1997 Penn Quakers football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1997
| team = Penn Quakers
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Ivy League
| short_conf = Ivy
| record = 1–9
| conf_record = 0–7
| head_coach = Al Bagnoli
| hc_year = 6th
| off_coach =
| oc_year =
| off_scheme =
| def_coach = Mike Toop
| dc_year = 6th
| def_scheme =
| captain = John Bishop
| stadium = Franklin Field
}}
{{1997 Ivy League football standings}}
The 1997 Penn Quakers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pennsylvania during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Penn finished last in the Ivy League after forfeiting five wins.
==Background==
During its sixth year under head coach Al Bagnoli, the Quakers outscored opponents 250 to 113 and compiled a 6–4 record on the field. It later forfeited five victories, however, yielding a final record of 1–9.{{cite web |title=Football Fact Book: All-Time Year-by-Year |publisher=University of Pennsylvania |location=Philadelphia, Pa. |page=159 |access-date=June 20, 2020 |url=https://pennathletics.com/sports/2019/8/25/football-fact-book.aspx}}
John Bishop was the team captain.{{cite web |title=Football Fact Book: All-Time Team Captains |publisher=University of Pennsylvania |location=Philadelphia, Pa. |page=98 |access-date=June 20, 2020 |url=https://pennathletics.com/sports/2019/8/25/football-fact-book.aspx}}
Penn agreed to forfeit all of its Ivy League wins after an internal investigation showed that All-Ivy defensive tackle Mitch Marrow had not been a full-time student during the football season, and was thus ineligible to play on the team. The decision was announced in early January 1998, a month and a half after the season ended.{{cite news |title=Penn Forfeits 5 Wins in Marrow Case |first=Edward |last=Moran |date=January 3, 1998 |page=39 |newspaper=Philadelphia Daily News |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59296794/1997-penn-forfeits/ }}
This decision had a profound impact on the league standings. Penn had gone 5–2 against Ivy competition, outscoring its conference rivals 149 to 117. At season's end, Penn was reported as the third-place team. After the forfeits, record books show Penn with an 0–7 league record, finishing in last place.{{cite book|url=https://ivyleague.com/documents/2017/8/23/3_Year_By_Year_History_2017.pdf?id=2998|title=Ivy League Football Media Guide|chapter=Year-by-Year History|publisher=Ivy League|location=Princeton, N.J.|date=2017|access-date=July 10, 2020|page=37}}
Penn played its home games at Franklin Field on the university's campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
| rankyear = 1997
| rankdivision = NCAA Division I-AA
| poll = The Sports Network
| other-event = ^ Penn forfeit
| September 20 | | Dartmouth
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA | L 15 23
| 11,123 | {{cite news |title=Turnovers Plague Quakers in 23-15 Loss to Dartmouth |first=Joe |last=Juliano |date=September 21, 1997 |page=C13 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59317931/1997-dartmouth-penn/ }}
| September 27 | @ | Bucknell
| Christy Mathewson–Memorial Stadium | Lewisburg, PA | L 16 20
| 10,172 | {{cite news |title=The Frustration Mounts as Penn Falls to Bucknell |first=Joe |last=Juliano |date=September 28, 1997 |page=C15 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59319299/1997-bucknell-penn/ }}
| October 4 | | Towson
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA | W 26 14
| 6,806 | {{cite news |title=Quakers Halt Rally and Win |first=Mike |last=Jensen |date=October 5, 1997 |page=C10 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59360875/1997-penn-towson/ }}
| October 11 | @ | Lehigh
| Goodman Stadium | Bethlehem, PA | L 7 24
| 10,111 | {{cite news |title=Stambaugh, Abdullah Steer Lehigh Past Penn |first=Gary R. |last=Blockus |date=October 12, 1997 |page=C3 |newspaper=The Morning Call |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59363864/1997-lehigh-penn/ }}
| October 18 | @ | Columbia
| Wien Stadium | New York, NY | L 24 7 ^
| 3,909 | {{cite news |title=Finn Just Fine in Penn's Victory |first=Michael |last=Rosenberg |date=October 19, 1997 |page=C8 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59374070/1997-columbia-penn/ }}
| October 25 | | Brown
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA | L 31 10 ^
| 12,237 | {{cite news |title=Sophomore's Big Catches Lead Penn Past Brown |first=Mike |last=Jensen |date=October 26, 1997 |page=C8 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59376283/1997-brown-penn/ }}
| November 1 | @ | Yale
| Yale Bowl | New Haven, CT | L 26 7 ^
| 3,600 | {{cite news |title=Yale in a Tough Spot: Can't Stop Penn's Finn; Quarterback Walland Injured |first=Tom |last=Yantz |date=November 2, 1997 |page=E11 |newspaper=The Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, Conn.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59377876/1997-penn-yale/ }}
| November 8 | | Princeton
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA (rivalry) | L 20 17 ^
| 15,847 | {{cite news |title=Penn Ices Princeton with Late Field Goal |first=Joe |last=Juliano |date=November 26, 1997 |page=C10 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59379586/1997-penn-princeton/ }}
| November 15 | @ | Harvard
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA (rivalry) | L 0 33
| 5,452 | {{cite news |title=Harvard Jumps All Over Quakers, 33-0 |first=Mike |last=Jensen |date=November 16, 1997 |page=C7 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59380214/1997-harvard-penn/ }}
| November 22 | | Cornell
| Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA (rivalry) | L 33 20 ^
| 5,918 | {{cite news |title=Playing for Pride, Penn Tops Cornell |first=Bob |last=Ford |date=November 23, 1997 |page=C8 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59381344/1997-cornell-penn/ }}
}}