It's all on the line

There are few blemishes on Al Bagnoli's 12-year resume as head coach at Penn.

But if there is one, it may be his 0-2 career record against local rival Villanova.

The second winningest coach in Penn history will have his shot at redemption tomorrow night when Villanova visits Franklin Field in the schools' third matchup during Bagnoli's reign.

And this year, Villanova may be more prone to defeat than ever.

The 11th-ranked Wildcats suffered a 17-0 loss last weekend at Villanova Stadium to then-unranked Atlantic-10 foe James Madison.

Bagnoli minimized the importance of the result, asserting that the lopsided outcome was more indicative of atrocious weather conditions than Villanova's poor performance.

"The score is deceptive," he said. "It was an absolute disaster of a day."

Yet Bagnoli conceded that the two teams may be more evenly matched than in years past, stressing the fact that both teams have first-year starters at the quarterback position.

"We feel we've got a legitimate chance," Bagnoli said, expressing confidence that the Quakers could get their first win against Villanova since 1911.

"For the first time we've played them, they don't have a four-year starter at quarterback."

Saturday will mark Penn quarterback Pat McDermott's third start at the position Bagnoli termed "vitally important" to Saturday's outcome.

The junior had a solid performance last weekend, completing 13-of-27 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

And for the Wildcats, sophomore Marvin Burroughs will also start just his third game at quarterback.

"They've had a huge experience advantage at that position," Bagnoli said.

"Now for the first time our kid actually has as many starts as their kid. We feel like we're a little bit closer."

According to Bagnoli, there will be three key ingredients to a Penn victory: minimizing turnovers against a tough Villanova defense, stopping big plays and making field goals.

Penn junior running back Sam Mathews -- who rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns in last weekend's 61-18 drubbing of San Diego -- echoed Bagnoli's sentiments, also stressing the importance of "controlling the ball" and "making big plays" on the offensive end.

Mathews also noted the challenge of playing against one of the top rush defenses in Division I-AA. The stingy Wildcats defense is holding teams to a mere 83.3 rushing yards per game.

Villanova also boasts an experienced defensive line of two juniors and two seniors, led by Jamil Butler, who has recorded 24 tackles and four sacks on the season, and preseason All-American Darrell Adams.

"They have a great defense," Mathews said. "We are going to have to meet the level of competition."

On the defensive end, the Quakers will have to shut down preseason All-Atlantic-10 selection J.J. Outlaw, who has reeled in 14 receptions for 100 yards in the first three games of the season.

"We expect them to come out and try to simplify things," said Penn senior safety Kevin Stefanski, who lives just miles from Villanova's campus and used to go to Wildcats games as a kid. "What they do best is throwing the football.

"Their quarterback makes pretty good decisions. We respect them and they're a great team, but they're not unbeatable. We need to do our job and get that one swing -- that one play that will give us the victory."

Although Stefanski discounted the importance of the developing crosstown rivalry and his local affiliation, Bagnoli admitted that there will be extra incentive to win on Saturday.

"There has to be a little bit more incentive any time schools are 20 miles apart," he said.

"It's crosstown and a lot of the kids know each other and hang out with each other. For all those reasons, you want to play well and do the best you can."

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