Penn 31, Marist 24 — Valeri Guevarra, DP Sports editor
Hold tight, Penn football fans. It looks like it only gets better from here.
After a standout win over Dartmouth (2-1, 0-1 Ivy) last weekend, I think the Quakers (2-1, 1-0) will start a win streak with a victory against Marist (3-2, 1-1 Pioneer Football League). Penn’s defense silenced questions of strength with an impressive performance on Saturday, including the first two interceptions of the season and holding Dartmouth’s offense to just 326 total yards when it previously averaged 478 yards per game. I'm optimistic that Penn’s defense will make the critical stops needed. Over the course of five games, Marist quarterback Sonny Mannino has struggled with the pass game, completing just 52.3% of his passes. I believe Mannino will continue to struggle against a Penn defense that did not allow Dartmouth a single touchdown through the air.
Witnessing first interceptions and career touchdowns from more inexperienced players last week has me hoping to see more young guns make an impact. It’s been exciting to see the team's “next man up” mentality that coach Ray Priore emphasized since the summer showcased on the field. However, I won't be surprised to see senior quarterback Liam O’Brien and his trusty star duo of senior wide receivers Bisi Owens and Jared Richardson shine once again as they have in previous weeks.
Penn 34, Marist 24 — Tyler Ringhofer, deputy DP Sports editor
The Quakers are on a roll. After a resounding victory against Dartmouth last week in their first Ivy League matchup of the season, Penn looks to ride the high into their final non-conference matchup of the regular season against Marist. Led by the senior star wideout duo of Richardson and Owens, the offense looks unstoppable right now. After having a career high in completion percentage against Lehigh, O’Brien flashed potential in his rushing ability, topping nearly 100 yards on the ground for two touchdowns against Dartmouth.
Although Penn’s defense has been a thorn in their side — especially against the run — the unit delivered a bounce-back performance against Dartmouth. Priore has emphasized winning the turnover battle heading into the season, and the Quakers won that fight with three takeaways against the Big Green. Marist, led by quarterback Mannino, has shown inconsistent production with sporadic big-play bursts. Expect Penn’s defense to keep trending upwards — and to win the turnover margin again.
It may be fall break for students on campus, but there is no intermission for this football team.
Penn 34, Marist 19 — Emilie Chi, Sports associate
I have to choose the Quakers. Penn is coming into this game with great momentum off of an impressive win against Dartmouth, which will give them a good edge.
With O’Brien at the helm, I am extremely confident Penn will score high numbers. O’Brien has shown versatility, being able to perform effectively as a passer and rusher. Against Dartmouth, he scored four total touchdowns with 147 total passing yards and 99 total rushing yards. Although Marist’s defense is respectable, I think they will struggle to contain the dual-threat ability of O’Brien.
The only reason I see Penn losing is if there are lapses on the defensive end. I think that if Penn can take care of the ball defensively, all will go well.
Penn 24 - Marist 17 – Ellie Clark, Sports reporter
The Red and Blue are red hot heading into their fourth game of the season. Coming off of an impressive home victory against Dartmouth to open Ivy play, Penn has the momentum to take the victory against Marist.
The Red Foxes and the Quakers seem to be evenly matched going into this game. Penn edges out Marist in points per game and completion rate. Both teams have similar winning records, strong special teams, and quarterbacks who are responsible for nine touchdowns this season so far. However, the Quakers put up these numbers over the course of three games, whereas Marist has played five games this season.
It’s the first time the Quakers are meeting the Red Foxes, and neither team has previous opponents in common. I could write about a contrived chain that leads to Penn winning – Marist lost to Bucknell this year and Bucknell lost to Penn last year – but that doesn’t seem particularly relevant.
What is relevant is the relationship between O’Brien, Richardson, and Owens. These three roommates have unique chemistry, and it’s shown on the field even if Richardson had a quieter game this past weekend. In total, O’Brien has a completion rate of 67% over the course of this season.
The relationship between Penn’s senior squad is what will penetrate Marist’s strong defensive line. Marist’s defensive line currently holds six FCS player of the week honorable mentions. Last Saturday, Red Foxes linebacker Nate Furrow dominated with 8 tackles, 5 of which were solo tackles for loss. He almost single-handedly ruined San Diego’s chances to convert drives into points.
It’s going to be a close battle, but I see Penn prevailing once more as it inches ever-closer to that elusive Ivy League title.
Penn 34, Marist 17 — Cavance Snaith, Sports reporter
In the program’s first-ever match against Marist, I think that Penn will prevail.
Last week against Dartmouth, the Quakers’ defense and special teams had an impactful performance. Because of their strong performance last week, I think the Red and Blue will show more of the same by dominating the Red Foxes at home.
The Quakers’ offense played an extremely competitive game last week against the Big Green, which is a huge improvement from the games prior. It is evident that Penn football has addressed the problems of the past and will not allow that to hinder the rest of their season.
The Marist offense is no match against the Penn defense. Penn limited Dartmouth to only 184 rushing yards, significantly less than the 300+ rushing yards the week prior. Furthermore, the Red and Blue locked down the passing game by limiting the Big Green to less than 150 passing yards.
I think we can agree that Dartmouth, on paper, is a better team compared to Marist. Given that Penn secured a solid win over Dartmouth, I expect the few Penn students left on campus on Friday to leave Franklin Field happy.
