Bagnoli reflects before his final Penn home game

The season hasn't gone as he envisioned, but Penn football coach Al Bagnoli hasn't lost his passion for the game.

Of all the challenges, this may be the most daunting for his 1-7 team - facing an unbeaten Harvard squad that has won seven of its eight games by double digits or more.

So Bagnoli is doing what he has done during his 23 seasons at Penn - preparing to try to win a game. Where this one differs is that Saturday's matchup will be his finale at Franklin Field.

Bagnoli, 61, announced during the spring that this would be his final year. So a coach who usually only sees as far as the next opponent admitted that he may take an extra moment to let this soak in before getting ready for the season finale, Nov. 22 at Cornell.

"I probably will, but I am not wired like that," Bagnoli said earlier this week. "Most coaches aren't wired like that."

Even Bagnoli understands that having had the chance to coach at Franklin Field, one of the shrines in college football that dates back to 1895, has been a privilege.

"We have had great memories here," he said.

He lists two off the top of his head, the first coming to mind was when ESPN's GameDay arrived to broadcast before the Penn-Harvard game Nov. 16, 2002. It was the first time GameDay came to a Football Championship Subdivision game.

"We were playing Harvard for the Ivy League title and had the GameDay crew here and it was really exciting," Bagnoli said.

The fact that Penn won, 44-9, made it more memorable.

His other memory goes back to 1993, during his second season at Penn after 10 years at Union College. Penn and Princeton both were 7-0 that season and the Quakers won a 30-14 decision.

"We had 40,000 people and it was first time two 7-0 [Ivy league] teams played that late in the season," Bagnoli said.

Penn would finish 10-0, one of three unbeaten teams under Bagnoli, who has guided the Quakers to nine Ivy League championships.

When: Saturday at 1 p.m.

Where: Franklin Field

Records: Harvard (8-0, 5-0 Ivy); Penn (1-7, 1-4).

Radio: WFIL-AM (560)

Coaches: Harvard, Tim Murphy (21st season, 145-62; 177-107-1 overall; Penn, Al Bagnoli, (23d season, 147-79; 233-98 overall).

Series: Harvard leads, 47-35-2. In the last meeting, Harvard won at home, 38-30, on Nov. 2, 2013.

Three Things to Watch

Penn has rushed for a total of 90 yards in its last three games, while QB Alek Torgersen has attempted 149 passes. Harvard has the second best rush defense in the nation, allowing an average of 81 yards a game, so look for Penn to again attempt upwards of 50 passes.

Harvard is cautiously optimistic that QB Conner Hempel, who has been injured two different times this season, will be able to start against Penn. Hempel has thrown for 613 yards, five TDs and no interceptions, while more than capable backup Scott Hosch has thrown for 1,254 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions.

Penn is on a three-game losing streak but has played much better in its last two weeks. Many of the younger players have improved and that improvement will be tested against a Harvard team that leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing 9.4 ppg.

Three Things You Might Not Know

Harvard would clinch at least a tie for the Ivy League championship with a win. The Crimson have won 15 Ivy League titles, including seven under Murphy.

Bagnoli, coaching his final home game, is second all-time with 111 Ivy League victories, while Harvard's Murphy is third with 102.

Penn has gone 126 consecutive games at Franklin Field without being shut out and has never been shut out at home during Bagnoli's tenure. - Marc Narducci

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