Penn looks to end football losing streak

Eleven months have passed since Penn walked off the football field victorious, a streak the Quakers hope to end Saturday when they open Ivy League play with a trip to Dartmouth (1-1) in Hanover, N.H.

The Quakers, losers of six straight dating from last year, are seeking their first win since they defeated Yale, 28-17, last Oct. 26 at Franklin Field.

The six-game losing streak is the longest in the 22-year career of retiring Penn coach Al Bagnoli. Last week, Villanova put up 567 yards of offense in a 41-7 victory.

The Quakers will face an Ivy League foe that also is licking its wounds after a 52-19 rout by Villanova's Colonial Athletic Conference foe New Hampshire.

Bagnoli knows the value of the Ivy League season, which matters much more because of scheduling difficulties. Over the years, his teams have faced FCS powerhouses several times, and he knows that gauging his team's response after such a loss is still a mystery.

"Every team is different," Bagnoli said. "Every team has a different type of resiliency that you have to gauge. Is this going to have an emotional scar, a psychological scar? I don't know. Some teams can shake it off. Others, you just don't know. We will begin to find out where we are as a team, though."

The Quakers (0-2) are dealing with injury problems that could influence the game's outcome. Senior running back Lyle Marsh missed the Villanova game with an injury to his right arm and will likely be out Saturday.

However, all-Ivy linebacker Dan Davis, forced from the Villanova game with a concussion, might be available to play.

"You'd like to go on the road and be as healthy as you can be, so we'll see," Bagnoli said.