Olson now leads with both a leg and an arm

It’s been a while since a Penn quarterback had a day like the one Kyle Olson had Saturday at Franklin Field.

The fact that Olson took each and every snap behind center — at least until the game got out of hand — was strange enough, considering the Quakers’ quarterback situation these days.

Coach Al Bagnoli recognized this in a statement he hasn’t made in months.

“The last three weeks we’ve actually had the same quarterback,” Bagnoli said. “[Olson]’s actually been able to practice, so he’s getting a lot of looks.”

The last time Penn started the same quarterback three weeks in a row came in the middle of last season with Robert Irvin. Irvin also happens to be the last Quakers quarterback to throw for over 550 yards during a two-game stretch (Nov. 4-11, 2006), which Olson accomplished Saturday.

With a boost of comfort and confidence, Olson showcased the benefits of having stability behind center from the get-go, completing his first two passes for 49 yards on Penn’s opening touchdown-scoring drive. Bagnoli even ditched the wildcat to give Olson more opportunities to drop back and throw, just like he did against Brown last week.

“We’re trying to get a little bit more cohesion in our regular personnel group,” Bagnoli said, “so we found ourselves in a situation where we never really had to call upon [the wildcat].”

That cohesion was evident in each decision Olson made. He was smart, precise and in sync with his receivers all afternoon. But one third quarter play epitomized the kind of Homecoming the senior had.

Facing a second-and-goal from the Princeton three-yard line and already nursing a 21-point lead, Penn could have played it safe.

It seemed that the Quakers would do so when Olson took the snap and pushed forward — a traditional quarterback sneak. But it was a fake: Olson dropped back to throw and catch the defense off guard; only he stumbled and lofted a floater while collapsing to the ground.

The ball wobbled to the back of the end zone directly into the hands of tight end Luke Nawrocki.

“I kind of tripped up a little bit and as I was falling down he was still open,” Olson said. “I just wanted to keep my feet and throw it.”

It seemed as though everything Olson touched (or threw) turned to gold, but he was just executing the plays his coaches drew up.

“The coaches put together a great game plan,” Olson said. “The whole key of [Saturday] was just trying to manage it [and] play within yourself.”

All in all, it added up to a fantastic passing line: 20-for-32, 238 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. It was the type of efficiency that was missing from Olson’s performance at Brown last weekend, when his career-high 313 passing yards came on 47 attempts, four of which were intercepted.

Suddenly the Quakers have a potent passing attack to complement their dominating ground game, just in time for the winner-take-all meeting with Harvard.

“We’re just playing pitch-and-catch out there,” Olson said. “It’s as simple as that.”

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.