Finn plays both ways in Penn win

Running and defensive back James Finn scored on offense and defense in Penn's 24-7 win over Columbia. NEW YORK -- Jim Finn is now stuck in football purgatory. The Quakers want him on offense, but they need him on defense. And as long as he puts up spectacular numbers, like he did Saturday in Penn's 24-7 win over Columbia, it seems Finn will be enslaved to play a Chuck Bednarik-esque number of downs on both sides of the ball. The junior scored touchdowns on both sides of the ball: an 18-yard interception return to put Penn on the board in the first quarter and a 15-yard rumble into the end zone with 26 seconds remaining in the third. "Our running game has not been as consistent as I would have liked, and it's been somewhat injury-plagued," said Penn coach Al Bagnoli on his decision to incorporate Finn into a large portion of the offense. "So we just had to make a decision? based on the lack of production to provide a spark and to establish a running game." Finn accounted for over half of Penn's points, but he was also prominent in Penn's error brigade. His best individual play, a 51-yard run, ended with a fumble. The mistakes, however, went both ways. Three of Columbia's four turnovers accounted for 21 points for the Quakers, including two interception returns that resulted in touchdowns. Penn's offense didn't even have to take the field. The overriding factor, however, was the success of the Penn running game, which on Saturday featured a two-faced attack for the first time in at least two years. Jason McGee (16 rushes, 63 yards) and Finn (24 carries, 138 yards) combined for a 201 yards as part of a season's best 203-yard team effort. The sudden revival of the Penn running game may have been a result of facing the Columbia defense, which is allowing over 200 yards per contest on the ground. Penn quarterback Matt Rader was sacked four times, but had enough time to avoid throwing an interception in arguably his best performance of the season. With the exception of blitzing situations, the Penn offensive line allowed both the air and ground attacks to prosper. "Sometimes I felt a little pressured, I felt they played really well," Rader said, "especially getting the running game going -- that's what we needed." Still, the Quakers only managed 10 points from its offense. That includes two more missed Jeremiah Greathouse field goals, both of which were short. Greathouse, who earlier this season claimed to be able to boot 60-yarders consistently, failed from 50 yards out, with the wind at his back, and from 44. Two more expected Quakers offensive opportunities were nearly missed, as punt returner Joe Piela muffed two punts, although one was expunged from the official stats due to a Lions penalty. Columbia, however, took advantage of Penn's first defensive mistake -- blown downfield pass coverage -- to score the first touchdown of the game. Lions wide receiver Armand Dawkins got behind Penn cornerback Piela on a post pattern from the right side for a 34-yard gain. The next play, Penn had good downfield coverage, but Columbia quarterback Bobby Thomason, who was in his first week back from a torn ACL in his shoulder, found tailback Norman Hayes in the right flat, who ran six yards up the right side for a touchdown. In the next series, the Quakers run reared its head as Finn, running right, broke free, ran across the field to the left sideline to the two-yard line, and in an effort to extend the ball into the end zone, fumbled the ball. Lions cornerback Roy Hanks stripped the ball loose and ran the ball back to the 34. Three plays later, Finn picked an overthrown ball over the middle and ran untouched 18 yards into the end zone. The Penn defense held Columbia for the rest of the game, but not without help from a Lions offense which committed three more turnovers and seven offensive penalties. "We thought we played well enough defensively to win the game," Columbia coach Ray Tellier said. "But we didn't have poise, we gave up two touchdowns on offense and we didn't make plays on offense." With the score 17-7 with just under three minutes to play, Roger Beckwith intercepted a Thomason pass at the seven-yard line and walked in to seal the Columbia coffin. After sitting out the past two weeks with a virus, Mitch Marrow finally made his way back to his familiar position at left defensive tackle. Despite having only one assisted tackle, his presence was felt in the Columbia backfield through his continual pressure on Thomason.

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