One last hurrah

There is no title up for grabs and no rushing record at stake.

There is no spoiler role to play.

So by most accounts, tomorrow's matchup between Penn (5-4, 3-3 Ivy) and Cornell (4-5, 2-4), will lack the excitement and the relevance of Harvard-Yale or Princeton-Dartmouth.

Nonetheless, Penn coach Al Bagnoli has to inspire his players for the game ahead.

One potential source of motivation could be the prospect of two consecutive losing Ivy seasons for Penn. A Quakers loss would mark the first such stretch since the 1997 season, when Penn forfeited all of its Ivy games due to an ineligible player.

And this matchup will decide the Trustees' Cup - the award that goes to the winner of the fourth-oldest rivalry in football, a 113-year tussle that Bagnoli called "significant."

Another, according to Bagnoli, is broader and simpler than that.

"The whole karma of the program is better when you win your last game," the coach explained. "The seniors kind of have a good memory as they exit. The coaches have a little bit of momentum heading into recruiting.

"You want to end on a good note."

Like Penn, the team that Bagnoli's will visit has had a Jekyll-and-Hyde year. Three weeks ago, it scored a 14-7 upset of Princeton in Ithaca, N.Y. The next week, it only just squeaked by Dartmouth - last week, it fell to Columbia, breaking the Lions' 17-game Ivy League losing streak.

The outcome this week might depend on running back Luke Siwula, a first-team All-Ivy pick last year. A big part of the core of Cornell's offense, the diminutive, hard-running junior has certainly caught Bagnoli's eye.

"They make it a point to give [Siwula] the ball 20-25 times," Bagnoli said. "We're going to have to know where he's at, and try to at least minimize the damage he does."

Another question mark for the Big Red is its sophomore quarterback, Nathan Ford. Ford can threaten defenses with his legs - he is Cornell's second-leading rusher.

In the air, he is more of an enigma. Ford has one of the lowest passing averages (152.3 yards) in the Ivy League, and has more interceptions than touchdowns.

"He's a little bit inexperienced," Bagnoli said. "He's not as polished as the kid they had last year," graduated quarterback Ryan Kuhn.

"But he throws the ball pretty well, and he runs pretty well. He's getting better at running their offense," he added.

The usual questions for Penn remain - notably, pass defense and special teams. But the Quakers showed last weekend that they are capable of solid performances in both arenas.

If Penn can repeat that, and control Cornell's two big offensive threats, it is more than capable of avenging last year's 16-7 defeat at Franklin Field and finishing above .500 in league play.

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