Can Castles continue to baffle Ivy defenders?

Unspoken, on-the-field chemistry between a quarterback and his star receiver can often be the hallmark of a successful offensive passing attack.

With standout quarterback Mike Mitchell lost to graduation, Penn fans will be scrutinizing replacement Pat McDermott's ability to get veteran receiver Dan Castles the football.

And for McDermott, replicating the explosive duo of Mitchell and Castles will be no easy task.

Last season, Mitchell completed 200 of 319 passes for 2,470 yards. What's more, Castles was on the receiving end of 1,067 of those yards, reeling in 13 of Mitchell's 26 touchdown passes.

Chemistry indeed.

Castles finished the season with a team-high 71 catches, averaging an impressive 106.7 yards per game and 15 yards per reception, becoming only the second receiver in Penn history to surpass the 1,000 yard mark.

The elusive All-Ivy honoree was also Mitchell's favorite deep-target, catching Mitchell's longest completion of the season -- a 60-yard touchdown bomb.

But with half of that prolific duo gone, McDermott will be faced with the challenge of finding Castles with similar productivity.

According to Castles, the acclimation process has been smoother than anticipated.

"It's been an easy transition," he said. "He's got a really strong and accurate arm. I'm not worried about it."

Interestingly, Castles believes that the onus will be on Penn's seasoned receiving core -- not the first-year starter.

"I'm not concerned about [Pat]," he said. "Pat will be fine. I'm concerned about the receivers getting open to give him places to throw the ball."

Penn coach Al Bagnoli seemed to agree that chemistry between Castles and McDermott will not be a problem, adding that the two have meshed nicely during the preseason.

"Obviously, he's the go-to guy," Bagnoli said.

"He and Pat have progressed very nicely. If we keep our fingers crossed, he can do the same thing this year that he did last year. If he stays healthy, he provides us with a very steady big-play capable receiver that we need."

The Toms River, N.J., native also noted that it will require a joint offensive effort for him to have another tremendous year.

"It's the same," Castles said. "We have to execute routes, and the O-Line has to do what it has to do. It's not about me as much as everybody else."

But he expressed confidence in the young line's ability to provide McDermott with the necessary protection to put the ball in the hands of Penn's experienced receiving core.

McDermott praised his senior receiver's ability as a team leader, playmaker and skilled receiver, but conceded that the new combination has yet to reach the level of chemistry achieved by Mitchell and Castles during last year's championship season.

"He's got loads of skills, makes plays and is a great leader," McDermott said. "I think our chemistry is good, but I don't know if I could say it's as good as it was between him and Mike."

McDermott admitted that his individual success and the team's offensive production will hinge largely on his ability to hook up with Castles.

"We've got to get the ball in his hands -- as many touches as he can get," McDermott said. "I've just got to get him the ball."

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