Penn football is looking to snap Cornell’s three-game winning streak in the next chapter of the sixth-most-played series in college football.
The Quakers (5-2, 3-1 Ivy), ranked No. 2 in the Ivy League, are coming off a 28-21 win over Brown on Oct. 31 in which Penn set its season high in total rushing yards. Although the Bears scored 14 points after being down 21-7 at the half, it was a touchdown on the ground by sophomore running back Donte West — his second touchdown of the game — that gave Penn the win.
West is looking to build off his breakout performance against a scorching-hot Cornell (3-4, 2-2) team that ranks No. 4 in the conference in rushing defense. The week prior, West didn’t log a carry against Yale. He is not looking to change up his practice routine now.
“I don’t [prepare] any differently. Same mentality: It starts in practice, staying true to ourselves and the game plan, knowing that our ability will get us where we need to go,” West said.
The Big Red started their season 0-4 before winning their last three matchups. At the forefront of Cornell’s offense is quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio, who led the team in a come-from-behind win against Princeton on Saturday. Two weeks ago, Bass-Sulpizio passed for a season-high 346 yards in a victory over Brown. However, Cornell has been most deadly when using its junior quarterback in third-down situations to run the ball. Penn coach Ray Priore is well aware of this.
“[You’ve] got to stop their run game. If you stop their run game, that makes them one-dimensional,” Priore said.
“Stopping the run, that’s always the goal. Just getting our hands on [them], getting a knock back, and not getting our asses kicked up front. The rest will take care of itself,” senior defensive lineman Carter Janki added.
Priore is confident that his squad is well-suited to win this weekend over a Cornell team that has had an impressive last few games.
“[Cornell has] done a tremendous and terrific job coming from behind in the second half. So I think it’s our ability as a football team to come out fast. Finishing strong is going to be really, really important. … [Cornell] is a team that is going to play you for [all] 60 minutes.”
Going into this Homecoming matchup — even after losing their starting senior running back Julien Stokes to a likely season-ending fibula injury — the Quakers are in a good place to have a winning conference record for the first time since the 2022 season. “Grit” and “resilience” are two words Priore used to describe what he has learned about the team over the course of this season.
“I say that because we have had a number of our starters who’ve been injured, [and] guys have been out for the season. Having that next-man-up mentality, not being down because this player is out and that player is out shows great resolve, grit, and willingness to stay with the plan,” Priore said.
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For the team’s seniors, Saturday will mark their final Homecoming game donning red and blue.
“It’s crazy to think about. I’ve been here for a while now — going on four years — so it’s gonna be fun having all the fans here,” senior offensive lineman Netinho Olivieri said. “It’s gonna be cool to play my last couple of games here at Franklin Field with a big crowd, playing for something meaningful and looking forward to it.”
Deputy DP Sports editor Conor Smith contributed to reporting.
