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(01/24/95 10:00am)
EASTON -- For Penn junior center Tim Krug and senior guard Matt Maloney, last night's contest at Lafayette couldn't have come soon enough. Both had failed to take advantage of key chances at St. Joe's on Saturday, with Maloney missing a pressure free throw and Krug not converting a critical jump hook in overtime. As a result, a determined Maloney and an emotional Krug came out eager to exorcise the demons of a disappointing loss. They not only did so, they did so in dominating fashion, helping the Quakers to roll over the overmatched Leopards 92-57 at Allan P. Kirby Field House. "For me personally, it was just a matter of having a really bad game and losing [on Saturday]," said Maloney, who scored 13 points. "I was feeling bad about it. I can't speak for everyone, but I know I wanted to improve, and to come back and play a better game tonight." When Penn (10-3) is clicking on all cylinders, the offense is a balanced one. That balance was on display last night -- Maloney also chipped in seven assists and four rebounds. Despite coming off a horrific shooting night, he did not try to force his shot and regain his touch. It was this willingness to work within the system that made him effective. He hit three of five from international waters. Krug was also impressive, coming up with the best all-around performance of his Penn career. He was simply too much for the undersized Leopards frontcourt of Dana Doran and Joe Marshall to stop in the paint. And once Doran and Marshall got in foul trouble, they couldn't even hope to contain him. In just 20 minutes, the fiery sixth-man led Penn with 15 points. "When we get in foul trouble, a lot of flags go up," Lafayette coach John Leone would say later. Krug was constantly around the ball, grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds and blocking a career-high six shots. The blocked shots were powerful ones, and they started a number of fast-break opportunities for the Quakers. It was the Penn transition game that put the game out of reach. "I think their guards were having a little bit of trouble handling the ball, and things got kind of sketchy," Krug said. "The drives and the shots just come down the lane, and that's our job as a defense. It's not the NBA -- there's no one-on-one. We help each other on defense, and we want to block shots like that." Things didn't start off perfect for Penn, however. The team appeared anxious to get back in action and erase the memory of Saturday's overtime collapse. Once the opening tip went up, it was clear they were too anxious. The Quakers tried to put Lafayette away in the first few minutes, and their first five possessions resulted in three missed jump shots, a missed layup, a turnover and no points. "I think we were really impatient on the offensive end," senior forward Shawn Trice said. "I thought we calmed down with about 15 minutes left before halftime and played better. We had a rough loss, and we were just trying to do too many things too fast." Once Penn settled in, it gradually was able to build its lead. The Leopards, to make things worse, were trying to survive without their most prolific scorer, Craig Kowadla (18.3 ppg). Kowadla was forced to sit the game out with a dislocated finger on his left hand. After Penn senior guard Jerome Allen found a cutting Eric Moore for a transition layup to put the Quakers up 12-10, Lafayette (2-15) never led again. Penn coach Fran Dunphy went to his bench early and often, putting four non-starters on the floor, first with Maloney and then with Allen. The constant juggling of lineups did lead to stretches of sloppy play, and the Leopards even had a chance to take some momentum with them into halftime. Instead things fell apart for Lafayette. In the final five seconds, freshman guard Alfred McAllister missed two free throws which could have cut Penn's lead to 15. Allen grabbed the rebound, raced downcourt and launched a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded. It missed, but freshman Andre Pendleton fouled Allen. As Leone berated the officials, the Quakers' captain knocked down two of three shots for a 19-point halftime lead. In the second half, the Quakers picked up their defensive tenacity. The Leopards had difficulty getting good shots and finished the game with 23 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Penn bench was cleared at the four-minute mark, when senior forward Cedric Laster and freshman guard Garett Kreitz entered the game. "Those guys have worked hard here, and it's nice to see them get a chance to play," Dunphy said later. It was nice for the Penn starters as well. The Quakers have now played two games in three days, and they are a somewhat banged-up team. Last night's game was a chance for Maloney, Allen and Moore to rest. It was a chance for them to start getting healthy. And of course, it was the last game before Princeton.
(01/17/95 10:00am)
Kareem Townes leans back in his chair. The chair, along with the office, actually belongs to La Salle coach and Philadelphia legend Bill "Speedy" Morris. Townes, now a senior, is spending the afternoon reflecting on his two-and-a-half seasons playing basketball at La Salle. The senior guard is discussing the lofty -- almost too lofty -- expectations he has faced from the first time he wore an Explorers uniform. He pauses and begins to slowly examine the surroundings in his coach's office. There are keepsakes and basketballs everywhere, and photographs abound on all four walls. Townes ends his survey at the wall to his right. There are three player photos high up on that wall -- Lionel Simmons, Doug Overton, and Randy Woods. Simmons was National Player of the Year in 1990. Overton was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1991. Woods went to the Los Angeles Clippers the following year. All three had led the way in continuing the winning tradition of La Salle basketball. Before Kareem Townes even stepped on the court at La Salle, people all but hung his picture up on that wall in Speedy Morris' office. Like all three stars before him, Townes played high school ball in the Philadelphia Public League. More impressive than all three of them, he had averaged 41.2 points per game his senior year at Southern High, good for second to only Wilt Chamberlain in the Philly record books. "It was hard," Townes finally says. "You can't just step on the court in college averaging 40 points a game. Everyone has just expected me to keep shooting and shooting. Growing up, there have always been key players here, and that just stays with you. You've just got to find a way to overcome. I've just been trying to work harder." The 6-foot-3 shooting guard with astounding range on his jump shot has indeed had much to overcome at La Salle. After sitting out his first season as a Proposition 48 recruit, Townes struggled out of the gate. He was held to just six points in his first game, and then debuted in the Big Five with a horrific 0-for-16 shooting performance against Penn at the Civic Center. Townes was able to get his offense going as his first season progressed, but the Explorers struggled to a 14-13 record. Things went downhill last year as La Salle failed to post a winning record for the first time since 1986. Townes posted an average of 22.9 points per game, but the Explorers were victimized repeatedly by a lack of team play and unity. Suddenly, Townes found himself labeled by many as a disappointment and a bust. This season, however, has been different. Townes and backcourt mate Paul Burke have taken control and started to right the ship. With a murderous non-conference schedule this season that included games against Arizona, Massachusetts and Maryland in addition to the Quakers, both guards knew they had to step up. "Paul and I talked all summer about how we wanted to go out with a bang in our senior year," Townes says. "We've been working really hard and trying to keep everyone involved." The Explorers have played solid basketball this year, posting an 8-4 record against an array of quality opponents. One reason for this improved play, along with Townes' ever-present scoring touch, has been the cohesion between the guards. Much like Penn's accomplished duo of Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney, Townes and Burke have learned how to make each other better players. Townes has always been a dominant scorer, and he can still light up the scoreboard at a heart-stopping pace. But the Quakers are well aware of this heading into tonight's game. "If he's on, hopefully we'll not let him get the ball so much," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. For Kareem Townes, then, tonight's game against Allen and the Quakers is not just a Big Five game. It is another significant step on what has been a long road for Townes. A road that has had more peaks and valleys then he could have possibly imagined. "All I can do is give 100 percent," he says. "I was playing hard, but I was just doing the wrong things. Now I'm doing things to help myself and La Salle. All I can do is continue to do that." And if he does, that picture of Kareem Townes will someday assume its rightful spot on Speedy Morris' office wall.
(12/15/94 10:00am)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- My seat in Crisler Arena Tuesday night was a good one, but it wasn't on press row. I didn't have media credentials for this one, so I didn't get the game notes or the free beverages. Didn't get to wear the suit and tie, either. Nope, I was one of the masses. Just one very excited fan in a sea of 13,562 very excited fans. I purchased a ticket like everyone else. In fact, I purchased two tickets, thanks to a last-minute upgrade to the second row. Total cost was 27 dollars. I would have paid anything -- this was Penn at Michigan. And I wasn't in the dignified GQ crowd that was the media. The Penn hoops shirt and hat wouldn't have gone over too well, I guess. You know what, though? As I look back at the kaleidoscope of images that is Tuesday night, I wouldn't have it any other way. Penn's scintillating 62-60 win over Michigan wasn't about notebooks and statistics. It wasn't about checking the numbers and planning interview questions. It was about emotion -- the essence of college basketball. The atmosphere from the tip to the final buzzer is one Penn fans who were there will not soon forget. Everyone knew from the start how big this one was going to be. Penn may hit some tougher opponents later on -- UMass and Villanova come to mind rather quickly -- but Michigan is Michigan. And ESPN is ESPN. And Dick Vitale, is, well, Dick Vitale. For Ivy League hoops fans, this is as good as it gets. The Crisler gates opened at 6 p.m. By 6:15, the Let's Go Quakers chants had begun. Meanwhile, the Michigan band kicked into high gear with Hail to the Victors. Dicky V. started on the autograph circuit. This was going to be big-time, and Penn had to capitalize on it. No one was disappointed. From a Penn perspective, only the word flawless desribes the first 10 minutes. The Wolverines tried to start with an alley-oop slam, but high-flying Jimmy King failed to convert. The Quakers quickly responded with their first shot, a Scott Kegler three-point attempt. Nothing but nylon, and then it was off to the races. The Quakers had a 28-7 lead before the Michigan faithful knew what was happening. I must admit I was a bit stunned by the early Penn tenacity, but I quickly began to enjoy the ride. Virtually the entire arena sat motionless while we screamed, yelled, chanted and taunted during each television timeout. Penn stayed in control and reached intermission up by a baker's dozen, 41-28. As the players headed for the locker rooms, Quaker fans got as up close and personal as they could with the Wolverines. Vitale stood and gave some of us a thumbs-up signal. It was all happening so fast, and halftime seemed to last just ten seconds. The message had been sent: Penn was ready for prime time. In the second half, Michigan tried to erase that message. The results were awe-inspiring, as Crisler Arena shook with each Wolverine spurt. The crowd erupted and no less than 13,000 fists soared amidst chants of Let's Go Blue. The deafening roar often seemed to rattle the Quakers, but each time Penn stopped the bleeding and hung on for dear life. The beautiful thing was watching the big plays down the stretch. By the time King knotted the game at 60, almost every Quaker had given all we could ask for as fans. Eric Moore had hit 10 free throws and scored 18 points. Matt Maloney had matched the 18-point total, including four treys. Kegler had drilled five from downtown and grabbed six boards. Shawn Trice had done what he had to, hauling in 11 clutch rebounds. But with 15 seconds remaining and the decibel level out of control, one Quaker still had a big play left. The last play of all. Jerome Allen's eight-foot leaning jumper that silenced the Michigan fans for good and sent us into a frenzy. It was a fitting end, as the biggest playmaker on the court came up with the biggest play of all. I couldn't have written a better conclusion. But then, I wouldn't have wanted to. I was too busy enjoying it for what it was. Pure insanity. Pure emotion. Pure college basketball. Lee Goldsmith is a College junior from Huntingdon Valley and a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(12/12/94 10:00am)
There were going to be several chances for the Penn basketball team this season. Several chances for national exposure and respect. More importantly, several chances to show the rest of the college hoops world what it could do. About a month ago, the Quakers blew their first chance. They gave away a second-half lead at home in the opening round of the Preseason NIT Tournament against Canisius. The game was all but won, the nation was watching, and Penn let it slip out of reach. Tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., the Quakers will get another chance. The arena will be sold out. The ESPN lights will be on and press row will be packed. Dick Vitale will be at courtside. And the nation will again be watching as Penn travels to Ann Arbor for a much-anticipated date at Crisler Arena with perennial Big Ten powerhouse Michigan. Perhaps the Quakers were too excited for that Nov. !6 game with Canisius. Maybe they focused too much on the implications and not enough on the task at hand. In any case, Penn is making every attempt to see tomorrow night for what it is -- a big game, a tough game, but nothing more. "We've talked about how this is a game against a quality opponent," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "It's against a program that has established itself on a national level for many years. It's on ESPN, so we can show the rest of the country that we have some guys who can play. But there's pressure in every single game we play." The pressure may be a bit greater than usual for Penn (3-1) tomorrow night. Even at this early juncture coach Steve Fisher's team has been tested by a grueling schedule. Michigan (4-3) defeated two highly regarded teams in Tulane and Utah at the Maui Classic preseason tournament. All three of its losses have been to top-25 teams -- Arizona State (in Maui), Arizona (in the Direct TV Great 8 at Detroit), and Saturday at Duke, 69-59. "We have a young team, with a lot of sophomores and freshmen," Michigan assistant coach Jay Smith said. "But we also have some senior experience. We've started different lineups every game. It's not really who starts the game that is important for us, but who finishes it. That gets determined during the game, and I think the competition we've had has made us better." Two players who also make the Wolverines better are senior guard Jimmy King and senior forward Ray Jackson, the only remaining members of Fisher's storied Fab Five recruiting class of 1991. That class led Michigan to NCAA championship games in 1992 and 1993. King is a silky-smooth scorer who can create virtually anything off the dribble. With a solid perimeter game to compliment his hang-time ability, he leads the Wolverines in scoring with 15.9 points per game. Joining him in the backcourt is junior point guard Dugan Fife, the only returning Wolverine to have started all 32 games for the Maize and Blue last year. The combination should give Quaker guards Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney all they can handle tomorrow night. "I think we just have to play our game and do what we always do," Allen said. "We have to play with poise against them. That's the key for us in any pressure situation -- we have to keep our poise and be relaxed." Jackson, King's fellow Texas native, also presents an intriguing dilemma for the Quakers. When he played with the likes of Chris Webber and Jalen Rose, the quiet forward was primarily a defender. This season he has added offense to his arsenal with 15.3 points and three assists per game. Dunphy will have to effectively platoon senior Scott Kegler and junior Ira Bowman if Penn is to keep Jackson in check. "On the defensive end, Scott may not be as quick to the ball as Ira," Dunphy said. "He may have to play off of Jackson when he's in the game to prevent a quick first step. Ira may be able to play him up tight and stay on the ball because of his quickness." Jackson also leads the team in rebounding (6.4 per game). The Wolverines as a team have been strong on the glass, outrebounding their opponents by 30 in their first seven games. Two of Ann Arbor's monsters on the boards are freshmen Jerod Ward (4.7) and Maurice Taylor (4.1). Forward Shawn Trice and center Eric Moore must limit Michigan's second-chance points. "We've got to rebound to the ball," said Trice, a Michigan native who will be playing in his home state for the first time in his collegiate career. "I don't think we've been attacking the boards enough. Our guards have helped us out, but we have to do more rebounding ourselves." Along with crashing the glass, Penn must control the tempo. Michigan is an athletic team that wins and loses games on explosive runs. The Wolverines outscored Duke 24-0 for a nine minute stretch on Saturday, but also let the Blue Devils win the game with 14-0 and 15-0 spurts. While these runs are unpredictable, this much is clear: Michigan is not taking this game for granted. "Everyone knows about Penn," Smith said. "I don't know how they can sneak up on anyone with athletes like Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney. Those are players who have seen everything and might have a slight edge due to experience. We might have an edge because it's in our backyard. It should be a great game." For Penn, it could be more than a great game. It could be their second chance.
(12/09/94 10:00am)
Fairleigh Dickinson coach Tom Green knew Marquette thrived on the three-point shot. He knew it long before his Knights traveled to Marquette for Tuesday night's game against the Warriors. Green tried to prepare his players for the outside threat, but FDU still let the Warriors hit a school-record 15 treys in a 96-74 loss. Fairleigh Dickinson is now back to the drawing board. The Knights visit the Palestra tomorrow at 2 p.m. to take on a Penn team that features the three-point shooting of senior guards Matt Maloney, Jerome Allen and Scott Kegler. "Matt and Jerome are just a great one-two combination," Green said. "I'm just not sure who's the 'one' and who's the 'two.' We didn't defend the three very well against Marquette, and I'm sure when Matt and Jerome see that, their eyes will light up." If the Knights (2-2) do not improve their defense against the three-pointer, Penn (2-1) may find it relatively easy to light up the scoreboard. Last Saturday against Ohio State, the Quaker guards combined to hit nine buckets from international waters in a 91-71 victory. "I thought our offense has been flowing well all year," said Maloney who is two points shy of 1,000 for his career. "We were getting good shots, but they weren't falling. Against Ohio State, the shots just started going down." FDU is well aware of Penn's success in the backcourt, and the Knights will try to make things as difficult as possible for the Quaker guards. FDU has its own backcourt firepower in the person of senior guard Antwan Dasher. Dasher led the Knights in scoring and assists last season en route to Northeast Conference first-team honors. This year he is averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals over four games. The versatility of his game has helped his transition from the point position to shooting guard this season. "We're expecting that by January he'll play shooting guard all the time," Green said. "We're doing it to take advantage of what Antwan can do best, and that's score." If Dasher can neutralize the Penn backcourt, the Quakers will need production from their frontcourt. In its first three games, Penn has seen senior center Eric Moore carry most of the weight. Moore has averaged 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while forwards Shawn Trice and Tim Krug have been inconsistent. If there is a game for Trice and Krug to improve their output, tomorrow's contest is it. The Knights lost all three of last season's frontcourt starters to graduation and were plagued by a lack of post play in losses to Florida International and Marquette. "We're hoping in general that our frontcourt will start playing well," Penn assistant coach Gil Jackson said. "Against good teams, if we want to play well, our frontcourt has to contribute." If the Quakers are to play well tomorrow, they cannot afford to take FDU too lightly. With Michigan on deck, the FDU game falls between two contests against Big Ten opponents -- but Penn insists focusing will not be a problem. "We went to FDU last year and they played us tough," Moore said. "Everyone here is talking about Michigan, but we're still talking about FDU. We've got to get a win we can take to Michigan."
(11/30/94 10:00am)
and Jed Walentas While all you loyal readers were sitting on your couches digesting a hearty Pilgrim's Day feast and watching pigskin classics aplenty, we here at Ivy Roundup were busy doing research. You see, our Roundup archivists did their best impression of Penn defensive coordinator Mike "Aloha" Toop -- they went to the films. We ignored the wafting odor of pumpkin pie from the kitchen and locked ourselves in our cramped office confines to comb every inch of this year's Ancient Eight smash-mouth gridiron action. Before emerging from captivity, each and every one of our Roundup soldiers of Ivy fortune had to cast their votes for this year's annual Mishkin Awards. Better than the Oscars, the Emmies, the Tonies, the Espies or even the John Madden Turkey Leg Awards, the Mishkins will truly reward the wildest and the wackiest from this 1994 Ivy League football season. It was a season that was once again dominated by the two-time undefeated league champion Quakers, who now hold the longest current winning streak in this great land of ours and the longest such streak Division I-AA has ever seen. It was a season chock-full-of Tigers and tracheas, Whipple and whipped cream, and morons and oxymorons -- take winning Lions for example. Assuming you've all appropriately digested your Thanksgiving drumsticks and resumed a normal breathing pattern after Monday night's holiday scare up in Bethlehem, let's get on with the big show. The envelopes please? · Turban Rubber of the Year In a masturbatory trend started by Cornell coach Jim Hofher (who gave his own pathetic 6-4 team a national first-place vote just days before losing to Columbia), we will begin by honoring one of our own. Scintillating Swami Andy Meran skillfully rubbed his turban and guided his carpet throughout the Northeast Corridor all autumn en route to a 38-14 record, good for the top Swami in 1994. "I'm awesome, baby," Meran was still screaming from his West Philadelphia home last evening while clearing a spot on his mantle for his first-ever Mishkin. Obviously, the clarity that was in Meran's crystal ball all year no longer remains in his head. This truly outstanding performance by our most perceptive prognosticator was just good enough to eek out everyone's favorite bandwagon jumper, Andrew Figel, in a total points tiebreaker. You see, after this heartbreaking defeat (which he blames on Andy Glockner's missed chip-shot field goal in Ithaca) and still reeling from a gutwrenching loss by the Penn hoopsters to Canisius last week, Figel announced he would be absent from the Palestra this Saturday when Ohio State comes to town. "I've had enough of this 1-1 crap," he told Roundup scribes last night. Hey, Andrew -- be careful you don't sprain your ankle jumping off the wagon. · Percussionists of the Year The Cornell band members did not jump off any bandwagons, but they did have themselves one hell of a year. After knocking out and spaying Princeton's feline mascot Blanche Rainwater earlier in the season, the Big Red freaks attacked each other with whipped cream during halftime of the season-finale against the Quakers. The festivities left the drum major beaten down and tied to the south goalpost, drenched in Redi-Whip and resembling the San Diego Chicken on a bad hair day. To make all his asininity worthwhile, however, Cornell alum and ESPN Sportscenter guru Keith Olberman mentioned them on the "Holy Oatmeal" segment of the big show last week. Such fame led us here at Roundup to honor them with a coveted Mishkin. The award will be revoked if they get whipped cream anywhere near it. · Sky Blue Panzies of the Year It took them nine and one-half games, but the Columbia football team finally showed its true colors last weekend. For the first time since Harlem's first murder, the Lions finished the season with a winning record. More importantly, they finished in true Columbia fashion. After leading Brown 24-3 at the half and extending that lead to 27-3 with an early third-quarter field goal, Columbia did something only Columbia can do. They gave up 56 unanswered points in less than 30 minutes. Yikes! That's about a safety a minute for all you budding statisticians out there. Fifty-six points to Brown? In one half? Take a moment amongst yourselves to ponder that. Truly staggering. A monumental achievement. Even Roundup probability experts had deemed that impossible. Well that just proves nobody's perfect. Except Al Bagnoli and the undisputed heavyweight Ivy League champions of the world, that is. In our humanitarian effort to dry up the Lions' Sky Blue tears, we awarded their defensive seniors with a Mishkin. After all, imagine how it feels to end your college career by giving up 56 unanswered points to Brown. Anyone but Brown. Brown sucks. Year in and year out, whatever happens, whoever's president -- Brown always sucks. So the voters took pity on these poor pathetic defenseless souls and gave them something to remember their glorious 5-4-1 season by. · Jimmy McGeehan of the Year Award Due to a lack of qualified entrants, the Jimmy McGeehan of the year award will not be presented this year. Go to Smoke's tonight for details. · Sports Information Director of the Year Award A fixture for years and years at Penn sporting events from volleyball to basketball worldwide, the venerable Bradford Hurlbut flattened his Ivy rivals like pancakes. Hurlbut rode the coattails of undefeated basketball and football teams to the media big time. Clinching the Mishkin for Hurlbut was an item dug up by Roundup fashion history experts. The stylin' athletic communications director was featured on the cover of The Washington Post's style section several years ago. Style -- we here at Roundup can dig that, Bradford. Bet you get set up with a lot of girls, huh? You can expect Big Brad to appear on a GQ coming soon to newsstands near you. · Guest Columnist of the Year In case you missed the back page today, all-world wide receiver Miles Macik scores big and gives everyone a sense of what it's like to be the best. We here at Roundup know the feeling.
(11/30/94 10:00am)
The Penn basketball team did not expect to trail Lehigh by 15 points in the second half Monday. If given a choice, the Quakers certainly would not have chosen such a plight. But it happened. The Engineers had led by seven at the half. It was a larger intermission deficit than Penn faced in 28 games last season. Then the lead grew as the Quakers continued to miss shots from both the floor and the foul line. With less than 15 minutes to play, Lehigh was up by 15, and Penn had backed itself into a corner. But once in that corner, the Quakers were able to scratch and claw their way out. They were relieved to escape Bethlehem with a win, and believe the scare will make them better in the future. "I think it's great to pull out that type of game," senior guard Scott Kegler said. "It should help teach us how to deal with what we're going to face all year. We're now in a position where everyone is going to come after us with nothing to lose, just like Canisius and Lehigh did." If nothing else, this it what the Quakers seem to have learned from their first two games. They are no longer the team with nothing to lose, and every opponent will be gunning for them. Penn has learned things will be even harder -- witness Monday night -- if it continues to dig holes for itself. · The biggest factor in Monday night's hole-digging was a continuation of Penn's offensive woes. Throughout the first half, the Quakers' guards were unable to hit perimeter shots. Senior guards Jerome Allen, Matt Maloney and Kegler were a combined 0-for-12 shooting from behind the three-point line. After watching the game film, coach Fran Dunphy was not especially concerned. "I thought our offensive execution against Lehigh was excellent," he said. "We really had some good looks at the basket in that game, but the shots just weren't going down." Late in the game, the shots did start falling. Maloney hit a pair of threes, one of which tied the game with just over four minutes to play, and finished with 12 points. Kegler also connected twice from downtown, including a critical three-pointer after the Engineers had regained a four-point edge. · The most outstanding heroics belonged to Allen. With just 16 seconds remaining, the Quakers trailed 73-71. Penn called a timeout. What followed was one of those rare moments when a called play works to perfection. "That was a play we drew up," senior center Eric Moore said. "We wanted to get the ball up the court and I was going to set a screen for Jerome. Once Jerome got the ball on the left, it was going to be his choice -- he could either shoot the three or drive for a two." Everything worked perfectly, and Allen chose the two. As the clock ran down, he calmly dribbled and rose up for a seven-foot jumper from the baseline. Nothing but nylon. Just like it was drawn up during the timeout. Once Allen had put the game into overtime, he took the game over. The senior repeatedly slashed into the paint and scored. He posted six of Penn's first seven points and virtually put the game out of Lehigh's reach. Allen ended the game with 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists -- just one assist and two boards short of recording Penn's first-ever triple-double. · Despite his impressive 18-point performance, Moore was one of many Quakers who struggled at the free-throw line Monday. Penn shot a dismal 46.4 percent from the charity stripe, making only 13 of 28 attempts. Even Penn's best free-throw shooter, Maloney, missed two clutch shots at the line in the final two minutes of regulation. "I don't really know what it is," Dunphy said. "They do work on them and hit them in practice. They shouldn't be bothered by the noise and the fans. It's something I wonder about. It's something to talk about with other coaches." · Finally, this odd prediction out of the crystal ball: the score when Penn hosts Ohio State Saturday will be 83-80. That much is clear. Which team will score 83 is unclear. When Penn lost to Canisius to open its season, the score was 81-78. On Monday at Lehigh, the score was 82-79. Logic dictates the score will be 83-80 on Saturday. And the final score last year when Penn played the Buckeyes in Columbus? Ohio State won, 83-80.
(11/23/94 10:00am)
and Jed Walentas The Ivy league schedule concluded last Saturday, as each team in the Ancient Eight played its last game of the 1994 season. Penn came back from a 14-0 deficit to pull out an 18-14 win at Cornell and complete its second consecutive undefeated Ivy-title run. The win was also Penn's 21st consecutive victory, enough to break the Division I-AA record of 20 set by Holy Cross. But Penn's domination did not end on the field last Saturday -- it continued when the Quakers dominated the all-Ivy selections announced yesterday. At the head of the class was senior linebacker Pat Goodwillie, who was honored with the Asa S. Bushnell Cup. This award has been given annually to the Ancient Eight's top performer for the past 25 seasons. Goodwillie is only the fifth defensive player to win the award. The inside linebacker from Ada, Mich., was the cornerstone to a Pennsylvania defense which led the nation in almost every key statistical category. In coach Al Bagnoli's 5-2 system, he recorded 65 solo tackles and assisted on 47 more for a team-high 112 tackles. This was the second consecutive year he went over the 100 mark. Goodwillie also ranks second on the Quakers' all-time list. In addition to Goodwillie, seven other Quakers were named to the first-team all-Ivy squad. Included in this group was senior defensive end Michael "Pup" Turner. The Penn co-captain amassed 57 tackles and forced a critical Big Red fumble late in the game Saturday in Ithaca. Other members of the Quakers' defense to receive first-team honors were cornerback Jamie Daniels and nose tackle Chris Johnson, who are both seniors. Daniels led Penn this year with four interceptions while Johnson recorded 31 tackles and three sacks. On the offensive side of the ball, three seniors and a junior represent the Red and Blue on the first team. Leading the way is tailback Terrance Stokes. The senior ranked second in the Ivies and 14th nationally this year with 116.9 yards rushing per game. The co-captain is second on Penn's all-time rushing list with 2,876 yards, and only the second Quaker to rush for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Pete Giannakoulis, Penn's third captain, was a leader for the team throughout his time at Franklin Field. The Brockton, Mass., native started almost every game of his career and anchored a dominant offensive line. Andy Glockner, a fifth-year senior, led the nation with 1.6 field goals per game. He connected for four field goals against Columbia on Oct. 15 and has split the uprights 25 times -- more than any other Quaker kicker. The only Penn junior on the first team was All-American wideout Miles Macik. Macik led the Ancient Eight in receptions per game (6.7) for the second consecutive year. In only his second varsity season, Macik became Penn's all-time leader in both receptions and touchdowns. The star receiver has yet to lose a game and has started all 19 contests. Also honored were several Quakers named to the second team -- junior defensive end Tom McGarrity, senior linebacker Kevin DeLuca, senior safety Nick Morris, junior cornerback Kevin Allen and senior offensive lineman Mike Teller. Redshirt freshman quarterback Mark DeRosa was given honorable mention by the Ivy coaches.
(11/18/94 10:00am)
Just try to get Pat Goodwillie to talk about his accomplishments on the football field. It is by no means an easy task. Like a thoroughly preoccupied philosopher, he sighs and begins to reflect. He silently considers each question, careful not to reveal his thoughts before speaking. When he finally does speak, he chooses each and every word with the delicate precision of a surgeon. The words he does choose are not numerous. At first impression, he appears rather reserved for a football player. For an inside linebacker, he seems almost too reserved. "He really doesn't seem to have a linebacker mentality," Penn senior safety Nick Morris says. "I mean, he's really laid back in his approach. It's not that he's cocky. That's just the way he is. He doesn't show much emotion or excitement." But Pat Goodwillie would not have it any other way. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior linebacker has never been one for emotion or conversation. At least not when football is involved. The reason for this is simple. When it comes to football, Goodwillie prefers to let his play do the talking for him. He would rather punish running backs and quarterbacks than give fiery and emotional locker-room speeches. Rather follow each big play with another than with a celebration. Rather stay silent and go about his business than attract attention. To the Pennsylvania football program, this silence has been golden. When Goodwillie ends his Quaker playing days tomorrow in Ithaca, he will be closing the book on what has been a truly phenomenal career. Since joining the varsity squad in 1992, he has consistently improved as both a player and a leader. He has been instrumental in Penn's back-to-back Ivy League championships and has been a foundation of the best defense in Division I-AA football this year. "There is a tremendous amount of regret in seeing him go," says Penn defensive coordinator Mike Toop. "He's not very verbal, but he is someone that people have come to rely on. He is someone that I can ask any question of in order to get a sense of what's happening on the field. "Even with the level of talent in this year's senior class, he manages to stand out. He is one of the premier players, if not the premier player, in the league." Such praise is best understood in terms of Goodwillie's achievements, which seem to read like an unending scroll. Upon joining the varsity team in coach Al Bagnoli's first season, the Ada, Mich., native had an immediate impact and was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year. Since then he has twice led the Quakers in tackles and twice earned all-Ivy recognition. Goodwillie needs three tackles against Cornell tomorrow to reach 100 for the third consecutive year, and is nine tackles away from passing Joe Kopcha for second place on the Penn's all-time list. His exceptional versatility has permitted him to once again excel this season in Bagnoli's 5-2 defensive scheme. "I think I've been a lot more relaxed this year," he says. "I've made myself better as a player. My sophomore year I was primarily a run defender, and last year I got more used to our pass defense. This year I've gotten much more involved in the actual pass rush. I'm not going around celebrating and cheering, but I'm focused on the field." Goodwillie has been more than focused this year -- he has been dominant. He leads the Quakers in both unassisted and total tackles, and is tied with junior defensive end Tom McGarrity with six sacks. He has helped the first-team defense hold opponents to four touchdowns in Penn's eight games, and was a key to last week's Ivy championship-clinching 33-0 win over Harvard. "I was a lot more excited over the title this year than last year," Goodwillie says. "Last year it really wasn't our team. It belonged to the guys who were seniors, like Dave Betten and Andy Berlin. But this team is definitely our team." Oddly enough, Penn almost was never Goodwillie's team. His grandfather, John Goodwillie, was an All-America offensive guard at Dartmouth and there was some pressure to play football in Hanover. But Goodwillie did not want to go from one small town to another, and he liked the feel of Philadelphia. He also liked the idea of a business education at Penn's Wharton School. Tomorrow, Goodwillie will wear the Penn colors for the last time. As for the finality of it all, he does not have many words. "It's really not going to hit me until after the season," he says. When it does hit him, he still won't have much to say about football. In a certain light, this seems fitting. Fitting because Pat Goodwillie's Penn career has told the entire story.
(11/16/94 10:00am)
and Jed Walentas It happens week after week. Without fail. Every seven days, Ivy Roundup world headquarters sends roving correspondents across the globe in search of the wild and wacky in Ancient Eight athletics. Whenever possible, our Roundup scribes use their magic carpets to reach their destination. But unfortunately, there are more than a few campuses out there without carpet-landing facilities. (Can you imagine?) As a result of this travesty, our Roundup reporters often must use other methods of transportation. And to make things worse, recent developments have shown Roundup business travel to be extremely treacherous at times? One of our hunters of Ivy humor had his expedition cut short when he borrowed a white Ford Bronco in Los Angeles. Last we heard, he was facing charges of tampering with police evidence. Another of our warriors of Ivy wisdom reluctantly flew the unfriendly skies of US Air (or is it US scare?) en route to Pittsburgh. Last we heard, the FAA was trying to identify her with dental records. Just last week, one of our soldiers of Ivy fortune had some business in the City of Brotherly Love. Last we heard, he was headed west on the Green Line No. 10 (and wearing a turban -- yikes!). But this week was different. There was no danger. There was no need for travel. The best and brightest of the week's Ancient Eight gridiron activities happened right here at Ben Franklin's university. Let us give thee a sense. · Ivy Champions of the Week Yes, that's right kids, our beloved Quakers are once again the undisputed heavyweight Ivy League champions of the world. To no one's surprise, of course, the all-mighty men of the Red and Blue completely and thoroughly dominated Harvard Saturday in front of a festive Parents' Weekend crowd. Historic Franklin Field was indeed the place to be as Penn notched its record-tying (and really impressive, if you ask us here at Ivy Roundup) 20th consecutive win. Roundup has always maintained a commitment to excellence very similar to that which is enforced by Penn head hancho Al Bagnoli and his superb staff. In light of this shared quest for perfection (Bagnoli's done it, we're still trying), all of us here at Roundup central tip our hats -- and what the hell, our turbans too -- in salute of a job well done. And speaking of Ivy champions, this message just in from Roundup headquarters: The soon-to-be-three-time Ancient Eight Champion Penn basketball team opens its season tonight at 7 p.m. at the Palestra. Be there. If your presence is not felt, a Roundup representative dressed in black and sporting dark shades may come knocking. And you'll be blocked from PARIS registration to boot. · Goal Post Drowning of the Week What would an Ivy title-clinching win be without a good old-fashioned dunking of the uprights? Everyone's parents were there to witness the sheer insanity of it all -- and see where that tuition money really goes (right into the Schuylkill, baby!). If you ask us here at Roundup, the hordes of delirious fans came up big. But if you ask DP Executive Editor Jordana "Always on the" Horn, the frenzied mob came up small. Sorry Jordana, but not even 53 Undergraduate Assembly meetings, 12 campus safety forums and a Judith Rodin inauguration can excite our fine student body like a rousing chorus of Ivy Champs! Ivy Champs! For the record, we here at Roundup wouldn't have it any other way. · Princeton Loser of the Week Normally it's tough to pick just one Princeton loser. After all, the word Princeton is synonymous with the word loser. And there are so many Princeton losers. But this week one such loser deserves special recognition. This upstanding young gentleman distinguished himself from all the other Princeton losers, and he should feel proud. For those of you who missed it, Penn medical student Jeffrey Carlton Trost wrote a letter to the editor of the DP last week. He expressed his displeasure with the behavior of Penn fans at the Princeton football game, citing chants, gestures and "a mean-spirited yet futile attempt to tear down Princeton's goal posts." We're sorry, Jeffrey Carlton Trost, if that is your real name. We never meant to be mean-spirited. But really, Princeton does suck. And you of all people should know -- you did graduate with honors from Princeton in 1992, didn't you? (Hmmm?what else did our Roundup background probe come up with?) Jeffrey, dear, if you're reading and you really want to see some rowdy fans, why don't you come visit the Palestra tonight? Or maybe you would rather watch Yoda's Tigers get blown out of the Palestra on Jan. 28. We'll give you a real dose of -- wait, what did you call it -- ah yes, "good cheer." · Columbia Win of the Week Who would have thunk it? This segment of the show, the Columbia Win of the Week, has now appeared three times in the last four weeks. This just in -- according to Roundup weather satellites, hell has frozen over. Yes, our beloved Sky Blue Panzies of SUNY-Harlem have assured themselves of their first winning season since Prometheus brought fire down from the heavens. The Lions used both stars of their guess-who's-our-quarterback-now system to claw their way past Cornell. The win means when Columbia hosts Brown next week, both teams will have winning records for the first time since 1965. Wow, Yale coach Carm Cozza lost his first gray hair in 1965. · Big Red Choke of the Week As previously mentioned in these sacred gridiron notes, it was Cornell that fell victim Saturday to those oh-so-ferocious Lions of SUNY-Harlem. After this third consecutive loss, Roundup oddsmakers are betting the Big Red won't even show up on the frozen tundra of Schoellkopf Field when Penn visits Ithaca, N.Y. As for us, we're wondering if Cornell coach Jim Hofher is still casting that pathetic first-place vote for his pathetic Big Red squad. We hope not, for his sake.
(11/15/94 10:00am)
and Jed Walentas Tomorrow night at 7 p.m., senior captain Jerome Allen and the Penn basketball team will open the 1994-95 season against Canisius at the Palestra. As of now, the game is not sold out. This is a total disgrace. There is no reason for each and every one of you not to have a ticket. Granted, a lot of you already do. For the rest of you, here are a few reasons to consider a trip to the ticket office? Reason No. 1 -- The Quakers. Penn returns four starters from a team that went 25-3 and finished the season ranked No. 25 in the national coaches' poll. The Red and Blue devastated Big 8-champion Nebraska in front of a national television audience in the first round of the NCAA tournament. With Allen and senior floor leader Matt Maloney, Penn promises to showcase one of the premier backcourts in America. This year, the Quakers add another weapon to their arsenal in junior forward Ira Bowman, an explosive transfer from Providence College. Bowman helps seniors Eric Moore and Shawn Trice solidify what looks to be a much-improved frontcourt. Reason No. 2 -- The Golden Griffins. If your classmates' credentials are not enough to motivate you, maybe the game itself is. Despite the campus consensus, Canisius is an excellent basketball team -- with the exception of Temple, this could be Penn's toughest home game. The Griffs have four starters back, including Philadelphia native and leading scorer Craig Wise. Last season, they reeled off 16 wins in a row en route to an impressive 22-7 record and a regular season MAAC championship. Although this may shock some of you, Canisius figures to give the Quakers all they can handle. Reason No. 3 -- The Preseason National Invitation Tournament. Featuring three Associated Press Top 20 teams, the NIT should once again kick off the college basketball season with a bang. Teams can only get an invite once every four years to the field of 16, and the tournament always provides a solid indication of what lies ahead. There will, as always, be plenty of excitement and hoopla as the NIT starts the ball rolling. More importantly for you, though, the Quakers have a legitimate chance to make some noise. If a crazed Palestra crowd can help ensure a win over Canisius, then Penn will jump it up against No. 12 Syracuse or George Washington on ESPN Friday night. Winning that second-round contest with Dick Vitale at courtside would land the Quakers in Madison Square Garden and in the Top 25. Reason No. 4 -- Now or Never. Most Penn fans choose not to talk about it. Coach Fran Dunphy tries not to think about it. But let's face it -- four starters from the best team West Philly has seen since Penn reached the Final Four in 1979 will graduate after this season. Fans may never see so much talent on the Palestra floor again. This abundance of senior talent and this year's strong schedule make it even more crucial for Penn to start off with a resounding victory at home. A sellout crowd would greatly improve the chances of this happening tomorrow night. Reason No. 5 -- The Palestra. Everyone knows the Palestra is one of the most historic arenas in college basketball. More importantly, it can be one of the loudest and most intimidating places for an opposing team to visit. Everyone who witnessed the frenzied atmosphere in the closing minutes of last year's sold-out Princeton game can attest to this. On that snowy March evening, the Penn crowd was undeniably a factor. The roar was deafening. That can only happen when the seats are filled. The burden is on fans to make the hallowed halls of the Palestra come alive. It has been a truly spectacular place for decades. It can be a truly spectacular place tomorrow night. If you don't yet have a ticket, get one. You won't regret it. Lee Goldsmith is a College junior from Huntingdon Valley and a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian. Jed Walentas is a College junior from New York City and a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(10/28/94 9:00am)
Its performance as a group has been nothing short of spectacular. It has shut down opponents repeatedly. It has made big plays under pressure. It has compiled statistics that are almost incredible. Yet it remains an anonymous group. It is a defense -- nothing more, nothing less. No names. Just a defense. The Penn defense. It is not surprising the Quaker defense has been overshadowed this season, despite ranking No.1 in Division I-AA and not giving up more than nine points in a game. This lack of recognition is largely due to two factors. First, Penn continues to field the best offensive skill position players in the Ivy League. Unfortunately, it is often the nature of football that those who score will get noticed before those who stop the opponent from scoring. Second, dominance has become expected of the Penn defense. And so when defensive coordinator Mike Toop's unit meets these expectations, it is only doing its job. But both of these trends must stop. They must stop because the Penn defense deserves more credit and attention for its truly amazing play in this season's five Quaker wins. And they must stop because this credit is long overdue. The Quakers are a winning program. They clearly have an all-around talented team. No one -- not even coach Al Bagnoli -- wins 17 consecutive games without quality personnel on both sides of the ball. But those who lead the Penn offense continue to overshadow those who lead the defense. Granted, this is somewhat natural. Just look to the NFL, where Dallas fields one of the top defenses and everyone focuses the attention on Aikman, Smith and Irvin. It's the same at Penn. Don't take credit from Miles Macik or Terrance Stokes -- these two players have led Penn to countless victories and certainly deserve the spotlight. But they do not deserve all the spotlight. What about the defensive stars who have contributed so much to the recent Penn success? The Penn defensive line is both quick and powerful. It has owned the line of scrimmage in every game this year. Senior defensive ends Michael "Pup" Turner and Tom McGarrity have constantly been in opposing backfields. What may be most impressive about the defense is its linebacking core. Bagnoli and Toop employ a 5-2 defensive scheme that depends on big plays from the linebackers -- seniors Pat Goodwillie and Kevin DeLuca have been phenomenal all year. The pair has combined for an unbelievable 117 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions, and they both were key in the pivotal goal-line effort at Dartmouth. The Quakers also have plenty of leadership in the secondary. Life as a safety or cornerback means not getting much attention until you get beat for a long touchdown. But senior strong safety Nick Morris and senior cornerback Jamie Daniels have not been beaten yet. As critical as the Stokes draw plays and Macik tight-rope grabs are for Penn each week, let's remember there are some important Quakers on the other side of the ball too. And it is these Quakers who help the offense to shine. A closer look at the numbers shows something interesting. The Quaker defense has been more than just dominant. It has been virtually impenetrable. The first defensive unit has only allowed one touchdown this season in five games. Lafayette scored on an interception return. Holy Cross scored on the second squad with the score at 52-0. In the two most recent contests, neither Columbia nor Brown ever crossed the goal line. Only one touchdown, Sept. 24 at Dartmouth. And that fourth-quarter Big Green drive started at the Penn 23. It gets better. That one touchdown was actually a play the Quakers almost stopped. Dartmouth faced a third down at the Penn 10. Quarterback Ren Riley rolled left and threw to the end zone -- Daniels was in perfect position to make the play, but he tipped the ball to wideout Brian Radics for the score. The impact of these performances cannot be fully grasped without a few more numbers. What it all comes down to is this: The Penn defense is allowing an average of 4.0 points per game, and the first-team defense is only allowing 2.4 points. Enough said. Someone once said defense wins championships. It looks like that may be the case this season. Lee Goldsmith is a College junior from Huntingdon Valley and a sports writer for The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(10/26/94 9:00am)
and Jed Walentas Are you like us? Did you abandon your fall Ivy League champion Quakers last weekend so you could camp out at the Palestra for your winter Ivy League champion Quakers? If you did (and you better have), it doesn't make you a bad person. After all, we here at Roundup did the same. (In fact, we were the real loud freaks ringing the cow bell incessantly -- our apologies, but get used to it.) Don't fret, because we of the Roundup clan have not dropped the proverbial ball. But before the football festivities commence, the Roundup legal office has a little disclaimer to make. You see, there's been some confusion regarding our esoteric writings and a fine garden product you may have seen commercials for recently. Roundup Herbicide is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company, but Ivy Roundup (that's us) is a registered trademark of Swamis, Inc. We just want you to know when weeding your way through Ivy Roundup (yours truly) you do not have to "avoid contact with foliage, green stems, or fruit of crops, desirable plants and trees." That stuff is all for the green thumbs at Penn. And for you Red and Blue thumbs, one other thing: The quotes that have amused you in lecture halls before and those that will amuse you in today's classes are real. Roundup operators diligently work the phones day and night to provide sufficient entertainment in the dreaded halls of Stiteler, Towne and Steinberg-Dietrich (especially room 105). That having been cleared up, it's time for some football. So, away we go, with a sense of a risque Week 6 on the Ivy gridiron. · Penis of the Week Now with former Brown quarterbacks Bill Pienias and Trevor Yankoff (you just can't make up stuff this good) still fresh on your minds, you probably thought this was the Brown segment of the show. Wrong. There is no need for a Brown segment because it sucks. After getting "whippled" by the Quakers 24-0, the Bears have now gone five years without scoring against Penn in Providence. This is the Ivy spotlight. Larry Ivy, that is. The associate athletic director at Kentucky. It seems that Ivy (whose parents were apparently faithful Ivy Roundup readers) and the rest of UK's athletic officials may have bitten off more than they can chew. After eight years of silence, fans in Lexington have become disturbed by the looks of their favorite pussy. Is it us, or does the Wildcat's rolled tongue remarkably resemble a penis? It ain't us, because enough fans have called about the phallic feline to get Kentucky to change the Wildcat's appearance. "We thought it was just a joke initially, but we've had more than one call and we took it seriously and decided to make a change," Ivy said. "We do want the Wildcat to still be able to roar. The roar just won't roll off its tongue like it used to." Apparently, the news has affected all of campus. Ivy confirmed for us that Kentucky hoops star Rodrick Rhodes missed his first two jumpers after hearing the news. We hope he can get it (the ball, you perverts!) up for the upcoming season opener. We here at Roundup wanted to check on potential wildcat ramifications closer to home, so we looked in on our neighbor Wildcats at Big 5-killing Villanova. Roundup correspondents have learned 'Nova is in fact unveiling a brand new Wildcat at Friday's Midnight Madness festivities. Let's hope the kitten is in good taste. Let it be known this entire fiasco could have been avoided had Kentucky listened to Roundup etiquette experts. How many times did we tell that stupid cat not to roar with its mouth full? But at least we have finally figured out why we are the Quakers -- who can a Quaker offend? · Big Red Masturbation of the Week Oh yeah, football. We have not forgotten. Just a little tired from our camping expedition on 33rd Street. When we got back to reality, we here at Roundup were shocked and appalled to see Cornell ranked No. 25 in the Sports Network I-AA poll. And even worse, someone had given them a first-place vote. Even the Quakers, at No. 13, did not get a first-place vote. Is it us, or did the Quakers get shunned? Roundup sleuths got on the horn to get to the bottom of this great miscarriage of justice. Roundup asks you: What would Lance Ito say about this travesty? Without the likes of Robert Shapiro and Alan Dershowitz to save him, Cornell coach Jim Hofher, well, how can we say -- he lied. The man actually lied to Roundup investigators, the sole remaining bastions of honesty in pigskin journalism. The conversation went something like this? Roundup: Who at Cornell has a vote? Hofher: I personally don't know. It's done through our sports information office. So, Roundup telecommunications called sports information director Dave Wohlhueter? Roundup: Who at Cornell has a vote? Woody (close enough, right?): The football staff is in charge of that. Roundup: Coach Hofher said that was your responsibility. Woody: Somebody's lying to you. The first-place vote came from the football office. Well, Mr. Hofher. It seems that you, like the Kentucky Wildcat, got a bit tongue-tied. How could you give yourself a first-place vote when you know the Quakers are going to rout the Big Red Nov. 19? But as long as you got some pleasure out of it, who are we to judge? We here at Roundup would never interfere in someone's private activities. · Impotent Fourth-Quarter Offense of the Week And the winner is?for the fourth time this season?the Big Green of Dartmouth. That's right, kids, the jolly green scrubs are at it again with their let's-put-ourselves-in-a-position-to-win-and-then-find-a-new-way-to-lose act. It's getting old, guys. But don't get us wrong -- we here at Roundup will still mock you. What made this week's Big Green premature ejaculation special was it didn't even have to overcome Ren "boy, I'm an easy target" Riley at quarterback. While the pretty-haired one sat out with his wrist in nine pieces and his green thumb on ice, Dartmouth gave away a game to first-place vote-getting SUNY-Ithaca. With three minutes left and a four-point lead, Dartmouth wideout Andre Grant caught a pass and headed for the promised land. But in a not-at-all-surprising turn of events, a Big Red cornerback stripped the ball from Grant at the 3-yard line. Andre did or did not have money on Cornell? You decide. Cornell then went 97 yards for the winning touchdown in the last minute. Another pathetic Big Green joke. Yawn. · Columbia Win of the Week Before we sign off, we wanted to tell you Columbia beat Yale in New Haven, 30-9. And thus our shocking news -- next week against Princeton, the Sky Blue Panzies will have a winning record at their homecoming for the first time since the wheel was invented. Wow. The wheel's real old.
(10/20/94 9:00am)
Quakers hold on for 12-3 win Penn and Columbia met for the first time on a football field more than a century ago. In that inaugural contest Nov. 16, 1878, defense was the order of the day. In fact, it was the only thing on the menu -- the two teams played to a scoreless tie. When the Quakers and Lions met for the 74th time Saturday, defense was again on display. Both teams did put points on the board, but neither could crack the end zone in the gritty 12-3 Penn win. Penn (4-0, 2-0 Ivy League) used another dominant defensive performance and a school record-tying four field goals from senior Andy Glockner to overcome determined Columbia (2-2-1, 0-2) at Franklin Field. The Quaker defense has been virtually impenetrable all season, and Saturday was no exception. After a Lion field goal opened the scoring, the Columbia two-quarterback system was shut out. The Lions ended the game with 188 yards of total offense. "The defense had to play well today, and I thought it did," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "Except for that first drive, they really shut [Columbia] down." The defensive effort was a complete one. Senior strong safety Nick Morris provided critical support against the Columbia option and recorded eight tackles. Senior linebacker Pat Goodwillie earned defensive Ivy League Player of the Week honors with 11 tackles and two sacks. "We really had some senior leadership out there on defense," Morris said. "The coaches definitely had us prepared for [Columbia's] system. I don't think losing ever really crossed our minds." Losing may not have crossed any Quaker's mind, but it was senior cornerback Jamie Daniels who made things certain. With just under six minutes to play, and the Penn lead at only six, Columbia faced a long fourth down. Lion quarterback Jamie Schwalbe tried to find wideout J.J. Jones, but Daniels broke up the play. The play gave Penn the ball deep in Columbia territory. Three minutes later, Glockner connected from 37 yards out. The kick ended the scoring and put the game out of Columbia's reach, 12-3. It was Glockner's fourth field goal of the game. His four kicks, from 32, 28, 21 and 37 yards, tied a Penn record set by Rich Friedenberg in 1988. More importantly, Glockner put points on the board. This was critical because the offense was unable to penetrate the Lion defense in the red zone. The Quakers were inside Columbia's 30-yard line nine times, and inside the 20 seven times, but never crossed the goal line. "It was frustrating because we were moving the ball," Bagnoli said. "Thank god Andrew was kicking well." Bagnoli's frustration came despite a workhorse effort from senior tailback Terrance Stokes. Stokes, coming off a sprained ankle, carried the ball 37 times for 192 yards. He consistently found holes in the Lion defense on left-side pitches and right-side draw plays. His heroics included a 45-yard first-quarter scamper that set the table for Glockner's first field goal. "We started out running some counters, and then they adjusted to it," Stokes said after his second 100-yard rushing game this season. "After that we ran both to the middle and to the boundaries. A lot of it was just a matter of reaction and finding the hole." Stokes' impressive effort helped open the field for sophomore quarterback Mark DeRosa. DeRosa was forced to find a variety of targets Saturday as the Lions held all-American junior wideout Miles Macik to just five catches. The signal caller did mix things up effectively, completing at least two passes to seven different receivers. For the day, he was 22 of 34 for 263 yards. But DeRosa did have some problems in the red zone. The sophomore threw his first two interceptions of the season, and both came close to the Columbia goal line. In the second quarter at the Lion 10-yard line, DeRosa tried to hit Michael "Pup" Turner -- who had been inserted at fullback-- in the flat. But the pass was behind Turner and linebacker Jim Lill picked it off. "In the red zone, their defense really buckled down," Stokes said. "We're not going to score a touchdown every time, but we were able to move the ball." The Quakers did move the ball -- at least far enough to get Glockner in field-goal range. The upstart Lions, however, found themselves unable to put any points on the board in crunch time. "I think we earned respect from [Penn]," Schwalbe said. "I'm pretty sure they didn't expect this kind of ballgame from us. On the same token, it's great we played them tough, but we came out here to win the ball game. That's the bottom line." The bottom line Saturday had defense as the special of the day at Franklin Field. When the game ended, Columbia left the table still hungry for respect. Penn, meanwhile, had cleaned its plate. And the Quakers grinded out their 16th consecutive win in the process.
(10/20/94 9:00am)
Quakers hold on for 12-3 win Penn and Columbia met for the first time on a football field more than a century ago. In that inaugural contest Nov. 16, 1878, defense was the order of the day. In fact, it was the only thing on the menu -- the two teams played to a scoreless tie. When the Quakers and Lions met for the 74th time Saturday, defense was again on display. Both teams did put points on the board, but neither could crack the end zone in the gritty 12-3 Penn win. Penn (4-0, 2-0 Ivy League) used another dominant defensive performance and a school record-tying four field goals from senior Andy Glockner to overcome determined Columbia (2-2-1, 0-2) at Franklin Field. The Quaker defense has been virtually impenetrable all season, and Saturday was no exception. After a Lion field goal opened the scoring, the Columbia two-quarterback system was shut out. The Lions ended the game with 188 yards of total offense. "The defense had to play well today, and I thought it did," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "Except for that first drive, they really shut [Columbia] down." The defensive effort was a complete one. Senior strong safety Nick Morris provided critical support against the Columbia option and recorded eight tackles. Senior linebacker Pat Goodwillie earned defensive Ivy League Player of the Week honors with 11 tackles and two sacks. "We really had some senior leadership out there on defense," Morris said. "The coaches definitely had us prepared for [Columbia's] system. I don't think losing ever really crossed our minds." Losing may not have crossed any Quaker's mind, but it was senior cornerback Jamie Daniels who made things certain. With just under six minutes to play, and the Penn lead at only six, Columbia faced a long fourth down. Lion quarterback Jamie Schwalbe tried to find wideout J.J. Jones, but Daniels broke up the play. The play gave Penn the ball deep in Columbia territory. Three minutes later, Glockner connected from 37 yards out. The kick ended the scoring and put the game out of Columbia's reach, 12-3. It was Glockner's fourth field goal of the game. His four kicks, from 32, 28, 21 and 37 yards, tied a Penn record set by Rich Friedenberg in 1988. More importantly, Glockner put points on the board. This was critical because the offense was unable to penetrate the Lion defense in the red zone. The Quakers were inside Columbia's 30-yard line nine times, and inside the 20 seven times, but never crossed the goal line. "It was frustrating because we were moving the ball," Bagnoli said. "Thank god Andrew was kicking well." Bagnoli's frustration came despite a workhorse effort from senior tailback Terrance Stokes. Stokes, coming off a sprained ankle, carried the ball 37 times for 192 yards. He consistently found holes in the Lion defense on left-side pitches and right-side draw plays. His heroics included a 45-yard first-quarter scamper that set the table for Glockner's first field goal. "We started out running some counters, and then they adjusted to it," Stokes said after his second 100-yard rushing game this season. "After that we ran both to the middle and to the boundaries. A lot of it was just a matter of reaction and finding the hole." Stokes' impressive effort helped open the field for sophomore quarterback Mark DeRosa. DeRosa was forced to find a variety of targets Saturday as the Lions held all-American junior wideout Miles Macik to just five catches. The signal caller did mix things up effectively, completing at least two passes to seven different receivers. For the day, he was 22 of 34 for 263 yards. But DeRosa did have some problems in the red zone. The sophomore threw his first two interceptions of the season, and both came close to the Columbia goal line. In the second quarter at the Lion 10-yard line, DeRosa tried to hit Michael "Pup" Turner -- who had been inserted at fullback-- in the flat. But the pass was behind Turner and linebacker Jim Lill picked it off. "In the red zone, their defense really buckled down," Stokes said. "We're not going to score a touchdown every time, but we were able to move the ball." The Quakers did move the ball -- at least far enough to get Glockner in field-goal range. The upstart Lions, however, found themselves unable to put any points on the board in crunch time. "I think we earned respect from [Penn]," Schwalbe said. "I'm pretty sure they didn't expect this kind of ballgame from us. On the same token, it's great we played them tough, but we came out here to win the ball game. That's the bottom line." The bottom line Saturday had defense as the special of the day at Franklin Field. When the game ended, Columbia left the table still hungry for respect. Penn, meanwhile, had cleaned its plate. And the Quakers grinded out their 16th consecutive win in the process.
(10/14/94 9:00am)
Columbia had its last winning season in 1971. The last time the Lions had a winning record at any point was 1978. In the 16 years since then, not a single Columbia quarterback has led his team past the .500 mark. So this year, Lions coach Ray Tellier decided to try something different. Not a single quarterback to lead the offense, but a pair instead. And so far, it has worked. The Lions are above .500. Tellier has played both of his signal callers -- senior co-captain Jamie Schwalbe and junior Mike Cavanaugh -- in all four games this year. The duo has led Columbia (2-1-1, 0-1 Ivy League) to consecutive wins over Lafayette and Fordham after starting the season with a loss and a tie. When the Lions visit Franklin Field to battle Penn Saturday, both Schwalbe and Cavanaugh will see action. In the first four contests, Tellier and his staff have let game-day momentum dictate which quarterback takes more snaps. "We'll pretty much go play by play with it," Tellier said. "We'll go in with an idea and a script for the start of the game, but after the first quarter we'll start making decisions. It just depends on what the defense is doing and on what Mike and Jamie are doing for us." What Columbia has done so far is utilize the different abilities of the two quarterbacks in order to ignite its offense. The Lions have already clicked for 112 points -- the most any Lions team has scored in its first four games since 1945. The biggest reason for this success is the way Schwalbe and Cavanaugh compliment each other. The two Lions quarterbacks shared time for the second half of last year and have developed their own unique roles. One is a passer and operates primarily from the pocket, while the other is an option quarterback whose speed has solidified the ground game. Schwalbe is without question the passer. At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, he is able to hang in the pocket and take hits as he releases the ball. This season, Schwalbe has matured as an offensive leader. He has thrown for 729 yards and is second in the Ivy League in passing. Last week he completed 21 of 27 passes for 257 yards at Fordham. "Last year, I was just happy to be on the field," Schwalbe said. "But I think this year I've developed a different perspective on things. I think it's different because now I'm out there trying to win. It's helped a lot that both Mike and I played last year, because otherwise we'd be trying to run a system that was new to us." For his part, Cavanaugh has done more than run the system -- he's run all over the field. The junior has only thrown 12 passes in four games, while running 37 times for 319 yards. At 6-0, 185 pounds, he also uses his speed returning kickoffs and punts. Cavanaugh leads the Ivies in scoring and is tied for 11th nationally with 36 points. "Mike's probably the best athlete on the ball club and we need to have him in there as much as we can," Schwalbe said. "I think the system has been successful because we both have different talents we can use to help the team win." Tellier is quick to point out the situation is not divisive. By deciding last year to implement the two-quarterback system, he prevented added controversy and competition in training camp this season. And he has seen a team-oriented attitude from both players. "Both of them handle it well," Tellier said. "They're both unselfish players who would like to be out there every play, but they realize the situation. There's a healthy respect between them because one week one guy may key something and the next week it might be the other guy." If the Lions are to upset the Quakers, both quarterbacks will have to play key roles. Schwalbe has to direct an effective passing game, and Cavanaugh needs to loosen the defense with his rushing attack. But even if these two signal callers do not lead Columbia past Penn, they might still do something no single quarterback has done in more than two decades -- lead the Lions to a winning season.
(10/03/94 9:00am)
Franklin Field has certainly seen its share of exciting football over the years. But when Temple hosted fourth-ranked Penn State Saturday, it was something special. And all 38,410 people in attendance knew it. The city of Philadelphia had been eagerly awaiting this game for a long time. And with good reason, for the game had everything. The national powerhouse Nittany Lions, the hungry-for-respect Owls and all the lure and tradition of Franklin Field -- football was definitely in the air throughout the 48-21 Penn State win. The enthusiastic crowd was more than ready as the 4:05 p.m. kickoff approached. The lights were on and no one let overcast skies or a cold breeze dampen spirits. The aged confines at 33rd and South streets filled with noise from both sides. The Temple marching band and the Owl mascot fired up the Owl faithful in the south stands. A thundering chant of Let's Go Temple could be heard over and over again. But the Nittany Lion fans had the majority, and a We Are Penn State chant soon filled the bleachers. When coaching legend Joe Paterno sprinted out of the tunnel with his team behind him, the chants and cheers got louder. And still louder. The Penn State players pumped up their blue-and-white-clad fans. We Are Penn State, We Are Penn State. This was big time. The stage was set for some football. Four plays into the game, the skies opened up and the rain started to fall. Temple was facing a third and nine, so the rain only made the Penn Staters chant louder. Defense, Defense. But a Temple screen pass to halfback Juan Gaddy went for 44 yards, and the Owl faithful had their first chance to explode. Four plays later, a 27-yard Temple field goal opened the scoring. A frustrated Paterno started pacing, and the delirious Temple fans kept cheering. Let's Go Temple. Let's Go Temple. The Owl fans continued chanting for a while. To everyone's astonishment, Temple dominated the No. 4 Nittany Lions for the entire first quarter. After 15 minutes, the rain was still falling and Joe Paterno was still pacing. Temple 6, Penn State 0. The Penn State offense hadn't yet lit the scoreboard. In fact, they had hardly gotten on the field at all. "I think that was the longest we've been on the sidelines as an offense this year," Penn State split end Bobby Engram said later. "It was cold and raining, and some guys were even getting stiff standing around." But in the second quarter, the Nittany Lion machine started to click. Tailback and Heisman hopeful Ki-Jana Carter began shedding would-be tacklers all over the field. Less than a minute into the second period, quarterback Kerry Collins rolled right and hit tight end Kyle Brady for a 12-yard touchdown pass. The thousands of Penn State fans let out a collective sigh of relief. Penn State 7, Temple 6. Paterno stopped pacing and patted Brady on the back, and the blue and white sections were chanting. We Are Penn State. Shortly after the touchdown, the Penn State band played the Jaws theme. It soon proved to be an appropriate selection, as the Nittany Lion juggernaut closed in on the Owls like a shark on its prey. Six minutes later, Collins threw the ball deep over the middle. He immediately raised his hands in triumph and marched toward the sideline while everyone else watched wideout Fred Scott catch the ball in the end zone. That score made it 14-6, and four minutes later, another touchdown made it 21-6. Cue the band. This time the selection was Rock 'n' Roll Part 2, and the Penn State crowd went wild. When the music stopped, the noise didn't. Through the rain, the chants echoed. We Are Penn State. Temple, to its credit, hung tough. The Owls grinded out an impressive 80-yard drive behind quarterback Henry Burris. When Burris found tight end T.J. Cook in the center of the end zone, the Owls trailed only 21-12. "This game shows that we are progressing," Burris said. "We stayed with Penn State. Teams like USC and Iowa got blown out. We played right with them. We practically gave them a game." It certainly was a game. With 1 minute, 14 seconds until halftime, the Lions were only up by nine points. The rain had subsided a little, and the Temple fans were excited. An upset was still in reach. Let's Go Temple. Then Collins put it out of reach. He and Carter led the Nittany Lions down the field and Collins hit Scott for a 21-yard score. "We're pretty confident as an offensive unit," Collins said. "For the most part, we feel like we can move the ball under any circumstances." Penn State went up 27-12 at the half, and never looked back. The Nittany Lions outscored Temple 21-3 in the third quarter and put the game out of reach. Despite sheets of rain, the crowd didn't disperse. The noise didn't stop. The Nittany Lion fans had a blast despite the elements. And the Temple fans were more than pleased with the gritty performance of the Owls. When the game ended with the score 48-21, everyone was excited. Saturday was a day for football. The rain and the wind didn't matter. The lights and the crowd and the game did. It was a special day at a special stadium. And everyone knew it. "Franklin Field is a great stadium," Paterno said as he left a crowded post-game press conference. "It was kind of fun."
(09/28/94 9:00am)
With less than three minutes gone in the second quarter of Saturday's game at Dartmouth, quarterback Mark DeRosa hit wideout Mark Fabish deep over the middle for a 53-yard touchdown. It was only the second touchdown pass DeRosa has thrown for Penn, and only the second one Fabish has caught. But don't be misled -- it wasn't a new experience for either. DeRosa and Fabish have been playing catch on the football field for the last six years. The two Penn sophomores were teammates at Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, N.J., before either had even seen the turf at Franklin Field. So Saturday's play-action scoring strike was simply a matter of reliving old memories. Fabish, whose first touchdown came at Columbia last season, estimated he's caught about 13 touchdown passes from DeRosa over the years, and even hinted the combination had perfected every aspect of Saturday's play months before the Dartmouth game. "During the summer we practiced together at our high school field," Fabish said. "We would practice that exact play -- the deep post. I'd run as far as I could and Mark would throw it as far as he could. Then we'd celebrate the touchdown together in the end zone." As for DeRosa, the signal caller left no doubt his long-time target will always be an option when he looks downfield. "We're both on the same wavelength," DeRosa said. "He knows what I'm capable of doing, and I know where he's going to be on the field. As long as Mark's in there, he's going to see the ball." · Another of DeRosa's favorite targets will continue to be junior wide receiver Miles Macik. Against the Big Green, Macik caught six balls for 47 yards. He was primarily used as a possession receiver. Three of his six receptions resulted in Penn first downs. Macik played at Dartmouth despite severe pain in his right hand. His hand was stepped on during practice last Thursday and Macik had it X-rayed an hour before the team bus left for Hanover. The all-American did not practice yesterday but expected to be back on the field today. "It feels pretty good right now," Macik said. "I took a day to rest it, but I'm kind of anxious to get back out there and get it banged up a little." · Macik and the rest of the Quakers who are recovering from injuries will have some extra time to get healthy. Penn is off this weekend. The team was originally scheduled to play at Richmond, but the Spiders had to drop the game because of conference obligations. Deals with Liberty, Hofstra and St. Mary's (Calif.) fell through, so Penn was left with an open date. The Quakers will have Friday and Saturday off, but otherwise will stick to their weekly routine. · During the layoff, Penn coach Al Bagnoli plans to stress special teams. Against Dartmouth last Saturday, the Quakers made and gave up their share of big plays in this area. Bagnoli said the team worked on special teams for 40 minutes during yesterday's practice, and that this work will continue through next week. The Quaker coach also said he has not ruled out making some personnel changes on special teams before the Oct. 8 Holy Cross game. "As of right now, there's no one new scheduled to move in," he said. "But we are working some new people into the special teams drills." One special teams area Bagnoli and his staff are pleased with is the place-kicking of senior Andy Glockner, who connected on field goals of 33 and 44 yards against the Big Green. "We're happy with Andy's kicking," Bagnoli said, "but we just have to get him some more opportunities." · The open date should also help the Quakers work on some things that often get overlooked with only a week to prepare for each opponent. The coaching staff will have the opportunity to spend time with younger players who would normally get less attention in season. Penn will also have more time to review game films and scouting reports in order to prepare for Holy Cross. "We looked at the film from the Dartmouth and we definitely made some mistakes," Macik said. "But the good thing is that the mistakes seem correctable because they're little things. I think the coaches are going to be a lot harder on us this week and hopefully we'll fix those things."
(09/21/94 9:00am)
and Jed Walentas It's here. The moment you've all been waiting for. After a long summer of sun and surf, and a week of oh-so-interesting classes with nothing funny to read, you can all breathe easier now. Yes, that's right. Ivy Roundup has returned -- with a potpourri of Tigers, toothpaste, Trevors, Tims, TV stars and touchdowns. But, definitely no toast (stay tuned)? Kicking off this 39th year of Ancient Eight football was the always-entertaining Cornell marching band. And apparently, that's not all they kicked off. We here at Roundup have learned heads were indeed rolling on the frozen tundra of Ithaca's Schoellkopf Field for Saturday's game against Princeton. It seems that 14 members of the Big Red percussion section wanted to start the homecoming festivities off with a bang. According to our source at Princeton, the band members "decided to jump the Princeton Tiger." When Roundup officials heard of this inexcusable (but damn funny) behavior, we could only think the percussionists had forgotten that age-old adage, "It's all fun and games until someone bruises a trachea." You see, Tigerette and Princeton senior Blanch Rainwater -- you guessed it Roundup fans -- suffered a bruised trachea when her Tiger head got caught under her chin as the band members tried to kick it off. The injured feline was rushed to Tompkins Community Hospital where she was treated and released. Always cool under pressure, we here at Roundup kept our heads (if only Blanch had done the same) and immediately contacted emergency room staff nurse and big cat expert John Daube, who was familiar with the attack. "It's highly unusual," Daube said. "We don't really get much of that in here." Unfortunately, Roundup central could not tell if he was talking about bruised tracheas or mascot jumpings -- you make the call? Oh, and one more thing. For all you Penn band members out there, Blanch and Princeton are scheduled to be at the Palestra January 28. Let's get ready to rumble! And speaking of rumbling, Roundup headquarters was abuzz with colorful news of the Colgate Red Raiders upsetting Dartmouth's Big Green by four points Saturday. But apparently Roundup wasn't the only group the Red Raiders impressed. After watching the game film, here's what the American Dental Association Council on Dental Therapeutics had to say: "Colgate has been shown to be an effective decay-preventive dentrifice that can be of significant value when used as directed in a conscientiously applied program of oral hygiene and regular professional care." Pretty high praise for a Patriot League team, if you ask us. Dartmouth, on the other hand, continues to choke in Week 1 (see last year's loss at Franklin Field). It also shows signs of gingivitis. Down by four with three minutes left, the Big Green had a first-and-goal at the Colgate two. After three failed shots at the end zone, quarterback Ren Riley slipped while running a fourth-down option play. Ren, you're no Jay Fiedler -- Jay hasn't slipped once while carrying the clipboard up and down the Eagles' sideline. Which brings us to another Ivy signal caller who dropped the proverbial ball in the inaugural weekend of gridiron action, Brown's Trevor Yankoff. Every single DP Swami, ignoring Brown's fine losing tradition (and Yankoff's name) picked the Bears to beat Yale Saturday. But alas, the big bad bear they call Yankoff yanked our magic carpets from under us. He orchestrated a pathetic 27-16 loss to the Elis. But don't judge a quarterback by his name. He's sorry. In fact, he told Roundup media relations last night. "I'm sorry. But it hurt us more than it hurt them," was Yankoff's apologetic message to the Swami clan. And worst of all, because of Yankoff's ineptness, Brown rookie coach Mark Whipple (what's with the names in Providence, anyway?) didn't get a 'W' in his debut. But a big Roundup salute goes out to the Ancient Eight virgin who did get his first -- Harvard's Tim Murphy. Hopefully, the three Harvard students who actually care about football won't get too excited, because the Murph only beat Columbia by seven points. "If I last half as long or do half as well as [former Harvard coach] Joe Restic, I'll be lucky," Murphy said. Roundup statisticians concluded Murphy would have been lucky to last two games had he lost to those hapless Lions. An even bigger Roundup salute goes out to one of our all-time Franklin Field favorites -- Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman and former Quaker Joe Valerio. Most of the country was tuned in a couple weeks ago when Valerio caught a Joe Montana touchdown pass against the 49ers. It wasn't surprising as both past and present Quakers continue to come up big on gameday. "It was a big thrill," Valerio said from his K.C. home while watching Monday Night Football. "It's nice as an offensive lineman to do something like that." On Sunday night, Touchdown Joe almost struck again in Atlanta. But the Falcons must have learned what we here at Roundup have known for years -- you can't stop a Quaker, you can only hope to contain him. And so Atlanta was ready for Joe's play when it came. When we asked Falcons secondary coach Greg Brown what makes Touchdown Joe such a special threat, he replied, "Joe has nice, soft hands." He does, huh? And speaking of hands, most Quaker faithful had their hands full of toast Saturday as Penn dominated Lafayette by a 27-7 score. One of those rabid toast hurlers was Danica McKellar, of The Wonder Years fame. (You remember Winnie Cooper, don't you?) On campus visiting Penn sophomore Kim Stern, McKellar was at first concerned she wouldn't know when to throw the crisped loaves. But the UCLA sophomore caught on to the Penn scene pretty quickly. "It kind of looked like a graduation with all the caps," McKellar said. "It was like a waterfall of toast!" But there will be no toasting on 33rd street come October 1 when the Penn State juggernaut battles Temple. When Roundup asked coaching legend Joe Paterno if he wanted Penn students to continue the ritual for their cross-state rivals, his response was one of shock. "Throw toast?" he asked incredulously. "No, I don't want you to throw toast!" Easy, Joe Pa, we all have our traditions. But anything for you. We, the Roundup powers, hereby declare a toast ban for the October 1 game. Instead, why don't we get the Temple band to go after the Nittany Lion. But, please, for Roundup's sake, go easy on his trachea?
(09/15/94 9:00am)
There are many obstacles inherent to entering a football season as the team's new starting quarterback. It doesn't take a great football mind to realize this. But how much larger do these obstacles loom when the team is coming off an undefeated league championship season? This is a question that requires a little more thought. It's also the question staring Mark DeRosa smack in the face. For it's DeRosa who has been named the new starting signal caller, replacing second team all-Ivy selection Jim McGeehan. DeRosa, who also plays third base for the Quaker baseball team, will make his debut Saturday when Penn opens its season at home against Lafayette. McGeehan plans to call DeRosa before the game to settle his nerves. "I'm going to tell him to relax, not to let the pressure get to him, and let his natural ability take over," he said. "He shouldn't think too much out there. Mark will be a phenomenal quarterback." As the game approaches, the sophomore quarterback finds himself surrounded by both unanswered questions and guarded optimism. He seems to have proven himself on the practice field, but there are still adjustments to make -- both on and off the field. "Mark definitely has the physical tools to play the position," quarterbacks coach Jim Collis said. "He has good athletic ability and good arm strength. He has most of the intangibles and he knows how to handle himself. Right now, we're trying to develop the mental approach and the confidence." DeRosa won the starting job after outdueling fellow sophomore Steve Teodecki at training camp. "I think the competition in camp definitely helped us both," DeRosa said. "Waking up every day at 6 in the morning and getting out there. Everyone else was at the beach and I had to go out and show the coaches I deserved to be the starting quarterback." Teodecki will enter the season as the backup quarterback, and also feels the competition for the starting role was a positive thing. "There was a lot of competition between us, but we've both felt pressure before," he said. "Mark definitely has the talent to run the system. It's all basically based on reads and timing, so the only thing that will have to come for both of us is experience." Experience may indeed be the biggest question facing DeRosa heading into the season. One of the biggest factors for Penn throughout last year's 10-0 campaign was the effective decision-making ability of McGeehan. McGeehan, who only threw five interceptions last season, also is Penn's all-time passing leader. His role will not be an easy one for DeRosa to fill quickly. But DeRosa will certainly have plenty of help. The Quaker offense returns a solid offensive line and two first team all-Ivy players in running back Terrance Stokes and wide receiver Miles Macik. "I'm definitely going to get thrown into the fire," he said, "but I've got to control my nerves, get the job done and use the guys around me. Last year was a learning process behind Jimmy, and now I have what he had -- the best offensive skill players in the league in Miles and Terrance." The entire Quaker offense will take measures to ease DeRosa's transition into the starting role. The Penn coaching staff will do its best to stay out of must-pass situations by utilizing Stokes and the other backs as effectively as possible. "I think early, there's going to be more of an emphasis on the running game," Stokes said. "All the running backs are going to have to chip in and pick their game up to another level. It's going to take DeRosa a couple games to get the feel for the college game." DeRosa's baseball experience may help him to speed the process up a bit. He is confident his lack of size -- at only 6-foot-1 and 164 pounds -- will not be a factor because of the quickness and reactions he has honed on the diamond. "At third base, it's all thrown at you or hit right at you," he said. "It's all reaction. At quarterback, it's the same thing. You get the snap and defensive players are all coming at you. You have to react. I want to know how to read every defense when I come to the line, so I know where the ball's going before the snap. That will take a little time, but it's coming." There's no mistaking the difference between last season and this one for the Quakers. Penn started '93 with an experienced leader at quarterback and plenty of inexperience at the other offensive spots. The final product was a dominant team with a perfect record and an Ivy title. This year, the tables are turned. The experience lies in the hands of the running back and the wide receivers, but the inexperience is at quarterback. Will the final product be the same? Look to Mark DeRosa for the answer. "I think there's going to be a lot of pressure on me," DeRosa said. "I think people are looking for the same thing as last year -- an undefeated team and a league title. It's just going to be something I have to deal with. I'm nervous, but I know I have to mature quickly."
