The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 44

C2 THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Friday, September 18, 1998 College Football Odds Las Vegas line Quakers' Finn is on the run again By Keith Glantz and Russell Culver. favorite Opn Today Underdog TOMORROW Penn Slate 22 26 PITTSBURGH BOSTON COLL. 21 18 Temple SYRACUSE 40 41 Rutgers DARTMOUTH Oil Oil Penn PRINCETON OH Oil Cornell CINCINNATI 2 Vi Army GEORGIA 13 18'; Wyoming MICHIGAN 35 35 E. Michigan ILLINOIS 6'; 6'a Louisville OHIO STATE 25 26 Missouri Texas ASM 2V; 2Vi S. MISSISSIPPI VIRGINIA 16'; 15 Clemson WEST VIRGINIA 20 20 Maryland E.

Carolina 1 1 OHIO U. UCLA 22'; 27'; HOUSTON KENTUCKY 19 21 Indiana KANSAS 21 24V; Texas WISCONSIN 38 38 UNLV IOWA STATE 9V; 11'; Ball State WASHINGTON 8 Brigham Young North Carolina 9 8 STANFORD SOUTHERN CAL 16'; 14 Oregon State OREGON 22'; 24 San Jose State MINNESOTA 4 3'; Memphis Louisiana Stale 7 5 AUBURN FLORIDA STATE 26 28 Duke OKLAHOMA ST. 2 1 Mississippi State OKLAHOMA 3 3'; Caljtqrnia TEXAS TECH 10 13'; Fresno State x-ARKANSAS 7 8'; S. Methodist N.C. State 9 4'; BAYLOR Mississippi 9 8 VANDERBILT S.

CAROLINA 6'; 6'; Marshall TOLEDO 8'; 81; W. Miohigan NAVY 20 21 MIAMI 2'; 3'; Virginia: Tech Florida 4'; 3 TENNESSEE RICE 4 4'; Northwestern UTAH 23 24 -Hawaii ARIZONA 8'; 11 tfiwa PURDUE 46 4'; C. Florida COLORADO 21 22 Utah State WASH. STATE 17 17 Idaho LA. TECH 23 23 S.W.

Louisiana New Mexico 19 19 N.M. STATE ARIZONA STATE 37 38V; North Texas BROWN Oil Oil Ya'e COLUMBIA Oil Oft Harvard Penn Quakers Coach: Al Bagnoli (7th season, 39-20). 1997: 1-9 overall, 0-7 Ivy League (Penn forfeited five Ivy victories after Mitch Marrow was declared ineligible). Key losses: DT Mitch Marrow, FS John Bishop, DE Doug Zinser, Mike Soyster, OT Chris Riley, CB Larrin Robertson, Jeremiah Greathouse, LB Tim Gage, LB Mark Van Meter, DE Roger Beckwith, Josh Salvino. Players to watch: TB Jim Finn, QB Matt Rader, LB Darren Macdonald, DB Joe Piela, DT Larry Rascoe, NG Adrian Puzio, WR Doug O'Neill, WR David Rogers, Carmelo Rubano, OT Jason Lebron, CB Hasani White, Jason Feinberg.

Key games: Tomorrow at Dartmouth, Oct. 24 at Brown, Nov. 7 at Princeton, Nov. 14 vs. Harvard.

Outlook: The Quakers are looking for redemption after a 6-4 season became 1-9 because of a university ruling that Marrow was a part-time student and therefore ineligible. They have plenty of returning veterans on both sides of the football. Finn was moved from the secondary to tailback in the fifth game of last season and rushed for 801 yards to make first-team all-Ivy. Rader, a transfer from Duke, has some nifty targets in O'Neill (32 catches last year) and Rogers. Defensively, the Quakers have a strong front seven led by Macdonald (first-team all-Ivy), Rascoe and Puzio.

Penn has questions on the offensive line and in the secondary, where there is talent but inexperienced talent. If they can work out those areas, expect the Quakers to contend for the Ivy title. Penn Schedule Mm i umwf.W i- After 14 games at safety, the Penn senior returned to tailback last season. The attention suits him. By Joe Juliano INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Jim Finn always loved carrying the football.

He loved being the cen- ter of attention, whether it came from fans in the stands or tacklers malice in their hearts. Al-l; though he took a pounding, a victory always served to soothe his bruised body. These feelings, this passion, have returned for Finn, a senior at Penn, thanks to a series of circumstances last year that prompted the Quakers' coaching staff to switch him back to tailback from the secondary, where he had played in 14 consecu-, tive games at safety. It's where he wanted to be all along. "Once we struggled with the run- 1 ning game, deep down I wanted to move, but I wasn't going to question the coaches," said Finn, a powerfully built, 240-pound cocaptain from Fair Lawn, N.J., who looks as if he'll dish out as much punishment as he'll take for the Quakers.

"I was hoping they'd move me over. I think if it had gone on for another week, I would have asked them, let them know I wanted to move. I was going to say something, and then it happened." Citing a "combination of injuries and our lack of a short-yardage back," Penn coach Al Bagnoli moved Finn after the fourth game of last season. Finn's renewal as a tailback came against Columbia, where he started and starred on offense and defense. The memorable day consisted of 138 yards rushing on 24 carries and 'one touchdown at tailback, and an 18-yard interception return for a in his farewell appearance at safety.

"It was pretty cool," Finn said. "It just felt like I was where I was 'supposed to be, because that's my natural position. That's where I feel most comfortable on a football field. was happy to be back there. I felt I 'could contribute more there.

Offensively, you can be more of an impact player because you control things a i lot more." Finn made more and more of an impact as the season wore on. He i rushed for more than 100 yards in four of his six starts, including a 187-yard game at Yale, and racked up 801 yards for the season. He earned unanimous first-team all-Ivy League honors. The Philadelphia Inquirer RON CORTES Penn tailback Jim Finn rushed for more than 100 yards in four of the six games he started last season. x-al Little Rock.

Home learn in CAPITALS. Speed urged in mounting Paris bid for 2008 Games was into it because I love playing the game and because I'm a competitive person." Finn said he retained that defensive mind-set entering his junior year. Then, after four games, a golden opportunity presented itself at running back and he made the most of it. He had an entire summer to prepare for this season. "I bulked up a little since I won't be covering smaller 180-pound receivers anymore," said Finn, who has added 15 pounds.

"I feel comfortable with what I'm carrying. I ran a 4.61 in the 40 yard dash for the scouts in the spring." He was referring to NFL scouts, who are usually attracted to big backs who can run. A spectacular year for Finn will not only likely get him and his teammates a championship ring, but also gain him attention as pro material. It's quite a change, from contributor on defense to impact player on offense. Fate? "To some degree, yeah," Finn said.

"Maybe the move means something. Hopefully, it means we can win the Ivy League title this year. Then hopefully, everything goes well." Like Finn, Bagnoli was delighted with the move, too. "In hindsight, we should have moved him back sooner," he said. "When you think about what Jim did, it's remarkable when you consider that he did not touch the ball once in preseason practice." Finn ended up averaging nearly 25 carries in his six starts, and he figures to touch the football even more this season.

Between Finn and quarterback Matt Rader, who passed for 1,832 yards, the Quakers should have a well-balanced offense as they attempt to rebound from a disappointing and embarrassing 1997. They finished 6-4, with a 5-2 mark that would have given them third place in the Ivy League. But the Quakers were required to forfeit five victories when the university declared defensive tackle Mitch Marrow ineligible for dropping a course and not replacing it. The forfeits dropped Penn to 1-9, 0-7. The numbers don't look good, but Finn said there was no leftover effect.

"If we had won the Ivy League title, it would have been disappointing," he said. "Besides the games, we did not have any awards or championships revoked from us, so it really wasn't a big deal, although the administration might not think that. It's not affecting us right now. "You're always trying to prove you're a good team. There's always high expectations at Penn.

We have a very talented team. There is pressure on us, but it all comes from within our locker room. We need to deliver." Finn, a finance major at the Wharton School, played on three state championship teams at Bergen Catholic in North Jersey and won the state high school 185-pound wrestling championship as a senior. He followed graduates such as Mark DeRosa, Mark Fabish and Tom Foley to Penn. Finn carried the ball 11 times as a freshman and saw some action late in the season on defense.

The next year, with all-Ivy back Jasen Scott returning, he wanted to avoid a season as a backup and requested a move to defense. "I didn't want to prepare for a season where I was just going to be watching," Finn said. "I felt I could contribute to the team at safety. I never really felt comfortable, but I ASSOCIATED PRESS PARIS France's sports minister yesterday urged officials not to waste any time in launcning a Paris bid for the 2008 February 2000 is when bids have IrtlMitifii iti i il ii 1 1 i i lit i 1 1 ft htloii Saturday at Dartmouth noon Sept. 26 Richmond 1 :30 p.m.

Oct. 3 Bucknell 1:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at Fordham 1 p.m. Oct.

17 Columbia 1:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at Brown noon Oct. 31 Yale 1 :30 p.m. Nov.

7 at Princeton 1 p.m. Nov. 14 Harvard 1:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at Cornell 1 p.m.

to be in to the IOC, which will select the host city in 2001. Toronto and Osaka, Japan, already have said they will try for the 2008 games. Bids are also expected from previous candidates China; Istanbul, Turkey; Seville, Spain, and Buenos Aires, Home games in bold. (SOUS? Enter To Wm "'wr The NOKIA Bahamas Country Bash Sweepstakes You could win a cruise for two and see your favorite country stars live in concert in the Bahamas! No purchase necessary. Open to all continental U.S.

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74. i For The Inquirer NANCY WEGARD Princeton's new $45 million stadium was constructed on the site of the former Palmer Stadium. Finally, a playpen of their own S)Back On Analog Cellular Phones' After a two-year wait and a season of road games, Princeton opens a new stadium tomorrow. NOKIA Connecting People Cellular Phone 75-minute talk time 15-hour standby Memory-free NiMH battery AC travel charger Caller ID capability 918LC1 It' "sill Free Activation" A s35 Value PLUS 20 Minutes for Just $19" Per Month TO and go somewhere that afternoon, plus the Saturday morning routine." This will be far from a routine Saturday morning. The festivities begin with a lecture by the project architects at 10 a.m., followed by class parties, followed by a dedication ceremony at 1 p.m.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1:37. At halftime, the Gogolak brothers Pete (Cornell Class of '64) and Charlie (Princeton Class of '66) will hold a kicking contest. Individual game tickets are $5. Season tickets, which were $20 for all five games, were cut off at 7,000. As for the name of the structure, it will remain Princeton Stadium liiw liW UJlUilg price for naming rights.

The price: $25 million. Tosches doesn't want his players to get carried away with the excitement. He wants them to enjoy their rendezvous with history, but once the opening kickoff is in the air, he'd like to see them harness that emotion into a high level of performance. "Sure, the excitement is going to be bubbling inside," he said. "It's ready to be released.

It's natural and normal to have that kind of outburst. You have to let the players be able to do it. But hopefully, they're well-schooled, they're disciplined, they have their feet on the ground, and they understand what needs to be done." With every seat filled, the stadium figures to be a noisy place. It is completely enclosed, not the usual Ivy League stadium horseshoe. The stands are close to the field.

In the end zone, just 17 feet separate the end line from the first row. For the players, who played all 10 of their 1998 games on the road, the debut will be more than special. "As it's getting closer and closer, the butterflies are starting to come," linebacker Jim Salters said. "The excitement is building. We've been concentrating on getting ready for Cornell and have to stay focused.

But by the end of the week, there's almost going to be too much excitement." The Tigers traveled a total of 3,200 miles for games last year while the new stadium went up on the site of the old one. It wasn't easy, but they persevered. Princeton went 6-4 overall and 34 in the Ivy, although the Tigers came very close to pinning Harvard with its only defeat, losing, 14-12, on a late field goal. Now, the Tigers once will have the normal allotment of five home games, including a Nov. 7 date against archrival Penn.

"Not seeing a yellow bus on Friday is going to be a good feeling," Tosches said. "It's going to be good to relax a little bit on Friday. It's not anywhere like having to pack up BEFORE MAIL-IN REBATES ACTIVATION REQUIRED By Joe Juliano INQUIRER STAFF WHITER PRINCETON The excitement over a Princeton football game, often an afterthought in this normally staid bastion of academia, is palpable this week. This is the week that old grads and current players alike have been awaiting for almost two years. Tomorrow is the grand opening of Princeton's new $45 million stadium, as the Tigers host Cornell.

Think of it. A sellout crowd of more than 27,800. A gleaming new 1 facility replacing the 83-year-old dinosaur that was Palmer Stadium. Seats that are 18 inches wide instead of 12. Modern concession stands and rest rooms.

Twenty-thousand ivy plants (what else?) adorning the concourses. And how about this: In practice this week, Princeton coach Steve Tosches introduced hand signals between his quarterback and wide receiver in the event of excessive noise inside the stadium, "That's something we never really had to concern ourselves with before," Tosches said with a smile. Cellular Service from Bell Atlantic Mobile Prices may vary depending on carrier rate plan selected. Certain cellular telephone company fees and restrictions may apply in connection with service activation. Certain Circuit City fees may apply in connection with equipment purchase.

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