Penn needs QB Torgersen to have big year

With so many new faces all around him since the departure of former coach Al Bagnoli, there is one face that Bagnoli successor Ray Priore is really happy to see.

Junior quarterback Alek Torgersen, who made his first start in the final game of his freshman season, stepped in as the starter and performed admirably. His 2,689 passing yards last season are the third most in a season in school history, and his 2,875 yards in total offense rank second all-time.

His 260 completions are second-most in school history, with the junior completing 61.8 percent of his passes. Twice he set the school record with 40 completions in a game (at Princeton and Dartmouth).

"The mark of any program since I've been in the league is you can live and die by your quarterback play," said Priore, who spent the last 28 seasons as an assistant at Penn. "The teams that traditionally have been the most successful in the league are the ones that come back with an experienced quarterback.

"He's learned in a very short time between spring ball and camp to make good decisions; don't try to force the ball and be smart with the football," Priore said. "He's a better quarterback now, by far, than he was at the end of last season."

Despite Torgersen's impressive numbers, Penn finished 2-8, 2-5 in the Ivy League. Also, the Quakers, who held media day Tuesday at Penn Park in West Philadelphia, suffered heavy losses. This included the departure of first team All-Ivy receiver Spencer Kulcsar and All-Ivy honorable mention Connor Scott.

The year of experience, according to Torgersen, has prepared him for what is expected to be a difficult season for the Quakers.

"I have a lot more confidence in myself," Torgersen said. "Going into last year it was my first year starting. You come in and you don't know what to expect. I have a lot of game experience now and it's going to help me in the future. I'm just going to go out and prove it to myself and my teammates every day and be ready when the season starts."

One player that Torgersen will turn to in the passing game is emerging wide receiver Justin Watson. Last season the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Watson set Penn freshman records in receiving (42) and receiving yards (497).

He and about 50 other team members spent the summer working out at Penn and preparing for the 2015 season, which begins Sept. 19 at Lehigh.

"We worked really hard getting ready," said Watson, who should see his workload increase this fall. "There are a lot of new faces that are going to emerge for us. We're just excited and [are] looking forward to a good season."