With no bowl games or playoffs available to the Penn football team, the Quakers accomplished the most that they could last season. Because of this, opponents will be circling the Red and Blue on their calendars this year.
Penn was the only unbeaten team in Division I last season, and its current 16-game winning streak is the longest in the nation.
However, this year's schedule for the 24th-ranked team in the ESPN/USA Today Division I-AA poll contains several early games that may prove to bring about the demise of the winning streak.
The much-publicized opening game against San Diego, the first game on the West Coast for the Quakers in 50 years, should serve as a benchmark for the Red and Blue. The Toreros went 8-2 last year, and have a new coaching staff led by former NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh.
"They're a pretty good football team," Penn head coach Al Bagnoli said.
The Toreros feature a West Coast offense, which is a different look than what the Quakers are used to. USD is 1-1 this season, losing to Azusa Pacific, 24-17, and beating Holy Cross, 37-31.
Penn then returns home for a Sept. 27 game against No. 6 Villanova, the last team to beat the Red and Blue. The Wildcats prevailed, 17-3, at Villanova Stadium on Oct. 10, 2002, amidst a heavy rainstorm.
"I think it provides a tremendous barometer for where your strengths and weaknesses are," Bagnoli said of playing a team of Villanova's caliber.
Villanova is 2-0 so far this season, but its victories have been close, beating Bucknell 20-14 and Lehigh 22-16. The Wildcats' statistics have not been very impressive so far this season, except for rushing defense, where Villanova ranks seventh in the nation, allowing 69.5 yards per game.
As always, however, numbers can be misleading, and Villanova is without much question the best team that the Quakers are playing this year.
If the Red and Blue can win that game, they will have a great shot at equaling or surpassing their own Division I-AA winning streak of 24 games, set between 1992-1995.
After the Oct. 2 Ivy opener against Dartmouth, Penn plays its final non-conference game Oct. 9 in Lewisburg, Pa., against Bucknell. The Quakers barely snuck by the Bison last season at Franklin Field, winning 14-13 after a last second 39-yard field-goal miss by Bucknell kicker Ryan Korn.
The Bison can present problems for Penn, not just because they are aching to avenge their close call from the previous season, but also because of their varying offensive sets that certainly could confuse the Quakers.
However, last year's game was not a regular Penn football game. It was the one game started by this year's starting quarterback , Pat McDermott, because of an injury to last year's starter Mike Mitchell. Bagnoli consciously changed the game plan because of that.
The Quakers rushed for 220 yards against Bucknell last year and threw for only 136, not wanting to put too much pressure on McDermott. However, this season's contest should not feature any restrictions.
While Penn may not be able to repeat a perfect overall season, the Red and Blue are riding a 15-game Ivy League winning streak, one that should continue at least two more games. As was the case last year, Yale and Harvard stand to be the toughest competition within the Ancient Eight, as Penn looks for its third straight league crown.
Every team in the league except Penn and Brown returns its starting quarterback this season, so there may be more balance and parity than there has been in recent years.
The Crimson and Elis were both just behind the Red and Blue in the preseason Ivy League media poll. Penn has to go to the Yale Bowl on Oct. 23 to play the Elis' powerful offense, which had a huge fourth-quarter comeback against the Quakers last season before falling in overtime. Harvard comes to Franklin Field this year on Nov. 13. The Crimson was the last Ivy League team to beat Penn, back in 2001.
While the Quakers may be the favorites in the Ancient Eight, there are more chinks in Penn's armor than there were in the last two years.
The non-conference games are invaluable to the Quakers, both as opportunities to evaluate the skill level of the team and also to build confidence for what should be a fierce fight in the Ivy League.
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