Another Penn football win, another DP Sports’ Player of the Week award for senior star receiver Justin Watson.
The All-American wideout posted another in a long line of impressive games for the Quakers, leading his team to a crucial win over archrival Princeton on Homecoming Weekend.
In a game that the Red and Blue needed to win in order to hold onto a shred of hope for an Ivy title, the greatest wide receiver in Penn history played one of his greatest games.
As is often the case with Watson, his impact transcended the numbers, which is incredible, because the numbers themselves are beyond impressive. With eight catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns, Watson established himself not only as the best player on the field but also as the most accomplished receiver in Penn history.
After setting program records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns earlier in the season, Watson caught his third ball of the day to become Penn’s all-time leader in receptions as well.
Continuing the theme of Watson’s counting numbers not telling the full story, his eighth and final catch was ultra-important for the Quakers, as it proved to be the game-winner. With 1:12 left on the clock and his team down by four points, senior quarterback Will Fischer-Colbrie lofted a beautiful pass to the back of the endzone, right into Watson’s waiting arms.
“I think probably 80 percent of the time, I release to the outside; that’s kind of how the play is designed, but just working with Will … I knew that if I released to the inside, then we’d be on the same page,” Watson said of the play. “Sure enough, I got open to the inside, and Will saw it and delivered a great ball.”
The crowd erupted, the sideline morphed into a mosh pit, and Watson pumped his fist in triumph. Against the backdrop of 9,000 Penn fans clad in red and blue, perhaps this was the greatest way to celebrate one of Penn football’s greatest legends.
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