Football Blanked by Pennsylvania, 33-0

It's certainly not the ideal way to go into The Game.

Pennsylvania--unstoppable, undefeated and again Ivy League champions-smashed Harvard and first-year coach Tim Murphy's hopes for a winning season with a 33-0 head-handing Saturday in Philadelphia, Penn.

"It's tough," Murphy said. "We had new guys playing, and obviously experience is something we need a little more of right now."

Sophomore Penn running back Terrance Stokes dominated the Crimson defense, rushing for 143 yards and a touchdown. Stokes also had five pass receptions totalling 37 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Quakers were equally dominant. So dominant, that in the second half, the Crimson did not cross over mid field until the final two minutes.

Penn's defense was not the only reason for the shutout. As it has done frequently this season, the Crimson shot itself in the foot with turnovers. Harvard (4-5 overall, 2-4 Ivy) turned the ball over a total of six times--four fumbles lost and two interceptions.

Even the Dallas Cowboys can't win a game with that many turnovers.

Turnovers or not, Harvard actually had a chance to make a significant impact with an early lead.

After Justin Frantz' interception deep in Quaker territory, Harvard drove from the 21-yard line to the five and only a bad snap on the ensuing field-goal attempt could keep the Crimson off the scoreboard.

The Quakers (8-0, 6-0), who last lost at Princeton two years ago, started slowly but built a 17-0 half time lead.

Penn took over at the 15-yard line, then drove 14 plays before Stokes took it in from three yards out to make it 7-0 with 12:59 left in the half.

From that point forward, however, it was all Penn, all the time.

The Quakers boosted its lead to 10-0 with 2:04 remaining on Andy Glockner's 43-yard field goal after Mike Silvey's interception. On Harvard's next possession, Michael Turner sacked quarterback Steve Kezirian, foreing a tumble that Penn's Nick Morris returned to the Crimson 25.

Three plays later, Mark DeRosa and Miles Macik connected on a 19, yard touchdown pass just 11 seconds before halftime. And just like that, it was 17-0.

Unbelievable as it may see, Harvard's offense was even more anemic in the second half. It went nowhere quickly, and so went the game.

Penn continued to pile it on, taking the second-half kickoff and marching 72 yards in 12 plays for a 23-0 advantage. DeRosa threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Leo Congeni.

Glockner's 34-yard field goal with 3:55 left to play made it 26-0. Harvard tumbled it on the ensuing kick-off, then Teodecki fired a 22-yard touchdown pass to senior Mike Chico to mercifully end the scoring.

With only the Harvard-Yale game on the horizon, the best the Crimson can hope for is a 500 season overall. Injuries have figured highly in Harvard's record.

"We're not the same team we were two weeks ago physically," Murphy said. "We just made too many errors today against too good football team. Because of it, it seemed like we were in a constant bind."

Further complicating an already difficult situation is the seemingly season-ending injury to Harvard starting quarterback Vin Ferrara, who went down with-a knee injury in the second half and did not return.

"We think it's an anterior cruciate ligament tear," Murphy said. "It doesn't look good."

Indeed--for Ferrara and for Harvard's chances in The Game this year--it doesn't look good.

Material from the AP wire was used to compile this report.