EASTON, Pa. -- In its first game of the 2001 campaign, the Penn football team shut out Lafayette, 37-0, at Miller Field yesterday. Picking up just where they left off last season, the Quakers dominated both sides of the ball en route to their first opening-day shutout since 1982. Using a no-huddle offense and four-wideout sets at times, Penn quarterback Gavin Hoffman kept the Leopards defense on their heels from the opening whistle. In Penn's second drive of the game, the senior QB led the Red and Blue on a five-play, 62-yard drive in under a minute, ending with a 18-yard touchdown strike to sophomore Ryan Murray, the first reception of his career. Hoffman connected twice more to seniors Colin Smith and Rob Milanese for scores to give Penn a 20-0 lead at the half. Penn's running game was also strong, as Kris Ryan carried the ball 24 times for 151 yards, including a six-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The star senior broke the 2,000-yard plateua for his Penn career. Junior Roman Galas was 4-for-4 on extra points and converted an 18-yard field goal, after he replaced freshman Bryan Arguello, who was injured on a botched extra point, the first attempt of the game. On the other side of the ball, the Quakers defense completely shut down an anemic Lafayette offensive attack. The Leopards never even had a legitimate scoring chance the entire game.
Read The Daily Pennsylvanian or dailypennsylvanian.com on Monday for complete game details, photos, and analysis.
Meanwhile, you can read the Football Season Preview and be a PrognostiQuaker by casting your own vote on how Penn will fare this season.
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