeton Tigers. There was no doubt in our minds that in a few months we would be storming Franklin Field to tear down the goalposts and throw them into the Schuylkill Expressway? I mean River. We knew that in March we would assemble in the Palestra to watch Penn almost pull out a tournament win against Alabama. All of us who entered the office that day wanted to be a part of this new religion known as Penn sports. Yet the words that came out of Sports Editor Adam Rubin's mouth almost shattered my dreams. Out of the 20 freshmen in the room, only 10 of us would get a sport to cover. And if we didn't get a sport to start off with, well we probably would never have a chance to write for The Daily Pennsylvanian. Times have certainly changed. Ten of us got calls that night, and I was one of the fortunate ones. My first assignment was covering all three crew teams, and I was scared. I knew nothing about crew, other than it involved people rowing together in a boat. Yet somehow the teams began to appreciate a writer taking the bus to the boathouse and showing some actual concern for the teams. When I wasn't getting recruited for lightweight crew, I was pursuing my first major story. The lightweight coach had decided to speak about the unfair treatment he thought his team received from the Athletic Department. I interviewed him for over an hour and began to make calls to Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky. Not surprisingly, I received a call from the coach telling me he was wrong and there was nothing to write about. I learned early on that there are a lot of things the Athletic Department wants to keep hidden. My next sport was track, and I will always remain grateful to Penn track coaches Charlie Powell and Nathan Taylor. I would often just walk into their offices to sit down and talk track, and they were always honest and candid when I interviewed them. I will also remember athletes such as Chris Harper, Kelsey Armstrong and John Taylor, whose athletic achievements are met by their qualities as people. Yet my fondest memory will always be Penn Relays that freshman year. Coach Powell gave me a Relays official hat, which basically allowed me to roam the infield all day while everyone else was kicked off. I joked around with Bill Cosby and tried to talk with Michael Johnson. To top off the day, I anchored our relay team to a bronze medal win in the Media Relay. I find it ironic that a not-so-good high school track athlete like myself had the chance to run in front of 40,000 people, while people who could kick my ass on the track never have the opportunity. The Penn Relays will always be one of the highlights of my time at Penn, so I think it's fitting that I was able to walk away with a gold medal in my final race this year. Sophomore year brought probably the toughest challenge of my writing career: the 1995-96 edition of Penn women's basketball. That team rattled off 21 straight losses to start the year, most of them blowouts. There are only so many losses you can witness before frustration comes out in your articles. By the time the team won, I had almost forgotten how to write a positive story. I guess coach Julie Soreiro appreciated my efforts, because she kept on giving me free t-shirts throughout the year. Next up was baseball, a sport I would write about for three years in a row. Coach Bob Seddon is one of the few coaches who will answer the questions that you didn't ask, but should have. I remember one interview that lasted almost half an hour after I asked just one question. Seddon would always point out that there are three keys to winning baseball: pitching, hitting and defense, and you will only win if you do at least two of them well. Somehow I managed to never witness a baseball game in three years, which has to be a record. The last two years I had the privilege of being one of the Swamis as well as writing about the Quakers on the gridiron. While Penn hasn't matched its season of three years ago, I still enjoyed covering football more than any other sport. Penn coach Al Bagnoli, a fellow Connecticut kid, was always willing to talk about even the most difficult of subjects. Defensive coordinator Mike Toop is honestly one of the scariest people I've interviewed. Yet when you aren't worried about him using you as a tackling dummy over something you wrote, you realize how much his wealth of defensive knowledge has shaped the Quaker "D" in recent years. After two years of partying in the stands during games, I found it difficult to remain reserved, and sober, in the press box. Yet Saturdays in the fall still carried with them a special kind of excitement, even if that sentiment wasn't felt by most of the campus. For an article this year, I talked with members of the Penn football team from 50 years ago. NFL great Chuck Bednarik talked about playing in front of 70,000 people each week and actually out-drawing the Eagles. I know it's unrealistic to hope for a packed Franklin Field each week, but it is still discouraging to look across from the press box to see only a handful of fans among the empty seats of one of the country's legendary stadiums. Men's basketball is yet another sport that has fallen from the championship level since I started covering it. Yet the past two years have brought some exciting moments to the Palestra as the Quakers have flashed some of the ability that should land them in the Big Dance next year. I wish that I could be here to see Penn dominate the Ivy League next year, as well as remind Princeton that last year was a fluke. I'll always remember the last game against Princeton, when Penn almost pulled off an amazing comeback. If the Quakers had won, I would have said "the hell with journalistic integrity" and charged the floor. I just have one thing to tell coach Dunphy: make sure you check the intramural football rosters. Now this rambling column has reached the point where I begin to preach. I guess what I've been attempting to get across is that the last four years I've tried to balance being a fan and being a reporter, and a lot of times the fan won out. Yet too often I've gotten the sense that the other writers could care less about the actual outcome of the games and were more worried about quotes and deadlines. As I leave the DP, I am beginning to see a return to the atmosphere of four years ago, when writing for DPOSTM was more than a one-year resume item. Over 20 reporters are returning, and I urge all of them to sometimes be a fan. I know we are supposed to be unbiased observers, but I believe that true passion only comes out in writing when somehow you feel connected to the team. It's the only reason that this chemical engineer has stayed on for four years while other writers have left before they ever made it to Chicken Hutch. There are a lot of people who have influenced my writing through the years, including all 13 editors: Adam, Josh, Jed, Nick, Jeff, Michael, Eric, Scott, Jordan, Miles, Josh, Kent and Marc. I'd also like to thank Noah Davis, my classmate since kindergarten who started me on my journalism journey in high school. Finally, I'd like to thank Jen Shook, my girlfriend who always understood that the article sometimes took precedence above everything else. I'll still be in Philly next year, so I'll be sure to see as many games as I can when I'm not sitting in front of my computer at my job. I'll also try to make it to the aforementioned Hutch trip and hope that the car doesn't break down this time. Good luck to all of the other seniors, and thank you if you've decided to read my last words for DPOSTM.
(03/23/98 10:00am)
The off-day gave the baseball team time to evaluate areas that need improvement and deal with the departure of Ed Kimlin. The sunny skies of their Florida trip were a distant memory for the Penn baseball team when it woke to the gloom of West Philadelphia yesterday. The Quakers hoped to play West Chester, but a foreboding forecast and cloudy skies forced the game to be postponed. Penn will have to wait until Saturday to try and gain its third win of the year. "We came back from Florida and just wanted to play," Penn pitcher Armen Simonian said. "We just need to play to see how good we are, because our record right now doesn't show it." The Quakers, who suffered a five-game tailspin at the end of their Florida trip, badly needed a win. West Chester, who has started the season 0-9, was a likely victim. Now Penn Coach Bob Seddon is unsure if he will be able to reschedule the game due to conflicts in the future weeks. "It hurts that the game was canceled. This is a game we wanted," Seddon said. "We need a game to get our confidence up." The Quakers, who started their season with nine games in nine days, will now have a week between games. Seddon was able to find some silver lining in the clouds as his injured players received some more time to heal their wounds. Yet a victory would have had the entire team feeling a lot better. · Penn returned from Florida with one player less than it left with. Senior pitcher Ed Kimlin left the team Monday to focus on academics and medical school. Kimlin, who will apply to med schools after he graduates this year, was faced with the difficult decision of choosing between baseball or med school. He soon realized he was compromising his performance in both areas by dividing his time. "You always try to put everything you have out on the field," Kimlin said. "If I continued to play it wouldn't have been bad for just me, but for the entire team." Kimlin had picked up one of Penn's wins so far this year, and was expected to be a major contributor after compiling a 2-3 record and a 5.68 ERA last year. Seddon was disappointed by Kimlin's decision and its unfortunate timing. "He just came back from Florida and quit the team," Seddon said, "so I'm not going to comment on it. He had a tough trip." Yet Simonian indicated that the team respects Kimlin's decision to concentrate on academics. Kimlin believed he needed to get away from Penn to think clearly about his choice, which resulted in Seddon's view of poor timing. "I wish he could understand," Kimlin said. "I could not make a decision of that magnitude before I left Penn for the Florida trip." · The loss of Kimlin adds to Penn's pitching troubles in their young season. The Quakers have an ERA hovering around nine and opponents have hit the pitchers to the tune of a .347 average. Yet the stats from the Florida trip could be misleading. "A few of the guys have stepped up, although it's hard to say that from the Florida trip," Simonian said. "It seems like each guy has taken the one or two things he had trouble with and really worked on them." On a promising note, the Quakers may have found a starter to complement staff ace Armen Simonian. Junior Ray Broome is second on the team with a 2.89 ERA and a .229 opponents batting average in his two appearances this season. The 6'4" left-hander could give the Quakers a solid second starter behind Simonian, who once again leads Penn in most of the major pitching categories. · Opponents are running wild on the basepaths against the Quakers this year. Opposing runners have been getting the green light and have swiped 30 bases from the Quakers this season in just nine games. "It's the worst stat," Seddon said. "Its terrible and abominable that we have given up that many steals." While base runners have an 82 percent success rate when they run against catcher Dave Corleto, Seddon is quick to deflect blame away from his senior backstop. He believes his pitching staff hasn't been keeping the runners honest on the basepaths. "I don't care who is on first base," Seddon said, "If you always look three times, and then throw, he'll be running on the pitch." Many of the stolen base plays haven't been close this year despite Corleto's strong arm. The Quaker hurlers have been practicing all week on their pick-off moves to try and hold the runners closer to the base.
(02/18/98 10:00am)
Lost in all of the hype surrounding Princeton's backdoor cuts, three-points shooting and the merits of their "system" is the basis for their success in the last 10 years. The Tigers are the top defensive team in the country, as the Quakers painfully found out in Princeton's 71-52 victory last night. "We have been playing good defense every year I've been here," Princeton forward James Mastaglio said. "While people aren't making a big deal about it this year, I think it's just because they've come to expect it from us." The numbers show how thoroughly the Tigers shut down the normally potent Penn attack. The Quakers were held to 21 points below their average per-game total while shooting a meager 34.8 percent from the field. While Penn has five players capable of putting up 20 points in a game, Michael Jordan was the Quakers' top scorer with a quiet 14 points. "I have to give the Princeton defense lot of credit," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "Their outstanding defense is evidenced by how they hold teams to a low shooting percentage." Throughout the year the Quakers have lived and died by the three-pointer. If any team was ready to exploit Penn's reliance on the outside game, it was the Tigers. Yet early on, Penn diverged from its usual offense as it perfectly attacked the soft middle of the Tiger zone for the inside shot. Four quick baskets gave Penn an early 8-4 lead. Penn's early success driving to the basket opened up three-pointers for Garett Kreitz and Matt Langel. Yet the two hottest Quaker shooters misfired to signal the beginning of a game they would both like to forget. "I don't think we had jitters in the first half," Jordan said. "We felt we got open shots early in the game, and we have to step up and make those shots." Yet the Quakers early opportunities labeled Kreitz and Langel as marked men for the Princeton defense. As the Quaker bombers became magnets for Princeton defenders, the Penn offense sputtered during a five minute scoreless stretch in the first half. "Coming into the game we knew Langel was shooting like 100 percent on threes and Kreitz has always been a good three-point shooter," Mastaglio said. "We really started to lock them down." After watching Penn pick apart his zone, Princeton coach Bill Carmody switched to a man-to-man scheme. The risky part of the decision would be determined by Jordan's ability to drive against his man, whether it be Mastaglio, Brian Earl or Mitch Henderson. "We focused on Garret and Langel on the wings and Michael penetrating," Earl said. "It's a tough thing to handle because you have to be really patient in the way you guard the drives because you know they want to kick it out for the threes." The man-to-man strategy worked as Jordan was unable to break free for his characteristic drives to the basket. Most of his points came from the perimeter, and his three assists were balanced with three turnovers. With Jordan's driving ability held in check, Langel and Kreitz suffered through their worst games of the year. The two combined for 5 points on 2-15 shooting. Kreitz inexplicably went from 33 points against Brown Saturday to zero points against the Tigers. "We figured that if we shut down Kreitz and Langel we would be in good shape," Mastaglio said. The lack of a three-point threat allowed Princeton to maintain its tough inside presence. Steve Goodrich and James Mastaglio focussed on stopping the inside passes to Penn's only consistent inside player, Paul Romanczuk. When Romanczuk did get the ball, he proved unstoppable for the Tigers. He used a variety of post moves to make all but one of his shots. But in his 33 minutes of court time, Romanczuk attempted only five shots. Penn's inability to get the ball down low to Romanczuk left the Quakers without a dependable source of points. "It was mainly a function of their defense," Dunphy said. "We certainly wanted to get the ball down there more often than we did." The biggest contributions of the Princeton defense came when Penn was trying to cut into the Tigers' 31-20 lead. The Tigers were consistently able to raise their level of defensive intensity when Penn mounted any threat to their lead. Penn had six chances in the second half to cut the lead to single digits. Four times the Quakers were forced into a turnover. Another time, Jordan had his shot blocked. After silencing those early threats, the Tigers were well on their way to a surprisingly easy victory. Before last night's match-up, Penn forward Jed Ryan had said that a perfect defensive effort would be needed to win the game. He just wasn't counting on the performance coming from the other team.
(02/17/98 10:00am)
The Penn men's basketball team heads to Princeton to play for first place in the Ivies. It doesn't get any bigger than this for the Penn basketball team. Twenty-three games have been played as a mere prelude to this game, and all future games will be affected by its outcome. When the Quakers travel to Jadwin Gymnasium tonight, they will enter the Tigers' den to face Princeton, eighth-ranked in the CNN/ESPN poll. The Ivy League lead will be in the balance. The math is very simple for Penn. Win this game and the Quakers (14-9, 7-1 Ivy League) will be tied atop the standings with Princeton (20-1, 8-0). If the Quakers lose, however, they will be forced to rely upon one of their fellow league members to take down the Tigers. So far, the Ivy League teams have only served to pad Princeton's victory total, falling by an average score of 74-49. "This is the biggest game of the season because it is the one right in front of us," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "It's the most important game because we have to win it to maintain control of our own destiny." Penn almost saw the Ivy League title slip farther away when it found itself down by 20 late in the game to Yale over the weekend. As Penn forward Jed Ryan said, the Princeton game seemed like it would be a lot less important. Yet the desperate comeback by the Quakers has allowed tonight's match-up to maintain its luster, while also boosting the Quakers' confidence. "The comeback shows that we can overcome adversity," Penn guard Michael Jordan said. "We don't want to be in the situation again, but it shows the character the team has." However, last season Penn fell twice by double digits to Princeton. While the Quakers' offense was solid in both games, the Tigers used their infamous back door cuts to shoot over 60 percent from the field in both contests. With the Tigers boasting the nation's top scoring defense, it's imperative that Penn shut down the Princeton offense. "I wouldn't say we need to play the perfect game to win against Princeton," Ryan said. "I would say that we need to play the perfect game defensively." In order to stop the Tigers, Penn has to shut down all aspects of a Princeton offensive system that the team knows all too well. The Tigers are willing to patiently work the ball around the perimeter for the best possible shot, as shown by their 61 percent shooting within the three-point line. Princeton also takes half of its shots from beyond three-point range, averaging nine threes made a game -- yet the Tigers have shown a slightly different offensive philosophy under second-year coach Bill Carmody. "The system is the same as it was under [long time Princeton coach Pete] Carril," Dunphy said. "But the speed of play has picked up a little bit." Princeton's offensive production is spread amongst the Tigers' five starters, each of whom average between eight and 14 points per game. Junior forward Gabe Lewullis leads the Tigers with 14 points and five boards per game, while junior guard Brian Earl averages 13.5 points per game and three trifectas per contest. Yet what makes the Tigers so difficult to defend is their ability to interchange players and positions throughout the game. "They all do the same things," Ryan said. "Right now they have the five best guys for their system." The most difficult matchup for the Quakers could be Princeton's 6'10" center Steve Goodrich, who figures to be matched up against shorter defenders during the entire night. Goodrich averages 11.6 points per contest, but is arguably the Tigers' best player because he complements his low-post game with pin-point passing and the occasional three-pointer. Dunphy will call on a variety of players to stop Goodrich -- the first being defensive stopper George Mboya, who will receive a rare start. "They've had some tough breaks [with injuries to their big men]," Goodrich said of the Quakers. "At the same time, they are all physical guys despite being undersized." On the offensive side, Penn will try to counter with its own balanced attack. Jordan continues to lead the Quakers with 16 points per game, but sophomore swingman Matt Langel has emerged in recent weeks to average 19 points over the past seven games. Langel's 58.6 percent shooting on three-pointers tops the country, as the Quakers are hitting 43 percent of their treys as a team. "They can shoot the heck out of the ball," Carmody said. "They are a very veteran team and they are a very balanced team." Princeton has shut down its opponents better than any team in the country, yielding only 49.9 points per game -- silencing opponents' three-point threats, forcing only 30 percent shooting from downtown. The Quakers, who often live and die by the three, could find some needed scoring help from Ryan, who appears ready to play after breaking his right pinky finger 11 days ago. "I'm ready to go now, I'm almost at full speed," Ryan said. "[The injury] doesn't affect my ability to shoot. I was supposed to be out four weeks, so it's been a quick recovery." Ryan has been spurred on by the hope of playing in the biggest game for Penn since these two teams met in a one-game playoff for the Ivy title in March 1996. While the two teams have combined for 27 of the last 29 Ivy League titles, this year's game is receiving more attention because of Princeton's lofty ranking. Yet even Goodrich and Carmody are willing to admit the ranking is inflated. This year's team may not be the best in recent Ivy League years. "Its hard to be better than the Penn teams from 1993-1995," Carmody said. "This team hasn't even won the league yet, so I can't start to measure it." In Ivy League play, the regular season title means everything. The Tigers may be ranked, but a Penn win tonight would make all things equal.
(02/12/98 10:00am)
Penn's inside-outside game to Paul Romanczuk and Michael Jordan combined for 37 points last night. La Salle has had its share of great players during coach Speedy Morris' tenure. Lionel Simmons, Randy Wood, Doug Overton and Tim Legler are all NBA players who have made their way through the Explorers' lineup. Morris probably wishes he had even one of his former stars on this year's 7-15 Explorers team. A combination of poor La Salle defense, red-hot Penn shooting and the disappearance of the Explorers' top two players turned a close game at the half into a 82-64 Penn blowout last night at the Palestra. "Right now the team needs a lot of fixing," Morris said, "and I'm not sure if I'm the carpenter to do it. We can't get much lower than we are now." Penn (12-9) quickly grabbed a lead it would never relinquish with a 13-2 run over the game's first six minutes. The run was keyed by five La Salle turnovers and four quick points from first-time starter Jeff Goldstein, who replaced an injured Paul Romanczuk in the opening lineup. "I told Paul before the game that I wanted to give Jeff a start," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "It was not only because of the injury, but he also deserves it because he works hard every day in practice." Romanczuk also provided a lift for the Quakers as he logged 26 minutes off the bench despite a right-wrist injury. Romanczuk scored 18 points, including 13 key low-post points in the second half. "Every game that I go out there," Langel said, "and every practice I play in, I am feeling more comfortable playing college ball." La Salle avoided an early blowout with an 11-2 run behind five Donnie Carr points. Penn continued the wild first half with a 9-2 run of its own, but two Mike Gizzi free throws knotted the game at 34 with two minutes left in the half. The Explorers were basically a two-man team as Carr and Gizzi combined for 23 of La Salle's points in the first half that ended with Penn up 37-34. "At halftime we talked about switching on screens, doing a lot of helping out [on Gizzi and Carr]," Penn forward Matt Langel said. "We were trying to pressure the perimeter game." The strategy did not work initially as the two Explorers combined for nine points in the first six minutes of the second half. A Gizzi three-pointer pulled the Explorers to within 56-50. Yet over the game's final 13 minutes, Gizzi and Carr, who combined for 34 points a game, vanished from the scoring column. La Salle was left looking for someone to pick up the scoring load, and there were few volunteers. "I think that its kind of obvious we didn't have a game plan [in the second half]," Gizzi said. "When we don't run our offense, we are not successful." While the Explorers' top players were struggling, the Quakers were boosted by their newest weapon, Matt Langel. Coming off a weekend for which he was the Ivy League Player of the Week, Langel led Penn with 19 points and five assists. His 23-foot three-pointer gave Penn a 65-53 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the game. "If I could bare the pain, I knew I could play tonight," Romanczuk said. "It was not even thought that I couldn't play tonight." With the Quaker's inside-out game working to perfection, Penn slowly increased its lead in the second half. La Salle's fate was further sealed when the Explorers picked up their 10th team foul just eight and a half minutes into the second half. Penn shot 21 foul shots in the second half, versus only eight for La Salle. Penn exploded for 45 second-half points, on 64 percent shooting from the field. The Quakers' ball movement led to countless open shots against a La Salle defense that yielded an average of 79 points per game. "We talk about it all the time in practice," Morris said. "Anybody who laces up can be a good defensive player, but we're not doing it." Morris left the court thinking his team had lost a game it easily should have won. Yet the La Salle coach realizes his team no longer can boast future NBA players. On Tuesday night, all of the stars were on the Quakers.
(01/30/98 10:00am)
Penn men's basketball coach Fran Dunphyt says his team will have to play excellent defense to win twice. The style of play that the Cornell and Columbia basketball teams subscribe to seems simple enough: slow the game down so that it is a low-scoring defensive battle where a minimal amount of offense can win the game. In a league where Penn is the top scorer at 70 points per game, the philosophy appears to be sound, but the Lions (5-10, 1-3 Ivy League) and the Big Red (6-10, 3-1) have struggled throughout the season. Both teams have learned that despite their stellar defensive numbers, they can't win games without dependable scorers. "Most of the season we have not had a player averaging double-figures in points," Cornell coach Scott Thompson said. "We have a hard time finding someone to go to when it gets into the nitty-gritty." Both teams travel to the Palestra this weekend to face Penn (7-9, 1-1), as the Quakers enter the Ivy League portion of their schedule. Tonight at 7:30 p.m., Columbia coach Armond Hill will attempt to win his first game against Penn. Columbia relies on a defense that has limited its opponents to 64 points per game. Their defense is far less impressive when compared to the Lions average offensive output of 59 points per game. Yet Penn coach Fran Dunphy is reluctant to pay too much attention to statistical averages. "When I watch film," Dunphy said. "I see a team that can hurt us if we don't do a great job defensively." Columbia's best player is junior Gary Raimondo. The shooting guard leads the Lions with 13.5 points per game and 2.5 assists per game. He also ranks fourth in the league with 7.5 rebounds per game despite being only 6'2''. Raimondo has seen his shooting percentage dip below 40 percent as teams have keyed on him this year. Six-foot-six-inch forward Justin Namolik is Columbia's most consistent inside scorer with 10.4 points per game, while junior Erik Crep has emerged as a three-point threat with 2.5 threes per game. After their big three scorers, the Lions have no one who scores over five points per game. "While someone doesn't average a lot of points per game, they could still have a good game," Dunphy said. "[Columbia guard] Tony Mboya could get fired up playing against his brother (Penn forward George Mboya) and play well against us." On Saturday, Penn faces a Cornell team that has only six wins this season despite ranking 13th in the country in scoring defense. Cornell has had a difficult time replacing its top three scorers from last season, as freshman Ray Mercedes tops the Big Red with only 10.5 points per game. "We have to rely on the entire team to score," Thompson said. "Nobody has been a consistent scorer for us." Besides defense, Cornell has also excelled on the boards this season, leading the Ivy League in rebounds and out-rebounding its opponents by four a game. Six-foot-11-inch center Jeffrion Aubry is quickly becoming one of the league's best big men and is pulling down 7.2 boards per game this season. But Thompson does not think his team will be able to capitalize on its height advantage against Penn. "What they lack in height," Thompson said, "they make up for in quickness. We have height, but we are not a super-quick team." The Quakers have improved their rebounding in recent games after struggling early in the season. Every starter has taken an active role on the boards, including 6' guard Michael Jordan, who has averaged 10 rebounds over the last three games. "Our first six games we played some large teams," Penn forward Jed Ryan said. "Since then we've played teams that aren't as big. Cornell has some big guys, so we have to do the job we have been doing." The Quakers are also hoping for the return of sophomore guard Matt Langel, who suffered a bruised right thigh in practice last week. The Penn offense seemed out-of-sync during Langel's absence in the St. Joseph's game, and his added scoring threat could be essential against the stingy defenses of Cornell and Columbia. "It's the first time in my life something I can't control has kept me out of a game," Langel said. "There are only a limited number of games, and I want to help my teammates." Ideally, Langel will return this weekend and the Quakers can regain their offensive momentum. Dunphy is certain his team can play at any pace, but the Quakers should be able to run away from Cornell and Columbia if they control the tempo.
(01/22/98 10:00am)
Joe Linderman was unable to get his game in rhythm against the Quakers Tuesday night. Joe Linderman entered the post-game interview room looking like it was the last place he wanted to be. Drexel's 6'9" center seemingly shrank a few inches as he walked, never lifting his eyes from the floor. What he couldn't shrink away from, however, was his abysmal first half of play, which contributed to Penn's early domination of the Quakers' 79-65 win Tuesday night at the Palestra. Before being rendered impotent by the Quakers' defense Tuesday night, Linderman had been the center of the Dragon's offense all season, leading Drexel with 17.4 points per game. The undersized Quakers matched its 6'7" big men, Paul Romanczuk and Jed Ryan, against Linderman. Entering the game, Drexel thought taking advantage of this height mismatch would be critical to its offensive philosophy. Yet Penn coach Fran Dunphy had other plans for dealing with Drexel's offense. The Quakers constantly double-teamed Linderman, forcing Drexel's other players to step up and make the outside shots. "We decided to help off of the other forward they had in the game," Dunphy said. "We were trying to minimize the damage." Drexel coach Bill Herrion seemed intent on exploiting Linderman's height advantage from the opening tip-off. The Dragon guards passed the ball down low to Linderman, who backed in versus either Ryan or Romanczuk. But Linderman's shots were not met with his usual success as the Penn defenders flew from all over the court to meet him. The Drexel center saw his first two shots sent back in his face by Romanczuk off of the double-team. One minute later, Ryan joined the block-fest as he rejected Linderman's third shot. In the game's first four minutes Linderman took three shots without a single one hitting the rim Linderman seemed frustrated by his constant rejection. "Coach tells me all the time the other teams are going to double-team me," Linderman said. "I have to learn how to keep my composure." While Linderman struggled to have a shot go more than one foot in the air, the Dragons stumbled to a 17-2 deficit early in the game. The Drexel offense was completely out of sync, and Linderman, who averages one assist per game, was not able to set-up his teammates for open shots. Dunphy even gambled by drawing his guards to double down low on Linderman. Dunphy eventually had enough confidence to leave freshman center Josh Sanger alone against Linderman. The frustration grew for Linderman as he missed his first seven shots before finally hitting a lay-up with 6:28 left in the first half. "You could see what happened," Linderman said. "I wasn't exactly keeping my composure." While the Quakers' 48-24 halftime lead was mainly a product of their 60 percent shooting in the first half, the Penn defense was equally impressive. Linderman's 1-for-8 shooting had far-reaching effects on the entire Dragon offense. Shooting guard Mike DeRocckis was able to set-up for only three shots as the Drexel inside game faltered. With their two weapons effectively neutralized, the Dragons struggled to 10 of 30 shooting in the first half. While DeRocckis and Linderman combined for 23 second-half points, the first-half deficit was too much to overcome. Linderman picked up his points mainly after the game was decided, and his 15 points had very little effect on the outcome. After the game, Linderman, visibly distracted, seemed to miss most of what his coach was saying although he was only one foot away. No doubt he was still thinking about the humbling game the Quakers' defense handed him.
(12/05/97 10:00am)
The Penn men's basketball team will face top players of all sizes versus GW. For the first six games of the season, the Penn men's basketball team has been losing the battle around the basket. The Quakers have been outrebounded, outshot and generally outplayed in the paint in most of their games. The Quakers (3-2) travel to Washington, D.C., Sunday, to play in the Franklin National Bank Classic, where they will literally meet their biggest challenge so far in the form of all 7 feet and 285 pounds of George Washington center Alexander Koul. "The very large individual," as Penn forward Jed Ryan called him, is averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 rebounds so far this season. He was considered one of the top centers in college two years ago, but has failed to improve in recent years. Still, Koul has the size and ability to take over Sunday's game. "Our strategy has to be to move Koul away from the blocks," Ryan said. "It is physically impossible for us to block his shots if he gets the ball down low." Penn's best defense may be disrupting the rhythm of the Belarusan giant. Ryan and the rest of Penn's low-post players, including Paul Romanczuk and Josh Sanger, will be called on to harass Koul throughout the game. "We have to just move him off the block, take some charges," Ryan said. "We have to do all the little things that make playing basketball annoying for someone who is 7 feet tall." While Koul has the potential to score at will against Penn -- he towers over any Quaker by at least four inches -- he could prove to be a bigger disturbance on defense. Again, Penn's best chance is to move Koul away from the basket. "Something you have to deal with," Penn assistant coach Gil Jackson said, "is, are we going to decide how we want to attack them or are they going to have to figure out how to defend us?" Penn will try to draw Koul to the outside by sending its big men to the perimeter. But the Quakers' big men have to prove they can hit their shots before the Colonials (5-2) will defend the outside. Not one of Penn's post players is hitting above 46 percent of his shots, and Ryan has slumped to 33 percent. "If I made a shot," Ryan said, "it would be a blessing. We will not have a lot of success in the low blocks. We have to make shots so we can play our game." Yet Koul can not be Penn's only concern in Sunday's game. The Colonials' leading scorer is Yegor Mecheriakov, a 6'8" forward also from Belarus and also a force in the low post. At the short end of the spectrum is 5'4" point guard Shawnta Rogers. While he averages 12 points and 4.9 assists per game, Rogers' most impressive stat is his four rebounds per game, even though he wouldn't have a height advantage on most junior high players. "He penetrates well," Penn point guard Michael Jordan said. "He's not that great of a shooter, but he's a real good player, especially for being so short." Jordan has played against Rogers in summer league games, but there is some question as to whether Jordan will be able to use his experience this Sunday. Jordan's ankle is now at about 40 percent after he sprained it in Puerto Rico. "I can't say specifically how much he'll play," Penn head coach Fran Dunphy said. "Right now he's shooting a little, then he'll start jogging. I'm hoping that soon he'll be at 50 percent, then at 75 percent before we play." Penn is undoubtedly a better team when Jordan is on the court. Not only do the Quakers need his 14.7 points per game, but Jordan has the unique ability to make the players around him better. Regardless of who is running the show, Dunphy is convinced the Quakers have to stick with their usual game plan despite the height mismatches. "Once you do something out of the ordinary," Dunphy said, "you are playing right into their hands." While Penn will face either Maryland or Kansas, ranked second nationally, in the second game. The Quakers are not too concerned with who their opponent will be. In fact, Penn will probably not prepare for the second game until after the George Washington game. "Typically, what will happen is an assistant coach will have one team," Dunphy said. "We will be prepared to face either Maryland or Kansas." The coach covering Kansas (7-0) will have the unenviable job of trying to figure out how to stop the Jayhawks front-court tandem of Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce. Both are arguably among the top five college players and average a total of 40 points and 20 rebounds per game combined. "We are going to try like crazy [to stop them]," Dunphy said. "LaFrentz may be the best player in America, so whatever we do won't be easy." While some Penn players want a shot at Kansas, others are seeking redemption for last year's 30-point loss to Maryland (3-1 pending the result of last night's game with Clemson). Almost all of the players from last year's team returned for the Terrapins, who are led by Laron Profit and his 21.8 points per game. Yet Penn would be happy to face either of the dangerous opponents, as long as it was in the winner's bracket. "You can't concern yourselves with who you'll play," Ryan said. "or you'll lose your focus and you never get a chance to play them."
(11/24/97 10:00am)
Jordan had his finest game at the point in his collegiate career. Michael Jordan has been the Penn point guard since coach Fran Dunphy handed him the reigns early last season. While Jordan was the Quakers' principal ball-handler, his evolution into a college point guard had just begun. Jordan had the ability to make the plays expected of a point guard, but he was still learning how to best use his skills in running Penn's offense. Too often, Jordan would beat his man off the dribble only to face a critical decision of what to do next. As his 80 turnovers to 72 assists last season show, many times that decision was the wrong one. Saturday night, however, Jordan played the finest game of his college career. He was no longer a point guard in title only, as he seemed to adopt the "pass-first, shoot-second" mentality coaches expect from the point. An undersized Quakers team responded by putting on an offensive show orchestrated by Jordan. "He has a very good feel for the game," Rice coach Willis Wilson said. "He knows where the shooters are, and he is unselfish." While the Owls may have towered over the Quakers, it was clear from the beginning that Jordan held the advantage in quickness. In the first half, Jordan consistently beat the Rice defenders off the dribble, slicing to the holes in the Owls' defense. "In the beginning, I saw that they were real aggressive on defense," Jordan said. "My main job is to get in the gaps, and that's what I tried to do." Unlike last year, Jordan decided not to challenge the taller Owls defenders inside after breaking through the first level of the Rice defense. Realizing the Quakers would win the game with their shooting, Jordan consistently swung the ball out to the Penn shooters who spotted up outside. "In the first half," Wilson said, "he did a real good job of breaking down the defense and then penetrating and dishing out." Jordan's drives were made even more effective by the hot shooting of the Quakers early on. Jed Ryan was the recipient of three Jordan assists in the first five minutes of the game. By the time Jordan took a rest with eight minutes left in the half, he had already picked up five assists. Jordan did not even score until under five minutes remained in the half. But in the final three minutes he more than made up for his lack of points. A driving lay-up was followed by two pull-up jumpers, the last coming with no time left on the clock and giving Penn a 40-38 lead at the break. Jordan took only four shots in the half, but made three. "I was very impressed with how he did a good job picking and choosing his shot opportunities," Wilson said. Jordan's shot selection and court savvy could not have been better than in the first six minutes of the second half. Jordan scored three baskets, and assisted on two more three-pointers, accounting for 12 of the 15 points the Quakers used to jump out to an insurmountable 13-point lead. Jordan executed his game plan perfectly. He had set up his passing game in the first half, and in the second half he was ready to assume more of a scoring burden. "I don't think I changed my philosophy," Jordan said. "In the beginning, they were not looking for me to shoot. I think they assumed I would do it the rest of the game, and they started laying off of me." Jordan finished with 21 points and eight assists, which tied his career high. While Jordan has scored more points in previous games, he was primarily a scorer -- not a passer -- in those games. Jordan seemed content to take his shots only when he knew they wouldn't be forced, a sign of a true point guard. While it is difficult to point to one game as a turning point in a career, especially one closer to its beginning than its end, the Rice game could be one for Jordan. As the Owls found out, Jordan can make the entire team more dangerous.
(11/12/97 10:00am)
Penn quarterback Matt Rader suffered a concussion during Saturday's victory over Princeton but has recovered. Penn senior captain John Bishop left the field Saturday with a little momento of the Quakers' win: the imprint of a football's laces ran across his left elbow, exactly where Bishop had blocked Princeton kicker Alex Sierk's possible game-winning field goal. "It didn't sting at all," Bishop said. "It felt too good for me to notice the pain." On the crucial 46-yard field goal attempt with the score tied at 17, Penn special teams coach Ray Priore had called for an all-out block attempt. The team hoped that if everyone rushed, then someone would get through. "Qurran Rogers and Larrin Robertson rushed hard and took on the two men in front of me," Bishop said. "I was able to come in pretty clean." What made the block even more amazing is that Bishop had never blocked a kick before. He had not even blocked an extra point, field goal or punt in high school. Yet Bishop realized that Penn needed someone to make a big play in a game that was quickly slipping away. "There was definitely a sense of urgency on the kick," Bishop said. "His previous field goal looked as if it could have been good from 50 yards." The block was Sierk's first miss in 15 attempts this season. · Bishop was not the only Quaker to contribute in an unexpected way on Saturday. Penn backup quarterback Tom MacLeod had just watched starer Matt Rader work his way into the end zone for a five-yard score. Rader trotted to the sidelines after the play, showing no initial effects from the brutal hits he took on the play. But there was one problem: Rader had suffered a concussion and couldn't remember the plays. MacLeod suddenly realized that he would have to take over as the Penn signal caller. "I was a little surprised," MacLeod said. "I saw him run off the field and he seemed to be fine. I was a little cold when I went into the game." For the first time this season, MacLeod found himself in a game that was not decided. His numbers were nothing spectacular, one completion for four yards in six attempts, Penn coach Al Bagnoli praised MacLeod for not making the mistakes that could have cost Penn the game. "The offensive line and Finn did more to win the game than I did," MacLeod said. "I guess somebody has to take the snaps." MacLeod believes the Penn coaching staff's confidence in turning to him derives more from his previous performances than his showing against Princeton. But with Rader healthy, MacLeod is once again forced to the sidelines awaiting his next call. "When you least expect it, it happens," MacLeod said. "Last week just gives me more of a firm ground to stand on that it can happen. I'm not hoping for an injury, but if he should miss the bus?" · Junior running back Jason McGee has not been 100 percent healthy since he injured his hamstring during the beginning of fall practice. The nagging injury limited McGee's explosiveness and reduced the number of carries he received. But heading into the Princeton game, McGee was feeling better than he had all season. That changed on his second carry of the game. "As I was making the cut," McGee said, "the defensive end fell and he hit his helmet on my knee." McGee immediately grasped for his knee, and in the process lost the football. To add insult to injury, the officials ruled a fumble on the play, claiming McGee was not down when he released the ball. McGee was assisted off the field and the bruise to his left knee was added to this year's list of injuries that also included ligament damage to his right hand. "It's been a very disappointing year," McGee said. "It started with the hamstring injury, which rattled my confidence. The same thing happened with injuries in my senior year of high school. I don't know if its luck or the man upstairs, but this is the most injuries I've ever had." McGee will return next week and expects to see his carries increase. It is likely, though, that McGee will not have the chance this year to show how he could perform as a healthy, featured running back. · McGee's absence has allowed for Jim Finn to pick up more rushing attempts, and the ex-defensive back has responded with four amazing games. Finn has racked up 99 carries for 565 yards and eight offensive touchdowns. While his 600 yards on the ground for the season rank Finn second in the Ivy League to Chris Menick, his numbers would be even more amazing if he had started from the beginning of the year. Finn would have already accumulated 1,130 yards rushing if his four game average were projected to the entire season. He would lead the league in rushing by over 100 yards, and he would also lead with 16 touchdowns. If Finn continues to average 141 yards and two touchdowns a game he will finish with 882 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns, which would place him ninth and third, respectively on the all-time Quakers single-season lists.
(11/07/97 10:00am)
The Penn football team can see an Ivy League title, but archrival Princeton would love to play spoiler. The Princeton football team has been the Ivy League's version of a traveling show this season. Playing without the benefit of a home field since the destruction of Palmer Stadium, the nomadic Tigers (4-3, 1-3 Ivy League) have been surprising opponents all season. Tomorrow's game at 1:30 p.m. against Penn (4-3, 3-1) will be the closest thing to a home performance for the Tigers yet this season. The Homecoming crowd at Franklin Field will catch the next act in the Tigers season, and the theme will probably be defense. "On paper it appears that way," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "If the past games are any indication, points will be at a premium." The Quakers' defense has been dominating in its last two games. First Penn shut down a Brown offense that was steamrolling opponents, then the Quakers forced Yale into a performance that probably made Carm Cozza happy he retired. For the season, Penn is the top-ranked defense in the Ivy League, allowing only 265 yards a game, an amazing turnaround after struggling against Bucknell and Lehigh. "We were probably at an all-time low after Lehigh," Penn defensive coordinator Mike Toop said. "But we knew that if we stepped things up enough and played with consistency, confidence and attitude, we would not let people score." During the season, Princeton has done a decent job preventing itself from scoring. The Tigers have scored 16.1 points per game, and rank ahead of only Yale in total offense. Quarterback Harry Nakielny has completed 41 percent of his passes while the running attack has picked up only 2.7 yards per carry. "The three games we've lost have all been in rain storms, which has had a big effect on our passing game," Princeton coach Steve Tosches said. "We are not strong enough to go up and down the field with just our rushing offense." While Princeton's stats are far from impressive, the Quakers have noticed a disturbing trend in films this week. Penn has seen a talented Tigers team that has trouble playing well together. "The one thing they have shown on film is inconsistency," Penn safety John Bishop said. "If the quarterback throws the ball well, the receiver might not catch it, or sometimes the receiver might be open and the quarterback doesn't hit him." The Quakers believe Princeton is talented enough to put points on the board, and understand the offense could break out with a big performance. Toop knows his defense has to take away Princeton's running game first to limit the Tigers' big-play options. "They traditionally have gone up top on us," Toop said. "They like to run play action or bootlegs, but not too many drop-back passes." Every point the Quakers allow could be critical because of Princeton's defensive performance this season. The Tigers lead the Ivy League in scoring defense, and have controlled the top two offenses in the league, Harvard and Brown. Linebacker Tim Greene and defensive back Damani Leech are both All-Ivy performers who have helped shut down Penn's offense in the past two meetings. Two years ago, Princeton bombed the Quakers 22-9 in another Homecoming clash. Last season, Penn rode Jasen Scott's 45 carries to a 10-6 win at Palmer Stadium. "We know Penn has picked it up offensively," Tosches said. "We have to play good team defense. The linebackers have to play both the run and pass. We also can't rely on just the blitz to get pressure because they'll hit big plays." The last three games have seen an offensive surge for the Quakers, thanks in no small part to running back Jim Finn. Quarterback Matt Rader has been one of the major beneficiaries of Finn (eight touchdowns in the last three games) and his 6.1 yards per carry. "It's taken a lot of pressure off of me," Rader said. "I don't have to make the play every time I drop back. When we start running the ball the other team uses eight-man fronts to try to defend it and that opens up the passing game." If the game does turn into a defensive battle, then special teams could be the deciding factor. Princeton has the best special teams unit in the league. Leech is one of the top return men, averaging 24 yards a kickoff return. Alex Sierk has not missed a field goal or extra point this year, and Matt Evans leads the league with 42.1 yards per punt. "They play very well on special teams," Bagnoli said. "There is as much pressure on special teams as on any unit for this game." While Princeton has finally felt the effects of its season-long road trip with two recent losses, the Tigers are not a struggling team. Their two-point loss to first-place Harvard probably had a carry-over affect in their 17-0 loss to Columbia. But Bagnoli and the rest of the Quakers expect Princeton to be better prepared for Saturday's game. "We can't take them lightly," Bishop said. "They have exactly the same record as us. We are not in the position to take anyone lightly."
(10/29/97 10:00am)
Despite spending a lot of time this season at strong safety, Finn now ranks fifth in the Ivy League in scoring. and Jordan Smith Normally, a team would not be pleased if its leading scorer was someone who had played two-thirds of the season as the team's strong safety. Yet the Quakers should have no problem with Jim Finn ranking fifth in the Ivy League in scoring. Finn has seven touchdowns on the season, including five in the last two games, one of which was an interception return against Columbia. The 6'1'', 215-pound junior had seen some spot duty as Penn's goal line back in the season's first four games, in which he scored two touchdowns. But there was no indication Finn would go on a scoring streak unlike any by a Penn running back in recent years. "It's just a matter of being at the right spot at the right time," Finn said. "They have just been regular, average plays." While Finn may not view his touchdowns as spectacular plays, it is apparent that he has a knack for scoring. Finn appears to develop a different mentality when he approaches the goal line. "When you are near the end zone, you just try to do whatever you can," Finn said. "If you have a little seam, you have to take it so you can get the yards." A perfect example was Finn's first touchdown run against Brown on Saturday. The play was stuffed initially, but Finn was able to bounce outside and turn the corner. Only one Brown defender blocked Finn's path to the end zone, and Penn's bruising back made short work of the unlucky Bear. "Once I turned the corner, I just wanted to get to the pylon," Finn said. "Luckily we met right at the pylon." · Finn is not the only Penn offensive player to turn the corner on his season. Quarterback Matt Rader struggled with mastering the Penn offense in his first four games. But his biggest problem was interceptions; Rader found eight different ways to throw interceptions in his first 134 attempts. "Most of them were freak plays," Rader said. "They were tipped balls or balls that bounced off of someone." But Rader has found his mark in the past two weeks, throwing 56 passes without being picked off. While a big part may be a change in luck -- a tipped pass against Brown was almost intercepted but ruled a trap -- Rader's receivers have been key factors. "I've got to give a lot of credit to the receivers," Rader said. "Doug O'Neil and Brandon Carson are starting to make the plays." Not only has Rader been more accurate, he also has piled up the yardage. His 334 yards passing against Brown earned him Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors. Surprisingly, Rader's yards through the air were the second-best ever at Penn to Mark DeRosa's 360 in the 1994 season finale against Cornell. · As week seven approaches and the Quakers carry a 2-1 league record, it has become time for Penn to add scoreboard watching to its Saturday afternoon program. The game that stands out is the potential title-decider in Hanover, N.H., where Dartmouth (3-0) and Harvard (3-0) will meet. Needless to say, the game has major implications for Penn, the only team within a game of first. Thanks to overtime rules implemented last year, no game can end in a tie, so whoever wins will be in the driver's seat for the championship. If Dartmouth can recover from ending its 22-game unbeaten streak to Lehigh last week and muster a win, Penn would need help from either Columbia, Brown or Princeton to get into a first-place tie. Should the Crimson prevail, however, Penn would be able to stake a title claim by winning at Harvard Stadium on November 15. · MISCELLANEOUS: Quarterback Tom MacLeod, Rader's backup, has appeared in four straight games in a mop-up role, three large Penn wins and a 17-point loss at Lehigh? Quakers field goal kicker Jeremiah Greathouse, who proposed to his girlfriend before the Brown game, continued to struggle, missing two of three attempts. An All-Ivy pick two years ago as a sophomore, Greathouse has made just six of his 13 field goal attempts in 1997? The Quakers seem to love the third quarter. Through six games, they had outscored opponents, 49-10, as opposed to the other three periods, in which Penn runs a deficit.
(10/27/97 10:00am)
Football now 2-1 in Ivy games Entering Saturday's game at Franklin Field, Penn quarterback Matt Rader and Brown quarterback James Perry had experienced different results in their first seasons as starters. Perry accounted for over 270 of Brown's 468 average yards of offense per game, while the Quakers' offense had not woken up from its season-long dormancy. Yet by the end of the game, Rader had led Penn to a 31-10 victory while the 12,207 fans at Franklin Field witnessed the worst performance of Perry's career. Penn's defense stuffed the high-powered Brown offense, forcing Perry out of the game after the third quarter due to ineffectiveness. The Quakers displayed an intensity not seen most of the year, as they atoned for last year's loss in Providence, R.I. While Brown (4-2, 1-2 Ivy League) entered the game with title aspirations, it was Penn (3-3, 2-1) that was back in the race at the end of the day. "Our new guys have to understand that we are not the Brown of old," Bears coach Mark Whipple said. "People will not take us lightly." The action started slowly as the two teams traded punts until Penn cornerback Joe Piela fumbled Tom Routt's punt at the Quakers 19. At this critical juncture of the first half, Penn's defense allowed Brown's dangerous wide-out Sean Morey to catch a pass for no gain. Solid defense then resulted in two straight incompletions to Morey. Routt ended the not-so-typical four play, zero-yard scoring drive with a 37-yard field goal, but the Quakers' defense had sent a clear message to the Bears. "They have a great offense, the best offense we'll see this year," Penn safety John Bishop said. "We set the tone early. The team made great plays after they had great field position." The Quakers' offense thanked the defense by going on a seven-play, 71-yard touchdown drive after the kickoff. Rader hit freshman wide receiver Doug O'Neil on a diving 29-yard catch that placed the ball at the Brown 14. The next play, Penn running back Jim Finn was initially stopped at the line of scrimmage. But by the end of the play, Finn was in the end zone and Brown's top defender, safety Roderic "Rocky" Parsons, was on the ground with an injured knee that would force him out of the game. "It was a counter play," Finn said. "The hole just clogged, but I kept bouncing until I saw the goal line." Penn held on to the 7-3 lead until 6:15 remained in the second quarter, when Perry found Morey over the middle for a 34-yard pass to the Penn one-yard line. Yet on the following play, Brown fullback Mike Wall was met by Penn linebacker Darren MacDonald as he tried to go over the top to the end zone. The ball popped loose into the end zone, and Piela made up for his earlier fumble by picking up the ball. "That was a huge play," Bishop said. "It's not the first time MacDonald has made that play. It tells a lot about the defense -- the situation was similar to after the [Piela] fumble. It gives you confidence that no matter what they do, you have an answer." The half ended with Penn up 7-3, but the Quakers easily could have gone to the locker room down by a touchdown. Penn realized the need to put Brown away at the start of the second half, but a 13-play, 60-yard drive to start the half came up empty when Jeremiah Greathouse's 37-yard field goal sailed wide left. On Penn's next possession, Rader found freshman tight end Benjamin Zagorski alone on the left sideline on an 11-yard pass. Zagorski took the first catch of his career an additional 27 yards down to the Brown 13-yard line. Finn finished off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to put Penn up, 14-3. After Brown went three and out, the Penn offense went back to work on the Brown secondary. Whipple admitted the injury to Parsons, who entered the game leading the nation in interceptions, took a lot out of the Bears' defense. Rader had little trouble finding his young receivers throughout the day, and O'Neil was his favorite target with four catches for 93 yards. With 3:17 left in the quarter, O'Neil beat the coverage, then adjusted to Rader's underthrown pass for a 32-yard touchdown catch. "They like to blitz, especially on first down," Rader said. "We thought we could take it downtown." With the game fast becoming a blowout, the Brown offense could muster nothing more than three plays before punting back to Penn. Another drive capped by a 34-yard Greathouse field goal convinced Whipple he had to make a switch before his team was down more than 24-3. Perry, who finished the day with nine completions in 23 attempts for 62 yards, was replaced by Anthony Ames on Brown's next drive. "We're down 24-3 and we haven't made the plays," Whipple said. "We've got to get something going, we needed a change in tempo." Although Ames passed for 182 yards against Penn's reserves in the fourth quarter, he couldn't put points on the board. After Ames' initial drive ended on a fourth down incompletion, Penn capped its scoring on another Finn touchdown after receiver John James rumbled to the Brown five-yard line on a 50-yard catch and run. Penn's 31-3 lead was cut to 21 when Brown scored a consolation touchdown with a minute left in the game. The Quakers had the best game of the season on both sides of the ball to overcome 15 penalties. Their defense limited Brown to 362 yards, 229 yards coming in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided. Morey was expertly covered by Bishop and Piela throughout the game and was prevented from winning the game for Brown. Whipple said he decided to have a more conservative approach on offense, and Penn countered with a simple plan to stop the Bears. "It was just a combination of the kids playing well in the secondary, and getting a good pass rush," Bagnoli said. Penn's offense used a variety of rollouts to buy time for Rader, and the junior responded with his best day as a Quaker, throwing for 334 yards on 19 completions in 30 attempts. Finn continued to see extensive time at running back, picking up 94 yards and three touchdowns on the day. In all, Penn racked up 501 yards of offense and controlled the ball for over 37 minutes. Those numbers were a long time in coming for a highly regarded Penn team with a modest record. But the Quakers team that showed up to Franklin Field on Saturday was the one expected from the beginning of the season.
(10/22/97 9:00am)
Scouts have told Penn's defensive tackle that his illness has not affected his NFL prospects, whereas an injury would have. Mitch Marrow returned to Penn for his fifth year as the most feared defensive player in the Ivy League. The defensive tackle, who already had the pro scouts watching, had hoped to enhance his draft position by continuing his dominating college play. Yet five games into the season, Marrow has been on the field sparingly. Marrow was sidelined with a mysterious equilibrium problem that was finally diagnosed as a "mono-type virus," which has since run its course. The mono left Marrow weakened and out of shape, as he dropped 17 pounds from his playing weight of 290 pounds. "I'm trying to get my endurance back," Marrow said. "It's hard to get into shape because I am still a little sick, and I'm just getting over the illness. All the running I did this summer is pretty much gone." After seeing only 20 plays against Columbia -- carefully monitored by the Quakers coaches -- Marrow should see more action against Brown. Marrow will have another full week of practice and he has already gained back seven pounds. Bagnoli and Marrow both believe he is ready to see his usual work load on Saturday. "I plan on doing as much as I can do," Marrow said. "I'm just going to play until I can't play anymore." While the rest of the season is the top priority for Marrow, the NFL draft was a concern for him while he was sidelined. Instead of impressing the scouts with his play, Marrow was sidelined with a condition that could have concerned scouts. "The scouts I've talked to said [the mono] hasn't made a difference," Marrow said. "It would have been different if I didn't play because I was injured." To confirm what the scouts had said, Marrow was selected to play in the prestigious Senior Bowl while he was still sidelined. But before Marrow gets to match up against the top Division I-A talent, he has to show he has recovered enough to play an entire Ivy League game. · At the start of practice this season, it appeared Jason McGee had the starting running back spot locked up. As the only returning back with significant experience, McGee was supposed to thrive during his junior year in Penn's one-back offense. An injured hamstring forced McGee out of practice during the preseason, complicating Penn's backfield situation for the first five games. Bruce Rossignol and Eric Bunn were supposed to be McGee's major challengers, but Melvin Alexander burst on the scene with his practice performance. While Alexander started the first two games, Rossignol and Bunn saw their carries dwindle. McGee's return did not clarify the situation, as it soon became apparent he was not at his pre-injury level. Last week, Penn strong safety Jim Finn returned to his running back roots with a 134-yard performance that has everyone wondering who will be receiving the bulk of the carries in the Penn backfield. "I'm not at all surprised that Jim is now playing a majority of the time at running back," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "We've been trying to get him on offense for a while. If (defensive back) Hasani White doesn't get injured, we would have moved him two to three weeks ago." While Finn had seen some spot duty as a running back near the goal line, the Columbia game marked his first significant time at running back. Bagnoli believes Finn will now reverse his previous 75-25 split on defense and offense. Finn now faces the difficult task of learning all of Penn's plays and schemes for both sides of the ball each week. "I've been introduced to everything on offense," Finn said. "Now I just have to get everything down on the spot during the game when I can't take time to think about it." While Penn strives to find a go-to guy at running back each year, Bagnoli once again finds himself with two possible starters. Despite the past performances of featured backs Terrance Stokes and Jasen Scott, Bagnoli believes his system necessitates more than one running back. · Lost in all of the excitement caused by Finn's breakthrough performance is where the remaining running backs will fit in the Quakers' offensive plans. McGee is still trying to work himself into top game condition, and he believes that he will see his workload increase if he returns to last year's form. Yet he is the first to admit this season has not gone as he would have preferred. "Based on how I'm playing so far," McGee said, "I don't deserve to have most of the carries. I'm not as sharp as I would like to be." While the backfield tandem may be a result of necessity, it also introduces two distinct styles into the Quakers' attack. Both backs realize that Finn's north-south power game compliments McGee's flashy moves. Bagnoli probably will not know how the carries will be distributed each game until he sees which style has better success against the opposing defense. With McGee and Finn splitting time, it appears as if Melvin Alexander has become the forgotten man in the backfield. The one-time starter had only one carry very late in the game against Columbia. Bagnoli said he will try to figure out a way to get Alexander on the field, but his chances will most likely be limited. While two main running backs for the Quakers is a rarity, three running backs is almost unheard of.
(10/02/97 9:00am)
Towson quarterback Kenvin Smith has flourished in the new short-passing offense. So far this season, Penn has seen its two opponents start an inexperienced quarterback. In fact, five of the 10 teams the Quakers face this year will be ushering in a collegiate novice at one of the most important positions on the field. Yet when Towson travels to Franklin Field on Saturday, they will be able to call on junior Kevin Smith for the 22nd time in his college career. "My first goal when I got to Towson was to play right away," Smith said. "Luckily I was able to play from the third game on." Smith's play in the first few games almost ended the Tigers' experiment of starting a true freshman. His inauspicious debut against Dayton included two interceptions and only six completions. "We really limited our offense the first few games," Towson offensive coordinator Jay Robinson said. "We tried to simplify things for him." A strong finish to the season allowed Robinson to open up the offense the following year. Last season Smith passed for over 300 yards four times, including a school-record 471 yards against Marist. Yet Smith still had trouble with his accuracy, completing only 52 percent of his passes and throwing 13 interceptions. "This year I have to have a better touchdown-to-interception ratio," Smith said. "Last season I tried to force things too much." Part of Smith's problems arose from playing outside of his game. Smith stands only 5'11'', and his arm strength does not match previous Towson quarterbacks. Smith has difficulty throwing the deep ball that has burned the Quakers so often in the past. "He has real good timing and he sees the field well," Robinson said. "We just don't throw as deep now, Kevin's not that type of quarterback." It appears this season the Tigers have finally adapted their offense to suit Smith's style. There is a heavier emphasis on the running game, as running back Jason Corle has already picked up 489 yards in four games. The team is also featuring a more diverse passing game that differs from the downfield passing attack of recent years. "I'm starting to hit more short passes out of the backfield," Smith said. "As coach (Gordy) Combs said, 'If you keep moving forward, you'll eventually hit the end zone'." The emphasis on the short passes has been evident in Smith's statistics after four games. While his average of 194 yards per game is nearly 60 yards fewer than last year, he is completing over 60 percent of his passes. Smith had also cut down on his interceptions until Columbia picked him off three times last weekend in a 16-6 Towson loss. Towson is facing most of the Ivy League opponents for the first time after moving into the Patriot League. While the move to the Patriot League has been a major step for the Towson program, Smith believes his team, which returns 17 starters, should have loftier goals. "Some people think we should just be happy to be in the Patriot League," Smith said. "But we want to win seven or eight games and the league title. They are high goals, but they are easier to put in realistic terms after playing with this group of people for 2 1/2 years." While the Penn game has no Patriot League implications for Towson, Smith is looking forward to the first ever game between the two schools. However, Robinson is afraid of facing the Penn defense. "I'm just hoping to keep [Smith] alive," Robinson said. "We just need to give him the chance to throw." If Towson is to win on Saturday, then Smith's improved mobility and reliance on the short passing game will need to be emphasized. For the first time this year, Penn will have to worry about facing a veteran quarterback, and Smith is ready to show the Quakers some of the lessons he has learned from the past.
(09/26/97 9:00am)
Penn coach Al Bagnoli says the team has not been practicing well since Saturday's loss. Entering the season, the Penn football team was picked by many to recapture the Ivy League title after a two-year hiatus. But last weekend's humbling 23-15 loss to Dartmouth showed that the Quakers are more a work in progress than a ready-made championship team. "We are not a good team right now," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "We don't practice well, so therefore we do not play well." Despite the performance against Dartmouth, Penn (0-1) has yet to show signs in practice of turning things around. Instead, the Quakers have shown a tendency to think about the immediate past rather than the remainder of the season, which begins with tomorrow's 1:30 p.m. game against Bucknell (2-0) in Lewisburg, Pa. "We still are feeling sorry for last Saturday," Bagnoli said. "We have to realize there is nothing we can do about that game." The loss has lingered in the Quakers' minds because of the way Penn fumbled the game away. Despite a dominating defensive performance and an encouraging first game for many of the new faces on offense, including new quarterback Matt Rader, the Quakers lost the game because of turnovers and the play of special teams. "It was very frustrating because we know the kids can execute," Penn special teams coach Ray Priore said. "We were limiting the game to a few plays, and you can never do that." The Quakers now have to rebound against a Bucknell team that has already won two games and appears to be in a good position to defend its Patriot League title from last year. The Bison came within one play of upsetting the Quakers in each of the last two seasons. But Bucknell coach Tom Gadd is unwilling to speculate that this is the year his team could breakthrough against the Quakers. "I think (Penn's loss to Dartmouth) is a disadvantage to us," Gadd said. "Penn is a team with a lot of pride and tradition. They don't want to start off 0-2." Penn will once again be counting on its defense to keep it in the game. The Quakers' defense put up some stellar numbers Saturday, allowing only five first downs, and Gadd is concerned about his offense's ability to put up yardage against the Quakers. "Their defensive line and their linebackers are very good," Gadd said. "[Penn defensive tackle Mitch] Marrow is the most dominating player in the Patriot or Ivy leagues. He'll be playing on Sundays when he is done at Penn." The Quakers' defensive performance against Dartmouth is even more impressive considering Marrow was sidelined after the first quarter with an injury. Yet the big-play aspect from the defense was missing, something Penn needs to improve upon. "We didn't have a great pass rush," Penn defensive tackle Larry Rascoe said. "Granted, it had a lot to do with them running lots of screens and three-step drops, but we had only two sacks." Gadd will likely look to his running game to support relatively inexperienced quarterback Jim John. While John does have a pair of talented receivers in Ardie Kissinger and the aptly named Ronnie Rockett, the Bison will try to feature a balanced attack against Penn. The key will be Bucknell's success in establishing a running game featuring Chris Peer, who had 95 yards against Penn last year. "We were not able to run the football against Lafayette last week," Gadd said. "Penn is not a good team to try and start running against." Penn will also try to feature its ground attack. Because they were faced with a 20-0 halftime deficit against the Big Green, the Quakers were forced to change their game plan, and the new Penn backfield did not receive as much work as expected. Melvin Alexander, who has become the focus of the Penn backfield in the absence of the injured Jason McGee, did gain 61 yards. He also contributed to the turnovers that plagued Penn with a key fumble. "I was able to get back up from it," Alexander said. "I didn't wallow in my mistake, but I didn't put points on the board, and that's not acceptable." Alexander, quarterback Matt Rader and the rest of the offense would like have the chance to show what they can do when they do not have to play catch-up the entire game. While the big-play aspect was definitely missing from Penn's offense against Dartmouth, Alexander realizes that being able to have a sustained drive is more important. "I'm not looking for a 500-yard game," Alexander said. "I'm looking for consistency." The special teams were singled out in the loss against Dartmouth, as Penn made Dartmouth kicker Dave Regula into a highlight-film star. The fumbled returns by both Brian Bonanno and Brandon Carson helped the Big Green to an insurmountable lead. "We played well enough to win on offense and defense," Priore said. "But we lost too much field position from special teams." There will be changes on the returns against Bucknell, put Priore assured they were not performance based. Cornerback Joe Piela will be back returning punts, replacing the injured Bonanno. Penn has also been working several people on kickoffs to replace the injured Carson. The Bucknell game could provide Penn with the opportunity to finally play to its potential. Yet the Bison are a dangerous team who have not been a Patriot League pushover in the past. "Wouldn't you be worried going into the game?" Bagnoli said. "We had six turnovers last week, they are 2-0 and we are 0-1. I think we have reason to be concerned."
(09/15/97 9:00am)
After a year of transition, three starting defensive backs return with a year of experience. Last season it seemed every wide receiver Penn faced would have a career day against the Quakers' young secondary. Brown's Sean Morey caught nine balls for 171 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner. Lehigh's Deron Braswell's two touchdowns and 132 yards receiving provided the spark for the Engineers' upset of Penn. Receivers began circling Penn on the calendar as the Quakers saw an opposing receiver gain 90 or more yards through the air in half of their games. "They were very erratic last year," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "You can't afford to be erratic, because it can cost you a touchdown or a big play. They need to be more consistent and to give up less big plays." Last season Penn faced the difficult job of replacing three-fourths of its starting secondary. This season, all of the starters return and Penn hopes the year of being tested under fire will pay off in the long run. "I think we all have something to prove," Penn senior captain John Bishop said. "I think that more than proving ourselves as individuals, we have to prove something as a unit." While Penn's overall defense against the pass was respectable, opponents completed only 51.4 percent of their passes, the big plays became commonplace against the secondary. One blown pass play would often overshadow several downs of good coverage. "When you get the ball thrown over you," Penn defensive coordinator Mike Toop said, "everyone knows who got beat. It's a lonely feeling." After a big play, the defensive back would often press to try to answer with a big play of his own. The secondary's 18 interceptions last year came at the expense of several long pass plays due to over-aggressiveness. "They didn't rebound mentally," Toop said. "They got down on themselves. They would try to make plays that they were not able to make." Everyone is hopeful the year of experience will limit the mistakes of a year ago. Unlike last season, the positions are set throughout the secondary. Bishop and junior Jim Finn will man the safety positions, while Joe Piela and Larrin Robertson will once again occupy the two corner spots. The back-ups include veterans Mike Ferguson and Chris Parsons, while sophomore Hasani White will see his first significant playing time. "Last year there was a lot of moving of positions," Ferguson said. "There were not many sure aspects. This year there is a lot more security." The leader of the secondary will be Bishop, a second-team All-Ivy performer from last year. Bishop, who transferred to Penn after walking on at Notre Dame, led Penn with 77 tackles and his five interceptions tied him for 11th-best all time at Penn. The captain of the Quakers this year sees the defensive backfield as just one aspect of an improving defense. "We expect a lot more this year," Bishop said. "Not just as a secondary, but as a defense." The other safety position will be manned by junior Jim Finn, who made his presence known last year as a hard hitter from his strong safety spot. Finn excelled in run defense, as he racked up 55 tackles, while also picking off three passes. While he feels comfortable in run support, Finn, a converted running back, is still working on his ability to cover receivers. "I was not happy with my overall play last year," Finn said, "Sometimes I played well, sometimes I played horrible." Robertson will be starting at the right cornerback position for the third straight year. A lot was expected from Robertson last year, as he was one of the few experienced defensive backs, and he responded with 45 tackles and one interception. The other cornerback will be Piela, who took over the starting role during the season last year. Piela made an immediate impact with his four interceptions, including one which he returned for 93 yards against Columbia. With the starting secondary having gained a year of playing together, all of the defensive backs feel more like a unit going into this season. "We are working as a group this year," Finn said, "We know where others are on a play, what we should do on a play, and where we should be." The Quakers are expected to be tested early and often by their opponents, who have certainly seen film from a year ago. If the secondary does not respond well to the early challenge, the four starters could find themselves in a familiar position. "You have to expect that with all four starters returning you'll see an increased level of performance," Toop said. "There has to be a significant increase in the level of performance if we expect to win games." Even at practice last week, Toop was not pleased with the development of the secondary. The defensive backfield did not perform well in a recent scrimmage against Millersville. The same problems with blown coverages surfaced once again. Penn has one week to prepare for Dartmouth's dangerous receiving corps. Morey, Braswell and the rest of the opposing wide-outs are sure to take a lot of interest in Dartmouth's passing statistics from that game.
(09/11/97 9:00am)
Despite the dominance of tackle Mitch Marrow, the Penn D-Line will need other players to step up. Penn senior defensive tackle Mitch Marrow is generally considered to be the most dominating player in the Ivy League. Marrow recorded 16.5 sacks last season and caused general havoc with his constant presence in the opposing team's backfield. Despite Marrow's return for a fifth season, the Quakers' success this season will depend more on the play of the other four starters on a relatively inexperienced defensive line. "One thing I try to impress on the kids," said Penn defensive line coach Jim Schaefer, "is that they can't sit back and think Mitch will do everything." Last season, the Quakers could rely on the emotional and physical play of seniors Tom Foley and Chris Osentowski, arguably the anchors of the defense. While senior Doug Zinser returns at one end position, Penn will feature three starters on the defensive line who lack in previous playing time. Sophomore Adrian Puzzio will take over Osentowski's position, while junior Larry Rascoe will play tackle. Junior Justin Gallagher, who saw some action as a reserve last year, is in line to be a starter at end this year. "They are quality kids," Penn defensive coordinator Mike Toop said. "They make first-year mistakes, but hopefully, between now and the Dartmouth game they won't make the same mistakes." In Penn's 5-2 defensive scheme, the line is supposed to pressure the passer and also occupy blockers on rushes so the linebackers make the tackles. The Quakers will also rely on a large number of reserves, including Jason Maehr, Brian Munro, Bobby Dziedzich and Dave Townsend as they try to settle on a rotation for the line. Schaefer believes that the two qualities the linemen need for the scheme are strength and quickness to the ball, and he feels confident that he will have six or seven people he feels comfortable putting on the field by the start of the season. "It's tough when it comes to game time," Schaefer said. "Physically, they have the tools, but they don't have the game experience." Marrow, according to Schaefer, has helped tremendously during the preseason in terms of preparing the other interior starters. He has served a leadership role as he tries to help the other linemen with their technique. Yet some things can not be taught and only come with playing more in games. "Foley would always go with his instincts," Rascoe said. "Sometimes I would ask him how would I do that after he reacted to make a play, and he would say 'I don't know how I did it myself.' I have to learn to read and react better." But it is necessary for the new starters to make plays right from the start. Teams will key on Marrow, who faced significant double-teaming last year, if the rest of the line does not play beyond their experience from the start. "The players can't worry if they are paying too much attention to Mitch," Toop said. "They have to worry about what they are supposed to do on each play. Puzzio just has to worry about the guard or tackle who are blocking him on the play." Yet the initial pressure on the Quakers' line is also a benefit. The players will have plenty of opportunities to have an immediate impact, as they are expected to be tested early. "Teams will run away from Mitch," Schaefer said, "Larry and Adrian have to make plays. They have to say, 'This is a great opportunity to make a name for myself'." Despite other teams' best efforts to avoid him, Marrow will still be involved in a significant number of plays. He also expects to be moved around the line based on other team's schemes to neutralize him. Marrow doesn't mind being a marked man for the second year in a row. "There is a certain degree of pressure on me," Marrow said, "but it is pressure I like to have." While the opposing teams and professional scouts are watching Marrow, Rascoe and the other starters hope to surprise people with their play. If they play to their abilities, then Marrow will be a constant nemesis to opposing quarterbacks and the linebackers will have the chances to rack up tackles.
(09/08/97 9:00am)
Two RBs made the switch from defense to offense to help fill the void left by Jasen Scott and Aman Abye. In many games last year, running back Jasen Scott was the entire Quakers' offense. While Penn shuffled through quarterbacks Steve Teodecki, Tom MacLeod and Brian Russell, the running game became more of a necessity than in recent years. Penn's ground game accounted for over 50 percent of the offense, and Scott received as many as 48 carries in one game. Yet the graduation of Scott and Aman Abye along with Rick Granata's transfer leaves Jason McGee (eight carries, 71 yards in 1996) as the only returning running back to carry the ball last year. Additionally, the passing game is expected to improve with the addition of Duke transfer quarterback Matt Rader and a receiving corps of Brian Bonnano, Alec Dafferner and John James. "With Rader, MaLeod and the receivers doing a tremendous job in practice," Penn running backs coach Mark Chmielinski said, "we have extreme confidence in the passing game which should make up for the inexperience in the backfield." The Quakers were in such dire need of backfield help that they switched three defensive backs to the other side of the ball. Junior Bruce Rossignol actually played running back his freshman year before switching to fill a similar void in the defensive backfield last year. Melvin Alexander hasn't played tailback since high school, while sophomore Eric Bunn has gained most of his experience in practice. Yet despite the lack of previous playing time, the running backs know Penn will not stray too much from its past offensive philosophy. "In order to be successful, we need to run the football consistently," Rossignol said. "We need to establish a strong running game." McGee, at first, was the most likely candidate to take over the featured back role. He has the most knowledge of Penn's system, and in his limited game time last year, he averaged almost nine yards a carry. He also added 15 pounds of muscle over the summer to help prepare himself for the pounding he would receive if he carried the ball 20 times a game. "I had to work on my endurance," McGee said, "I had to get adapted to running over a long period of time. If I had to carry the ball 40 times in a game, I could do that." McGee appeared to be No. 1 on the depth chart, according to Chmielinski, but an injury to McGee's hamstring has forced him out of practice and allowed the other backs more opportunities to claim the starting spot. McGee hopes to return to practice this week but will have less than two weeks to win the job before Dartmouth comes to Franklin Field September 20. "The injury is coming along slower than I expected," McGee said. "The most frustrating thing is I did everything to prepare for this year and now I am on the sidelines." Rossignol has been impressive in practice after his one-year absence from offense. He is Penn's largest running back at 210 pounds and is not the typical slashing runner that Penn has relied upon in the past. "I have a little more weight than the other backs, and I'm not as quick or as jukey of a runner," Rossignol said. "Hopefully I'm the type of back this offense needs." Alexander appears to be the quickest and most elusive runner out of the backfield, while also being the smallest back at 5'9'' and 180 pounds. He looked very impressive in Saturday's scrimmage against Millersville, exhibiting the ability to break into the open field and run away from defenders. "With Penn's zone blocking scheme," Alexander said, "I feel my quickness will be an attribute to the team." Bunn has been the biggest surprise so far because of his ability to compete for the starting spot even though he is the least experienced back. He received his first test under game-like conditions against Millersville. "He has impressed the coaches," Penn head coach Al Bagnoli said. "He hits the hole with full acceleration." With all spots on the depth chart still undecided, the competition has been intense in practice. But the backs see this as providing only positive results. "Competition is something this backfield needs," McGee said. "It makes us better as a unit." Increasing the importance of gaining the starting spot is that one running back from the quartet will be responsible for providing the bulk of the rushing yards in Penn's one-back schemes. Last year, Scott and Abye were expected to platoon as they had in 1995, yet Scott finished the year with 247 more carries than Abye. "Our philosophy is to not platoon," Chmielinski said. "In order to get a good back you need to get him reps, so you favor an individual. We want to get away from what we did two years ago. We made a mistake with that." Bagnoli realizes his improved passing game will not succeed if other teams key on it. In the past Penn has been able to rely on one running back to take the pressure off the passing game, and there is little doubt in the coaching staff's mind that they will find their running back. "That's what this offense does, we find answers," Chmielinski said. "And we do an outstanding job of it."
(09/03/97 9:00am)
The ex-Penn receiver was disappointed that, despite good numbers, the Lions kept just five-not six-wide-outs. At the end of the preseason, Miles Macik was confident he had not played himself out of a roster spot. After surviving several rounds of cuts, the former Penn wide receiver finished the preseason second in both catches and receiving yardage for the Detroit Lions, a team that features star wide-outs Herman Moore and Johnny Morton. Yet when Detroit announced its final cuts, Macik surprisingly found his name among them. Macik was once again a victim of the numbers game, as Detroit kept only five wide-outs so they could stock weaker areas of the team. "I got a raw deal," Macik said. "It hurt a little bit that I wasn't cut because of poor performance." Macik was first team All-Ivy his senior year in 1995, and his name can be found all over the Penn and Ivy League record books. Macik was the only player to be given the Munger Award -- Penn's most valuable player -- in two seasons, and he had 200 receptions and 26 touchdowns over the span of his collegiate career. He was known as a spectacular route-runner with excellent hands. With Macik's numbers this preseason were even better than last year, when the undrafted free agent made the Lions. After being demoted to the practice squad in mid-season, he had spent considerable time improving his strength and quickness in the offseason. While Macik was not guaranteed a roster spot entering this year, it was still a shock to him and his teammates when he was cut. "After the decision, I talked with (Detroit quarterbacks) Scott Mitchell and Frank Reich," Macik said. "Scott said I was definitely good enough to play in the NFL." While Macik received support from the players who could best judge his abilities, the quarterbacks and receivers, they were not the only ones against the decision to cut Macik. As with most personnel decisions, there was a split among the coaching staff as to whether or not Macik should make the team. "I still don't know where [Detroit head coach Bobby] Ross was on the decision," Macik said. "In fact, I'm still curious to see who made the final decision." Macik was probably hurt by Detroit's offseason change in coaching staff and offensive philosophy. While the Lions had often utilized a spread-out, four-receiver offense in the Wayne Fontes era, Ross favors a more rush-oriented attack. Macik probably would have made the team had Detroit decided to keep six wide-outs. Despite their decision to not keep Macik, the Detroit coaches assured him that he would catch on elsewhere. They even mentioned the possibility of signing Macik if a roster spot opened up. "I'll see what happens," MAcik said. "I want to play and I need more experience. I just want to play somewhere." The Lions left Macik in a difficult situation for this year. He was not released until final cuts, after all teams have already set their rosters. In order to pick up Macik, a team would have to release a player or place someone on injured reserve for the season. While Macik might have a greater interest in the injury reports than most people, he certainly is not watching NFL games hoping that a receiver comes up limping after making a catch. "Hopefully I'll get a call from someone," Macik said, "But I would never wish injury upon anyone." Macik has already received calls from several teams about possibly working out for them. Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and New England all have expressed some interest in Macik, but none of these teams has a roster spot available to sign him. Macik also can not be signed to the teams' practice squads because he was on Detroit's active roster for more than six games last year. "I wouldn't want to be back on the practice squad," Macik said. "I don't want to be a developmental player." It is frustrating for Macik to watch NFL games when he know she can catch and run routes as well as most of the receivers. Macik's chances to catch on with a team are hurt because his time in the 40 is a step slower than the typical NFL receiver. Yet he knows there are a few NFL receivers, such as Ed McCaffery, who have succeeded with similar abilities. "While my speed hasn't improved that much, I know my foot speed has improved." Macik said. "I also know I have improved a lot as a blocker. Hopefully someone sees something they like." If Macik receives any offers, they are likely to come early in the week after the teams watch films on Monday and have and off-day on Tuesday. While the three teams have asked if he could work out for them, no dates have been set and nothing is definite. For now, Macik is forced to play the waiting game. "I haven't given much thought to how long I'll just wait around," Macik said. "I'll probably wait two or three more weeks before I look for a job or maybe take classes in addition to staying in shape." Macik holds no grudges against the Lions for forcing him into his current situation. He is still optimistic about catching on with another team this season, something he didn't think he would have to worry about two weeks ago. "I was a little upset and a little shocked initially," Macik said. "I know I did not play poorly and I know I am not incapable of playing in the NFL. I just have to wait for the opportunity."
