Sophomore QB Alek Torgersen finding groove for Penn football

There were plenty of reasons to doubt Alek Torgersen before Saturday’s game against Columbia.

The sophomore quarterback had displayed his strong arm all season, but something was not quite clicking. Despite setting Penn’s record for completions in a game and showing some flashes of brilliance, he also had turned the ball over 12 times, more than any other player in the Ancient Eight.

Such are the growing pains that come with a first-year starter adjusting to a new offense while playing one of the toughest schedules in the FCS.

Despite the unseemly number of turnovers and the lack of wins as Penn’s starter, Torgersen’s teammates refused to put any blame on his shoulders for Penn’s early season skid.

“Alek is a phenomenal quarterback,” senior wide receiver Spencer Kulcsar said after Penn’s 31-13 loss to Dartmouth. “He’s really picked up the position. He’s been a leader in the locker room.

“I think we’ve got to do a lot of things around him to make him better. A lot of those errors and those interceptions that he’s had are not his fault, and I’ll be the first one to say that.”

And with Penn’s running game providing consistent yards throughout Saturday’s win, Torgersen had the support he needed to play to his potential.

While he fumbled the ball once, the sophomore didn’t throw a single interception when leading four touchdown drives. His passes were crisply on target, as he completed throws to seven different receivers.

But more impressive than the points that the Quakers put up or the yards Torgersen amassed was his decision making.

“We knew he could tuck it and run it, and he did that a good amount of times, especially when there was nothing there for him to throw to,” Columbia senior linebacker Ray Pesanello said.

“I think he did a nice job on some of those gun-run reads where he ended up keeping it,” Penn coach Al Bagnoli added.

On those gun-run plays, Torgersen seemed to make the right decision each time, helping to facilitate Penn’s strong running game either by keeping it or by handing it off.

When Torgersen himself runs, the sophomore goes right at defenders, bowling over them and rightfully keeping Bagnoli on his toes.

“We’re obviously trying to minimize the number of times that Alek gets hit,” Bagnoli said. “Alek is more of a power runner so he doesn’t yet have the elusive shake of a Billy Ragone where he can dodge people and not take too many hits.”

Yet while absorbing a hit or two, Torgersen also showed his maturity while reminding everyone that there is definitely still a head on his shoulders.

The epitome of Torgersen’s growth came with Penn and Columbia tied in the middle of the second quarter. The sophomore quarterback had pressure in his face, something that he had struggled with at times in the Quakers’ previous losses.

But instead of allowing a sack or throwing a dangerous pass, Torgersen evaded the Columbia lineman and found an open receiver — senior captain Conner Scott — for a gain deep into Lions territory.

Just a few plays later, Torgersen made another nice play on the run, hitting junior tight end Ryan Kelly on a roll out that put Penn ahead for good.

“I think he threw the ball — especially from mid-first quarter on — better,” Bagnoli said. “I think he was a little bit hyper for the game. I thought he was wild and the ball was flying all over the place.

“But he was able to calm himself down and get into a rhythm and I thought he acquitted himself well.”

That growth will be essential for the Red and Blue moving forward. Despite the strong day from the running game — something that Torgersen contributed to significantly — the team will still be reliant on his arm and decision making in big games like the one at Yale on Saturday.

But after leading Penn to a win against Columbia, the reasons to doubt Torgersen are quickly fading away.

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