The unrelenting rain at Friday's sprint football game against Navy proved to be a huge factor as the Quakers fell for the fourth time this season, 21-2.
When asked to characterize the loss, Penn coach Bill Wagner responded, "It was a very, very tough game."
Penn (1-4) lost the toss, and the 30 mph winds, coupled with the tough Navy defense, resulted in the Quakers' inability to move the ball past the half in the first quarter.
Navy (4-1), on the other hand, scored on their first drive, and early in the second quarter, Navy would add another touchdown.
Penn's scoring started and ended with a safety three minutes before the end of the half. Entering halftime, the Quakers trailed the Midshipmen, 14-2, but hoped to turn things around in the second half.
While Wagner admitted the team had its chances to put more points on the board, he also said penalties and physical mistakes hampered Penn in the second half of play.
Late in the third quarter, Navy punched in a one-yard touchdown to put the Midshipmen further in the lead, by a score of 21-2.
Coach Wagner, while touting Penn's strong second-half defensive showing, still agrees that Navy's offensive performance won the game.
"Navy certainly earned their 21 points; it was that kind of a game," he said.
Penn's offense also came alive in the second half. Among the offensive failures of the Quakers, who were held to just 104 yards in Friday's loss, there were some offensive standouts.
The Quakers' young offensive line also came to life in the second half, following the lead of senior tail back J.T. Hutchinson.
Hutchinson was responsible for 69 out of the Quakers' 76 rushing yards. However, Penn, which normally prefers to play the passing game, had to shift their offensive tactics in response to the weather.
"When the weather is like that, field position plays a big part in the game," Hutchinson noted. "With Friday's weather, we had to run the ball a lot."
The Quakers have played a few games this season in conditions similar to Friday's, but nonetheless they found it difficult.
Offensive lineman Andrew McGregor remarked, "The weather made it difficult to utilize all of our offensive weapons. Overall, it wasn't a great offensive performance, but we were able to run the ball well."
While the Quakers' loss on Friday makes it their fourth loss of the season - and third in a row - Wagner remains proud of his team's strong effort.
"These three losses in a row were really physical games, but games that our team never quit."
With Cornell's title-clinching victory, the Quakers look to next weekend's home battle against Princeton to play for pride.
When asked what his team would be focusing on this week during practice, McGregor responded, "It's our last week of the season; the main thing is just to have fun."
