Field goal in OT sinks Quakers

EASTON, Pa. - For the third consecutive year, the Penn football team is 0 for September. But Coach Al Bagnoli and his Quakers aren't fretting.

They won four of seven after a 0-3 start in 2007, six of eight after beginning 2008 at 0-2. So, after Lafayette's 20-17 overtime decision over the Quakers, in front of 10,197 in the rain last night at Fisher Stadium, they are in familiar territory.

"We just need to regroup and get healthy," said Bagnoli, whose battered, bruised Quakers are 0-2 heading into Saturday's Ivy League opener at Dartmouth.

Down by 17-3 at halftime, Penn rallied to tie it in the third quarter. Andrew Samson had a chance to give Penn the lead in overtime, but his 25-yard field-goal attempt went wide left.

Samson "hit it good and solid," Bagnoli said. "It just drifted left, just one of those things. We always have great confidence in our kicker. Andrew's an all-Ivy kicker. But you can't make them all."

Lafayette (2-1) won it as Maurice White and Tyrone Coon took turns lugging the ball - to the Penn 11 - and Davis Rodriguez booted the 28-yard game-winner squarely through the uprights.

This was Penn's third consecutive loss to Lafayette in a series the Quakers have dominated (61-21-4) since it began in 1882. Just 11 points have separated the teams in their last three games.

Penn quarterback Kyle Olson was 14 of 28 for 151 yards and two scores (to Tyler Fisher and Brad Blackman), but he felt as frustrated as any Quaker.

"Sure we had a nice rally in the second half; I thought we could just keep it going, but we couldn't close them out. Lafayette showed a lot of fight. They just got the kick at the end, and we didn't."

Lafayette quarterback Rob Curley, who completed 12 of 22 for 163 yards in last year's 24-17 decision over the Quakers, was even more damaging this time around. He went 17 for 25 for 199 yards and two TDs in the 17-3 first half, but went out with a mild concussion in the third period when Penn battled back into contention.

Olson's 7-yarder to Tyler four minutes into the third period put the Quakers within 17-10, and his 21-yarder to Blackman 51/2 minutes later pulled his team into the tie.