Yale's Cowan dangerous on run and through air

Yale quarterback Alvin Cowan does not shy away from physical contact. He invites it.

At 6'2" and 210 pounds, Cowan is the fuse of an explosive Yale (4-1, 2-0 Ivy) offense that has averaged 464.6 yards of total offense and 40.8 points so far this season. The first-year starter has an efficiency rating over 156 and is averaging 264.6 passing yards per game.

But Cowan's repertoire is not limited to passing. The tough-minded Austin, Texas, native has displayed prowess in running the football and is not of afraid getting hit.

Penn coach Al Bagnoli describes Cowan as one of "those throwback-type kids" because of his fearlessness when running the ball.

"For a quarterback he's really a physical kid," Bagnoli said. "He likes to carry the ball and mix it up. He runs hard, but he doesn't necessarily try to run around you as much as he tries to run over you. He really brings a physical presence to that offense. That's probably his best characteristic."

On Saturday, in a 52-40 loss to a 16th-ranked Colgate team that was focused on stopping Yale's running game, Cowan produced 466 yards of total offense -- 421 passing and 45 rushing.

"He's beaten people with his feet, and he's beaten people with his arm," Bagnoli said. "He's probably built more like a linebacker, but he can throw the ball. I don't think we've seen anybody who has that body type. We've haven't seen that kind of package from a quarterback this year."

But both Bagnoli and Yale coach Jack Siedlecki stress that Cowan's role in the Elis' success this year transcends his impressive statistics.

The senior has started only seven career games, as he sat out eight games last year with a broken leg suffered on the second play of the Elis' second game. Despite this, he was elected captain this season -- a testament to his leadership qualities and his toughness.

"He's got a lot of the intangibles," Siedlecki said. "He's a great leader. He's a tough kid and he projects that image on the field. He's not afraid to put the ball down and run with it."

Bagnoli agrees that Cowan brings an added component to the Yale offense that is not detectable on the stat sheet.

"He brings a toughness factor," Bagnoli said. "He's athletic and he can beat you running the ball and throwing, but it's that persona of toughness -- that persona of leadership that really stands out with him."

Bagnoli emphasizes that keeping Cowan in the pocket and off the perimeter will be a critical factor on Saturday. According to Bagnoli, Cowan is a more effective passer when he gets out of the pocket and passes on the run.

"If he gets out on the perimeter and there's no pressure or containment on him, then he's really dangerous," Bagnoli said. "He really throws the ball well on the run. Our ability to keep him in the pocket, to keep him somewhat contained, will be a huge key to how we do."

Yet Penn's defense will not have the luxury of focusing solely, or even primarily, on Cowan, with 1,000-yard rusher Robert Carr in the backfield and Nate Lawrie at tight end.

"They've got a lot of weapons," Bagnoli said. "They're in good schemes and they have good players. When you're scoring those kinds of points, it's more than just one guy carrying you."

Saturday will mark just the eighth start of Cowan's career. And after accounting for six touchdowns in his first game last season, Cowan entered this season with lofty expectations.

"I think people had almost unrealistic expectations for him this year, and he's almost lived up to them," Siedlecki said. "We're seeing the kid grow as a quarterback every week. He's getting better every week."

The Quakers are hoping that Cowan's meteoric rise will plummet or at least plateau on Saturday. But if Cowan can improve on last week's prolific performance and continue his trend of weekly growth, the Penn offense will have to have a career day to keep up.

"I think you've got to contain him," Bagnoli said. "It's going to be a huge test."

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