Rosenstein | Quakers don’t need ’Nova

From the moment they stepped onto Franklin Field against Villanova, the Quakers really didn’t have much of a chance.

That may be unfair to say about Al Bagnoli’s boys. They played hard and kept the score close for most of the game.

But Matt Szczur’s opening kickoff return for a touchdown wound up being the game-winning score, and the 11-point final margin of victory was the Wildcats’ largest at Franklin Field since their 34-6 whooping in 1999.

The defeat marked Penn’s ninth consecutive fall to Villanova, dating back to a 34-3 loss at Franklin Field in 1980. The last time Penn won the Main Line matchup? Way back in 1911, a 22-0 triumph.

The expanded margin of Villanova’s victory this time around does not indicate any likelihood for a change in that pattern.

The Quakers are slated to play the Wildcats for at least two more years (the schools signed an eight-year contract before the 2004 season).

And that should be the end of it. I question whether Villanova is a favorable early season opponent for Penn football.

Or a worthwhile opponent at all.

There are plenty of reasons to play superior teams, even so early in the season (this was Penn’s first-ever season opener against the Wildcats, but the game has been second on the schedule every year since 2004).

It’s a big game that provides tremendous motivation during the offseason since the Quakers must be ready to go from day one. It also presents a good litmus test of the team’s readiness for the Ivy League slate.

“You’re obviously trying to beat Villanova, but at the same time we’re also trying to grow toward the Ivy schedule,” Bagnoli said.

And there’s no telling what kind of spark a win Saturday might have provided for the team going forward.

But those benefits do not outweigh the drawbacks. The drastically different level of competition just doesn’t amount to a good matchup.

I definitely got the impression that those thoughts have crossed Bagnoli’s mind.

In both the days leading up to the game and at the postgame press conference, the 18-year coach repeatedly stressed the challenges of opening the season against ’Nova.

“I can think of easier games to open up with,” he said on media day Aug. 31 after noting that Villanova will have not only played two more games but also have at least 12 more practices behind it than Penn.

Then after the fat lady sang, Bagnoli reiterated those sentiments.

“Again, it’s a really difficult opener when you’re playing a team of that caliber,” he said after the loss. “They’ve got two games under their belt, and we’re trying to get our kids up to game speed.”

Bagnoli brought up the argument that the Quakers had “very little margin for error” against ’Nova at least four times in his brief postgame comments. Not exactly an ideal scenario in a season opener.

Add in Villanova’s advantages in offering players scholarships and its consequent superior size and talent, and the recent results come as no surprise.

The worst part about it is that Penn actually had more time to prepare for this year’s game than in previous seasons. Asked about the success on defense (holding No. 2 Villanova’s high-powered offense to just seven points), Bagnoli mentioned that the team prepared for the game for three extra days and “we were able to look at that offense a little bit more than maybe we might in Week 3.”

So while the game might be a good gauge of Penn’s team, ultimately it has amounted to no more than that. What seems now like an inevitable early season loss probably harms the team’s morale more than a hard-fought defeat can boost its confidence.

“It’s frustrating because we’re doing what we think we need to do to win that game,” Bagnoli said.

When the current contract runs out in 2011, Penn has a difficult decision on its hands. If the Athletic Department extends the agreement with Villanova to schedule even more matchups in the future, these issues will continue to arise.

Of course, if Penn finally earns a win before the losing streak hits the century mark, then this logic could be completely derailed.

But that’s a pretty big if.

Noah Rosenstein is a junior political science major from Hollywood, Fla., and is Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. His e-mail address is rosenstein@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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