A conversation with the Daily Pennsylvanian

Throughout the week, Sports Editor Stephen Wood exchanged emails with Ian Wenik of the Daily Pennsylvanian about the upcoming Princeton-Penn football game. Here's how their conversation went:

Stephen Wood, The Daily Princetonian Sports Editor: I'll start off: what do you think caused that debacle last weekend? I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was surprised the Quakers couldn't put up any points.

Ian Wenik, The Daily Pennsylvanian: Believe me, I was just as stunned as you were. I think — and coach Bagnoli thinks this, too — is that a lot of it was just not being able to recover after such a stunning sucker-punch like giving up a 93-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. And once Penn got down big, it was forced to deviate from the power running game that has been so devastating at times this season. The result? Pain. Ryan Becker got sacked four times and was running for his life on almost every play, and to be frank, Penn isn't going to win if it throws the ball 43 times a game like it did against Brown. Speaking of surprising, has Quinn Epperly turned into Superman? I did a double take in the press box when I heard that he had completed 29 straight passes against Cornell.

SW: There were plenty of double takes over here too, at least at the beginning of the season. Epperly played second fiddle to Connor Michelsen for most of the season - his epic touchdown against Harvard was pretty much his only memorable moment. This season, his accuracy has improved by leaps and bounds (as evidenced by the Cornell game). Combine that with his ability to run, which becomes a major threat in the red zone, and I don't know how you defend against him. What do you think Penn's defense is going to come up with when it faces him.

IW: One of Penn's big strengths is that it has a very deep and experienced secondary, so they're not going to be intimidated by Epperly in the passing game. As for the threat on the ground? I'm not sure if there is a perfect answer. Penn's gone up against dual-threat quarterbacks twice (Villanova's John Robertson and Dartmouth's Dalyn Williams) and both have absolutely torched the Quakers running the ball. Maybe Bagnoli will drop a linebacker like Dan Davis or David Park into coverage as a QB spy every play, but I can't say for sure. Speaking of unstoppable, is there a way to stop Caraun Reid? It's rare that you see a defensive force as dominant as him in the FCS, especially the Ivy. Has his draft stock improved?

SW: It'd be interesting to see if a QB spy could do the trick. Anyway, I'd say Reid's stock has definitely improved. Not only does he continue to put consistent pressure on every quarterback he faces, he's making big plays like the blocked kick against Lafayette and his interception last week. I can't think of a way to stop him, so my advice would be to just go around him: the quarterbacks who have had the most success against Princeton have been able to get passes off quickly. Similarly, the more successful running plays have gone away from Reid, i.e. not up the middle. Do you think the Quakers can evade him? Also, what's the status of Ragone, and how is that going to affect the offense?

IW: Much of Penn's running game really revolves around tackle play and getting the pulling guard outside for off-tackle runs and sweeps by Spencer Kulcsar and Kyle Wilcox. Given Reid's presence in the middle, I would expect more of the sameon Saturday. Ragone's status is still up in the air as of now. I talked to coach Bagnoli at practiceon Tuesday, and he told me that Ragone had been practicing, but whether he sees the fieldon Saturdayis a late-week decision. If Ragone's healthy, he'll start, with Becker coming in for a spell every now and then. If Ragone is out, then Becker will handle nearly all of the snaps, with Adam Strouss coming in for the occasional handoff and quarterback draw. Regardless of who's inon Saturday, though, the fact remains that Penn has had the upper hand in this rivalry for a long time. Do you think that's in the back of the Tigers' minds?

SW: I think Princeton players would say they're more confident than they've ever been, but I'm also sure that the end of last season will be in the back of their minds. I'm not sure if losses to Penn stick out too much to the seniors, who saw consecutive 1-9 seasons; still, last year's loss to the Quakers, in addition to losses to Cornell and Dartmouth, ended an up year on a low note after the miracle victory at Harvard. The defense faded late in that loss, something which dogged them all season. This year, they have made a concerted effort to condition themselves and hang tough as games wear on and they're hoping they can do so in Philly.

Also, going back to the quarterbacks, it's interesting how similar that situation, with one player starting but others coming in in specific situations or maybe for a series here and there, sounds like Princeton's offense over the last two seasons. Just an observation.

Anyway, I guess we should get around to predictions. Do you think the Quakers will continue to dominate the rivalry, or do the Tigers have the edge this year?

IW: This is a really tough game for me to call, and I've agonized over this pick for the last few days. If Ragone was out, then this would be an easy call for me to pick Princeton. But the fact that Ragone has been practicing all week makes me confident that he'll be in the lineupon Saturday, given the gravity of the situation for the Quakers. Considering how long Al Bagnoli's been around, and the way that he's been able to make his team rally when it matters most with their backs up against the wall, I can't help but think that Penn will somehow, some way, find a way to win. There's just too much veteran leadership on the Red and Blue to let their Ivy title hopes end in such a shocking, disappointing fashion. Penn 24, Princeton 17.

Your thoughts?

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SW: Well I hate to split it down school lines, but I'm going with Princeton. I think Ragone will have a good day and the Quakers' running game may pose one of the biggest challenges the No. 2 rushing defense in the league has seen so far, but I don't see them putting up enough points. For the Tigers, the best defense has been a good offense: Epperly has just had too many weapons at his disposal for defenses to handle. Even if he doesn't continue turning in SportsCenter Top 10 performances, I think he'll put up three or four scores, and I don't see the Quakers, who average 19 points per game, overcoming that.

Penn's defense is better than that of almost every team has played so far, so it is entirely possible that this one will end Princeton's streak of ridiculously high scoring. I'll say Princeton 35, Penn 24. Whatever happens, I think it'll be decided in the second half, and I'm looking forward to watching.

IW: Same. This is going to be a fantastic matchup.