Not this year for the Quakers

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Nothing comes easy.

It has been the catch phrase of Penn football's 2004 season. And fittingly, it was how Penn coach Al Bagnoli chose to describe his team's final game of the season, a 20-14 win over Cornell on Saturday at Schoellkopf Field.

After taking a 20-0 lead into the fourth quarter against a seemingly listless Big Red team, the Quakers nearly collapsed in the final minutes.

It was not until junior Michael Johns intercepted Cornell quarterback D.J. Busch's pass in the end zone with 1:21 remaining that Bagnoli and the Quakers (8-2, 6-1 Ivy) could breathe a sigh of relief.

Penn failed to claim a share of the Ivy League title when Harvard defeated Yale on Saturday.

"Very gutsy performance against a very improved football team," Bagnoli said. "It's pretty much been what this season has been for us. Nothing's been easy. It's been up and down, never as consistent as we'd like it to be, but at the end of the day, our kids stepped up and did what they had to do."

For three quarters, however, it appeared that the Red and Blue would finally be able to enjoy an easy win, something the team had not experienced since a 35-0 victory over Dartmouth Oct. 2.

When junior running back Kyle Ambrogi plowed into the end zone with seven seconds left in the third quarter, the Quakers had a 20-0 lead. But freshman kicker Derek Zoch missed the extra point, and it nearly cost the team dearly.

Early in the fourth quarter, Cornell (4-6, 4-3) drove 51 yards in five plays following a blocked field goal, with Busch getting into the end zone on a quarterback sneak.

When sophomore Matt Carre fumbled on Penn's next possession, the Big Red needed just five more plays to cut the Quakers' lead to 20-14, on a 4-yard touchdown run by Joshua Johnston.

The Penn offense, led by freshman quarterback Bryan Walker, could not move the ball in three plays, and Cornell got the ball back with 3:11 left.

The 4,242 in attendance rose to their feet when Busch drove the Big Red down to the Penn 25 with a minute and a half left. But the rally ended as quickly as it had started, as Busch's second-down pass slipped out of his hands. Johns was the only one who had a chance to grab it, which he did with a beautiful diving catch.

The Quakers then ran out the clock, preserving the Penn senior class' 35th win in 39 opportunities.

Penn's poor fourth-quarter showing was reminiscent of the 2003 team. But just as that Quakers squad enjoyed great moments, there were plenty of bright spots on Saturday.

Senior defensive end Bobby Fallon scored his first career touchdown in the first quarter, when he intercepted Busch and returned it 17 yards for the score.

"Coach [Ray] Priore made a great call, a blitz on the outside," Fallon said. "Casey [Edgar] was able to tip it, and honestly I just got real lucky. It was spinning out of a block, it fell right in my lap. It all happened pretty quick.

"I don't think I've ever scored a touchdown in any league. So it was pretty special in my last game."

Penn got its second touchdown of the game just before halftime, and once again it was a defensive player finding the end zone.

Walker had driven the Quakers down to the Cornell 5-yard line. But the drive stalled, which brought Zoch onto the field.

But senior holder Gabe Marabella mishandled the snap. The Philadelphia native had the presence of mind to get up and try to throw a pass, and found defensive lineman J.J. Stanton wide open in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. The play worked so perfectly, it looked like a designed fake.

"It was a good snap, I just kinda dropped it," Marabella said. "I rolled out right, saw J.J. just sneak behind a couple guys and I just gave it a little float, and he made a nice catch."

The Penn defense, led by seniors like Fallon, Luke Hadden and Michael Sangobowale, stifled the Big Red offense throughout the first three quarters.

Because of the ineffectiveness of the Cornell attack, it looked like Penn would breeze to victory when Ambrogi scored the Quakers' third touchdown.

Ambrogi replaced junior Sam Mathews as the lead running back when Mathews left the game late in the first quarter after being poked in the eye. He did not return.

Ambrogi was one of several Penn reserves who stepped up in place of injured starters.

Among these was Walker, who made his second career start in place of junior quarterback Pat McDermott. Walker passed for 257 yards, had one interception and gave the coaching staff high hopes for his future.

And it is to the future that Penn must look. But it's hard to imagine a future season with as many nail-biters as this year. Saturday's game was just the latest in a long line, and as Bagnoli suggested, maybe that was the way it was meant to be.

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