Despite missing its starting quarterback and its leader in the secondary, the Penn football team proved its mettle with a 21-3 win over Bucknell Saturday.
Now, things will get a bit easier.
The Quakers, just one week removed from having a roster broken and battered by injuries, will see many of their important players return this Saturday at Columbia.
Both junior Keiffer Garton and senior Kyle Olson, the Red and Blue’s top two signal callers, started practicing this week.
Senior defensive back Chris Wynn will also return, and Penn is looking about as healthy as it could hope to be.
It’s especially fortuitous that Wynn returns this week because the Quakers’ secondary will be facing one of the Ivy League’s most dynamic offensive threats when they head to the Big Apple.
Columbia senior wide receiver Austin Knowlin has put up phenomenal numbers for the Lions thus far, tallying 235 yards and three touchdowns on just 23 receptions midway through the season.
Many happy returns. Everyone knew senior running back Bradford Blackmon could run. And thanks to the “slash” — Penn’s version of the Wildcat offense — everyone knows he can throw a little bit too.
And due to a stellar performance as a returner against Bucknell, Blackmon has stepped into the starting job at this position.
Coach Al Bagnoli is happy to give Blackmon as many touches as possible.
“We want ways to get the ball in Blackmon’s hands,” Bagnoli said. “We’re going to manufacture ways [to do that].”
Step one on that assembly line is putting Blackmon back to receive punts and kickoffs.
Over the last two games, Blackmon has returned five kickoffs for 127 yards, good for an average of 25.4 yards per return. The Ivy League leader, Bryan Walters of Cornell, averages 22.2 yards per return. If Blackmon keeps getting the call on kickoffs and accumulates the requisit number of returns, his name will sit atop the leader board soon.
Putting the Jackson, Miss., native back for returns helps give the offense a short field, which is just what the Quakers need.
“We like to think of return teams as one-play offense,” Blackmon said. “If we don’t get a touchdown, we at least give the team good field position.”
The best defense is, well, a really good defense. Coming into their victory over Bucknell, the Quakers were allowing 19.3 points per game on defense.
Coming out, the Red and Blue yielded just three to a team that had averaged about 17.
Bagnoli points to more precise play as the reason for such a drastic defensive improvement.
“We did a really nice job of executing our defensive gameplan,” Bagnoli said of the Red and Blue’s effort against the Bison.
No doubt, Penn’s brick wall will improve with Wynn’s return.
The senior led the Quakers in both interceptions and pass breakups last season and adds leadership and experience to the secondary.
Considering the effect of Knowlin and Lions quarterback M.A. Olawale — who has six passing touchdowns and four rushing scores — Wynn should factor in heavily.
If he can get back in the swing of things after returning from injury, there’s no reason Wynn shouldn’t be able to control Knowlin and stick to his assignment.
If the Flemington, N.J., native can do that, then the Quaker just might “Wynn.”
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