The Penn football team clinched at least a share its 12th Ivy League championship on Saturday with a 44-9 trouncing of Harvard at Franklin Field. The game, which featured two undefeated teams in league play for the second straight year, had a big national buildup with the ESPN GameDay crew at the field beforehand.
Mike Mitchell led the way for the Quakers (8-1, 6-0 Ivy League) offensively, completing 21 of 30 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns. Star Crimson (6-3, 5-1) wide receiver Carl Morris was kept in check by the Penn defense, catching only three passes for 16 yards.
After a 60-yard punt by Josh Appell pinned the Crimson at their own 9-yard line, Ric San Doval forced a fumble of Harvard QB Neil Rose and Steve Lhotak recovered at the 12. Peter Veldman hit the first of two field goals three plays later.
After Harvard scored a safety, Vince Alexander forced another Rose fumble, and Chris Pennington returned it 51 yards for a touchdown to put the Red and Blue up, 10-2.
The second quarter was all Penn, as Mitchell completed scoring strikes to Stephen Faulk, Daniel Castles and Erik Bolinder to surge the Quakers to a 34-2 halftime edge.
Rob Milanese, who caught nine passes for 139 yards, scored in the third on a 22-yard reception from Mitchell, and Roman Galas hit a 41-yard field goal to close out the Penn scoring.
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