Flegenheimer | Time to wean off the screen

I’ve come to expect three things at Penn sporting events: a halftime show from the band that’s equal parts amusing and confusing; the announcement of attendance figures that would make the Iranian election commission blush; and nothing but effusive praise from any opposing coach talking about the Quakers.

This last point is just common courtesy, it seems. My favorite example came in January 2008, when Saint Joseph’s basketball coach Phil Martelli maintained a straight face while praising Penn’s disciplined rebounding efforts — minutes after his Hawks had pilloried the Red and Blue by 40 at the Palestra.

Saturday night, though, you got the feeling that Villanova head man Andy Talley wasn’t just being polite to Al Bagnoli and Co.

“If they don’t win the Ivy League title,” he said, “I’m gonna [tell] the alumni to get after him.”

Bagnoli hedged a bit, but agreed that the Quakers “have a chance to be a pretty good football team.”

Both men could be right to believe in the Quakers. The defense alone may well keep them in contention.

But here’s the thing: The other side of the ball isn’t there yet. And it might not be close.

“When you get opportunities to score, you’ve gotta score,” Bagnoli said, noting a failure to capitalize on strong field position. “We have to get better in a lot of areas.”

To Penn’s credit, the offense did seem to have a cogent gameplan coming in. According to quarterback Keiffer Garton, film revealed a Villanova defense that often overpursued up front, leaving it susceptible to screen plays.

In the first half, Penn exploited this aggressiveness, especially on its lone scoring drive. On a key third-and-long from the Villanova 40, Garton hit running back Bradford Blackmon, lined up the slot, on a screen to pick up the first down.

But on the following drive, Garton again went to quick-hitting pass plays on both second and third downs, yet failed to convert. On the next possession, Penn’s last of the half, three out of Garton’s final four throws were screens, two of which Villanova bottled up.

As the third quarter began, the Wildcats’ defensive adjustments were even more pronounced.

“They really started to cover the flats,” Garton said. “When we were spreading out, they attacked the edges. We weren’t able to take advantage.”

Indeed, screens and swing passes cannot be the primary dimension of an offense, especially when the running game is scuffling. Garton knows this. It’s why he came out of halftime looking to spread the field, yet badly underthrew a well-covered Kyle Derham for an interception.

To be sure, Bagnoli seems to have found a gritty, versatile signal caller in Garton.

But the bottom line is this: For the Quakers to be true contenders this season, they’ll need more than smoke-screens and receiver screens to move the ball on offense.

Otherwise, you just might hear an opposing coach praise their rebounding efforts.

Matt Flegenheimer is a junior economics major from New York. His e-mail is flegenheimer@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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