With a matchup against their first Ivy League opponent on the horizon, one thing is on Penn football’s mind: Winning.
“We’re about the future … our kids have worked real hard to this point, coming out from Spring Ball to preseason camp, and obviously through the first two games to put ourselves in a position to hopefully play well,” coach Ray Priore said. “We have to make sure we’re playing well in all three facets of the game.”
Penn football (1-1) will host Dartmouth (2-0) this Saturday at Franklin Field in both of their Ivy openers. Penn has won two out of its last 10 matchups against Dartmouth. The last three games between the programs came down to a single possession.
Last season, the Quakers fell to the Big Green in Hanover, N.H. with a final score of 20-17. In that game, Dartmouth held senior wide receiver Jared Richardson to only two receptions for 18 yards. This year, it’s been a different story for the veteran wideout. Despite the 44-30 loss to Lehigh last week, Richardson caught 12 receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns, making him No. 7 in most receiving yards in Penn history. In the season, he is averaging 122 yards per game.
Heading into the game, Richardson’s motivation is similar to the team’s.
“I just want to get that win. … We haven’t beat them in two years,” Richardson said. “They’re a good team. … I’m expecting similar looks to last year, getting doubled and tripled [by the defense],” he added. “[Senior quarterback] Liam [O’Brien] has been doing his thing the past two weeks. Just putting our trust in our quarterback and O-line. Coaches [will] put us in the right spots.”
Like Richardson, O’Brien is also coming off a big performance against Lehigh. O’Brien logged 28 completions for 316 passing yards. He completed 75.7% of his passes, marking his highest pass percentage to date. O’Brien, who emphasized the offensive capabilities of wideouts like Richardson, is looking to ride the momentum and bring this performance into Saturday’s game.
“[I’ll] go out there, execute, and get the ball to the playmakers. … They’re dangerous when the ball is in their hands, and if all 11 of us on offense do our job, we can put up some good yards, some good points, and walk out there with a win,” O’Brien said.
Historically, the Quakers have struggled against a Big Green dual-quarterback offense, with one used primarily as a passer and the other taking up the run game. Last season, however, the dual-quarterback system has instead shifted solely to then-starting quarterback Jackson Proctor.
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Notably, last season, matchups against Yale would ultimately force a shift in the rosters for Dartmouth and Penn. Proctor was injured leading into Dartmouth’s matchup at Yale, leaving the Big Green to bring then-third-string quarterback Grayson Saunier into the hot seat. For the Quakers, 2025 Wharton graduate and then-starting quarterback Aidan Sayin was injured in the first half against Yale, with O’Brien stepping into the role of QB1. Both quarterbacks had significant moments of the rest of their season. Saunier ended victorious against all three games he started last season and won an Ivy League championship, while O’Brien shattered the record books in a 67-49 win against Cornell.
With two of the most productive quarterbacks in the conference, the Ivy League foes are primed for another back-and-forth matchup.
“They’re two explosive offenses, and if you look at both teams and both quarterbacks, they’ve had big explosive plays. … I think this will be a really good matchup on both sides, utilizing both talents,” Priore said.
