Harvard 35, Penn 24 — Sonal Sukhatme, DP Sports associate
This week is going to be rough for the Quakers. Harvard is the Ivy League’s strongest program, boasting an undefeated overall record and reaching over 30 points in each game. Against other Ivy League schools, the Crimson have finished with at least a 17-point lead. On top of this, Penn has a losing record against Harvard, especially for away games.
This doesn’t bode well for the Quakers, who were shaky last weekend on Homecoming against Cornell. That 39-17 loss is hard to justify, especially given that Penn was at 5-2 going into it, while Cornell was at 3-4.
Fumbles and muffed kicks tripped up the Red and Blue, and by the end of the third quarter, the gap in the score was too large to overcome. However, it’s important to mention that Penn’s performance has been pretty unpredictable. If they perform like they did against Columbia and Brown, where they put up 35 and 28 points, respectively, they have a good chance of taking down Harvard.
I doubt this weekend will be joyous for Penn, but the team still has a shot if it focuses and channels its performances from earlier this season.
Harvard 38, Penn 17 — Ellie Clark, DP Sports reporter
This Saturday, the Quakers face their toughest contest yet as they attempt to dash Harvard’s hopes for an undefeated season dead in their tracks.
Penn enters the game coming off a tough and largely unanticipated loss against Cornell on Homecoming. Despite a competitive first half, the Quakers saw the second half open with a fumble and a score of penalties that they were unable to recover from. Although sophomore running back Donte West made an impressive comeback with a late-game touchdown, signs point to the Quakers still over-relying on senior quarterback Liam O’Brien in a dual offensive role following senior running back/wide receiver Julien Stokes’ season-ending injury.
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A nationally-ranked Harvard looks to defend its regular-season reign in its last home game. During play at Columbia last week, the Crimson effectively shut out the Lions, whose two fourth-quarter touchdown passes ultimately amounted to too little, too late. Harvard’s greatest strength is their adaptability on both ends of the field. On the offensive side, the Crimson have scored over 30 points in eight straight games due to strong efforts from quarterback Jaden Craig, running back Xaviah Bascon, and wide receiver Brady Blackburn. On the defensive end, the Crimson lead the Ivy League in scoring defense, red zone defense, and first downs defense.
It’ll take a miracle for the Quakers to win against a heavy Ivy League favorite, but perhaps Liamsanity or its West equivalent will strike again when no one expects it.
Harvard 40, Penn 14 — Cavance Snaith, DP Sports reporter
The Red and Blue are going to face a fierce Crimson team that has crushed every team in its way this season. Unfortunately for the Quakers, they are next up on the chopping block. Penn is coming off a devastating 22-point Homecoming loss to Cornell. With the Quakers struggling to make offensive gains and defensive stops against Cornell, I think an undefeated Harvard will dominate.
Harvard is entering this game as the No. 11 in the Football Championship Subdivision. The team has scored the most points compared to any other Ivy League team, winning all but one of its games this season by more than twenty points. Penn has been tested by Yale, another dominant team, and the Quakers lost by 22 points. In their most recent game, the Quakers allowed Cornell to pass for over 260 yards, which is one of their highest passing yard totals of the year.
Penn needs to dramatically improve its defense if it wants a fighting chance against Harvard, and unfortunately, it takes longer than a week to fix. I think the Quakers will leave Cambridge with no chance of advancing to the postseason, with Harvard becoming Ivy champions and punching a ticket to the FCS playoffs.
Penn 29, Harvard 26 — Emma Katz, DP Sports reporter
Penn football always finds a way to surprise you. Here’s to hoping that they’ll do just that this Saturday at Harvard. After starting the season hot with five Ivy League wins under their belt, it felt like Penn was potentially turning into a football school. Going into Homecoming last week, I felt a possible win in the future to go along with the promising season the Red and Blue are playing. Unfortunately, that was just my delusions after speaking with alumni in hopes of a future job.
In the last four years, the Quakers have not been able to pull off a win over Harvard. But each year, the Red and Blue get closer and closer to beating the Crimson, and this could be the year they pull it off.
