The picks are in for Penn football’s Homecoming game against Cornell

Penn 31, Cornell 21 — Valeri Guevarra, DP Sports editor

From returning alumni to current students to regular Penn football fans, a lot of eyes will be on this critical matchup. After a win last weekend, where Penn football got its groove back in the run game, the team will not disappoint the packed stands when the moment comes.  

The explosive offensive trio of senior quarterback Liam O’Brien and senior wide receivers Jared Richardson and Bisi Owens no doubt remembers last year’s heartbreaking Homecoming loss against Harvard, and I believe that will be part of the fuel for a not-even-close victory. 

It also helps that Cornell’s defense against the passing game is not the strongest, allowing 231.7 yards per game. While the offense must remain balanced, as seen in the team’s blowout loss to Yale, the Quakers will have a lot of room to thrive in the air once again, similar to last year’s record-breaking matchup at Cornell.  

However, the Quakers must remain disciplined, especially with penalty issues following them from week to week. The Big Red are not one to waste opportunities. Last week against Princeton, Cornell’s secondary was able to force impactful turnovers at crucial times, including a fumble that started the game-winning drive.

Penn 31, Cornell 28 — Tyler Ringhofer, deputy DP Sports editor

If you’re not on the Penn football bandwagon now, don’t try to hop on when they’re knocking on the door of the FCS playoffs.

This Homecoming will prove to be the most critical point in Penn’s quest to make the Ivy League’s inaugural year in the FCS playoffs. With a loss against Cornell, it’s highly unlikely that the Quakers will finish at the top of the Ivy League standings. It’s easy to say that the stakes are high, but I believe Penn has the offensive and defensive tools to outrun Cornell.

With that said, Cornell isn’t a team to sneeze at. The Big Red, despite starting 0-2 in Ivy play against Yale and Harvard, have roared back to life with three-straight wins. Two of those wins came against conference foes in Brown and Princeton, and it is clear that Cornell won’t go down easily.

Cornell’s offense has been led by quarterback Garret Bass-Sulpizio, who accounted for three touchdowns, including one on the ground, in the win over Princeton. Standing at 6-foot-5, Bass-Sulpizio brings a powerful presence under center, and the Quakers will be focused on containing both his rushing ability and red zone production.

Last year, Penn lost in a heartbreaker to Harvard on a last-second field goal on Homecoming. This year I predict a last-second field goal again — only this time, the Quakers end up on top.

Penn 38, Cornell 18 — Sonal Sukhatme, DP Sports associate

Following their win against Brown last weekend, I’m sure the Quakers will take down Cornell as well. The two teams have some interesting history, most notably Penn’s high-scoring and record-breaking win last season, dubbed “Liamsanity” after O’Brien.

In that game, O’Brien completed 22 out of 30 passes for 341 yards and threw six touchdowns, as well as scored one on the ground. This standout performance will definitely be on the minds of everyone this Saturday at Franklin Field, hopefully serving as motivation for the Red and Blue to perform just as strongly.

Richardson will also be vital to the matchup. Last year, he received three of the touchdown passes, and he’s been named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week twice this season. The O’Brien-Richardson combination will undoubtedly be just as strong this Saturday as it’s been all season.

It is important to mention that Cornell is on a bit of a win streak, having won its past three games against Bucknell, Brown, and Princeton. But all three games were on Cornell’s home turf, and they weren’t blowouts either. Against Brown, the game went into double overtime before Cornell brought it home, while Penn beat Brown much more cleanly.

Last week’s game against Brown was a return to form for the Quakers, as the team set a new rushing-yard season high at 231 yards. With the passing game already strong, the team’s rushing game was certainly an improvement from previous weeks, and if it can maintain both this Saturday, I think they’ve got the game in the bag.

Penn 42, Cornell 31 — Ellie Clark, DP Sports reporter

Everyone loves an underdog, but the second installment of “Liamsanity” might be too much for the Big Red.

Penn comes into its Homecoming game with a hard-fought victory against Brown that saw sophomore running back Donte West shine with two touchdowns and the offensive line improve its run game by hitting a season-high 231 rushing yards. Junior defensive back/wide receiver Jayden Drayton, who earned Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week for his dominant performance on both sides of the field, made a 54-yard kickoff return that led to the Quakers’ fourth touchdown of the night while also putting up six tackles. 

The Big Red defense poses a big threat with linebacker Ben Sahakian and cornerback Braylon Howard leading the conference in forced fumbles and passes defended, respectively. The Big Red also boast Midseason All-American first team selection tight-end Ryder Kurtz on the offensive line, who leads the team with 373 receiving yards and 29 receptions.

Cornell enters Homecoming on its longest win streak since 2016. If victorious again, the Big Red will extend its win streak to four, which would be the longest since 1999. As inclined as I am to root for the underdog, the statistics fall in favor of the Red and Blue, who have won nine of their last 10 games against the Big Red.

Penn 38, Cornell 17 — Cavance Snaith, DP Sports reporter

This season, the Big Red have yet to win a game on the road, while Penn has yet to lose a game at home. Penn is also ranked second in the Ivy League compared to Cornell’s fifth place. 

Both teams are entering Franklin Field winning their previous games by only one possession. Penn completely dominated the rushing game against Brown, out-rushing it by nearly 200 yards. This will certainly present a challenge to Cornell, as it has struggled with its defense this year. The Big Red have not beaten the Red and Blue since 2021, and it’s safe to say that their losing streak will continue.