Lehigh 35, Penn 24 — Valeri Guevarra, DP Sports editor
I’ll keep it short and sweet. There’s no room for the same mistakes Penn football made last week in this weekend’s matchup at the undefeated Mountain Hawks — the Quakers’ first nationally ranked non-conference opponent since 2019.
At Stonehill, the Quakers’ secondary was exposed in the second half, committing penalties and blowing coverages. This weekend, the Red and Blue’s defense needs to stay intact during the entire 60 minutes of play to keep Lehigh’s offense at bay — especially Lehigh running backs Luke Yoder and Jaden Green, who rushed 301 yards for four touchdowns as a duo in their last game against Bucknell.
With the first matchup of the season under his belt, senior quarterback Liam O’Brien has to start to resemble his passing form from the beginning of last year to lead the Quakers to a win. Against the Skyhawks last Saturday, O’Brien struggled with his throws, only completing 51.6% of them. Meanwhile in 2024, in three of his four starts, O’Brien had a 72.2% or greater passing percentage.
While I’m optimistic for the rest of the season as a whole, I don’t think one week is enough to clean up these mistakes to prevail over the undefeated Mountain Hawks.
Lehigh 28, Penn 17 — Tyler Ringhofer, deputy DP Sports editor
After opening the season with a dramatic win on a game-winning field goal by freshman kicker Mason Walters against Stonehill, the Quakers now turn their attention to a much tougher challenge: a road matchup at Lehigh. In its second of three non-conference games, the Red and Blue will face a Mountain Hawks squad predicted to finish first in the Patriot League and coming off an FCS playoff victory. The margin for error will be far slimmer this week, meaning that Penn must find consistency on both sides of the ball for all four quarters of the game — something that eluded it in the second half at Stonehill.
For Penn to have a chance, the offense cannot fizzle out the way it did in the second half last week, or else the Quakers won’t be able to keep up with Lehigh’s high-powered attack. The Mountain Hawks have opened the season undefeated through four games, relying on a balanced rushing attack that featured four different players reaching the end zone on the ground in a win over Sacred Heart. That depth has translated into firepower on the scoreboard as well, with Lehigh putting up 35 points against Duquesne and 41 against Bucknell in consecutive weeks.
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Although it’s still early in the season, this game serves as a valuable barometer for where the Quakers stand heading into Ivy League play.
Penn 35, Lehigh 17 — Avery Brobbey, DP Sports associate
History has its eyes on Penn football. Or, more specifically, the history of Lehigh and Penn’s matchups does.
Penn football has already started the season off on a high note after its win against Stonehill last week, and there is no doubt in my mind that Penn’s record will be 2-0 by the end of this Saturday’s away game, especially considering Penn’s past contests against the Mountain Hawks. In the 35 matchups between these teams since 1929, the Quakers have lost only 13 times, having gone on a five-game losing streak in the 1990s. In fact, in Lehigh and Penn’s most recent game in 2021, Penn defeated the Mountain Hawks 20-0, and this victory marked the Quakers’ first win at Franklin Field in 700 days. Obviously, Penn has the proclivity to beat this team.
However, the odds are stacked against the Quakers this time. Lehigh is coming off of a four-game win streak, and in the history of this matchup, the Quakers have only won three times at Lehigh’s stadium, which is where they will play this season.
Nevertheless, Penn will pull through, and the Mountain Hawks will fly high no longer.
Penn 28, Lehigh 21 — Sonal Sukhatme, DP Sports associate
Coming into the match, both teams have a winning record, with Penn posting a close 24-21 victory against Stonehill last week and Lehigh putting up a 4-0 record in their preseason. Despite Lehigh being nationally ranked this year, Penn has always historically been strong against the Mountain Hawks, with a 22-13 record against them since 1929.
It’s been a while since the teams have been face-to-face, but their most recent meeting reflects very well on Penn. The Quakers won 20-0 in 2021.
While I think the Quakers will be victorious, I doubt it’ll be a blowout. Lehigh has put up some impressive scores in its previous matchups, including last week’s 41-24 win against Bucknell. The Mountain Hawks have an aggressive rushing offense, averaging 234.5 yards per game, so the Quakers’ secondary will have to be prepared for that.
The Red and Blue have the focus and strength to pull through this weekend, but a win is certainly not a given.
