As he prepares for this Saturday’s matchup against Cornell, there is a sense of calm about senior quarterback Liam O’Brien.
Coming off a win against Brown this past weekend, O’Brien and Penn’s football team are back on the practice field. On one play during Wednesday’s practice, he surveyed the defense before taking a snap out of the shotgun. He rolled to his right. With pressure coming off the edge, he stopped, set his foot, and fired a dart to senior wide receiver Bisi Owens, running in stride.
Since last season, O’Brien has put the rest of the Ancient Eight on notice. Some remember his monstrous performance last year where he set the program record for the most passing touchdowns (six) in a dominant 67-49 win over Cornell. Others might remember the time last season when O’Brien rushed for at least one touchdown for four consecutive games. He’s been a textbook example of a dual-threat force, capable of punishing the secondary with both his arms and his legs.
His athleticism doesn’t just come from playing football in his high school years. Before his journey at Penn, O’Brien was committed to play lacrosse at Cornell. With both his parents having attended Cornell, O’Brien had the chance to continue his family’s legacy with the Big Red. Despite his parental ties, O’Brien knew he wasn’t done with football.
“My decision was less about the schools and more about the sport,” O’Brien said. “I decided that I really wasn’t done playing football. [I] just really wanted to continue playing football.”
As O’Brien shifted his focus to football, his time playing lacrosse showed in his footwork on the field. Every time he takes a snap, the defenders know that his feet can be a weapon. On the lacrosse field, O’Brien learned how to evade defenders and spot opening gaps. Those same instincts now show up every Saturday game. Whenever Penn needs to score, the team heavily relies on O’Brien to take off and zigzag his way past the defenders.
“The way he plays does show a little bit of his lacrosse skills, especially how he runs the football,” Penn offensive coordinator Greg Chimera said.
“It’s like he’s dodging that midfield with the lacrosse stick,” Chimera added with a smile.
O’Brien leads all Penn players in total rushing touchdowns with five and is No. 1 in the conference in quarterback rushing yards with 354.
He also has the second-most touchdown passes seven weeks into the season. With an impressive 1,750 passing yards so far — just 103 yards shy of being crowned the passing leader in the conference — O’Brien has silenced critics on his label as a “run-first” quarterback.
“He has that ‘it’ factor,” Chimera said. “You just trust him with a ball in his hands, that he’s going to make something happen and lead you to success. We’ve done that a lot this year in crucial situations.”
O’Brien could have ended up playing lacrosse at Cornell. But he’s here now, at the helm of the Penn football team. Ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Big Red, he took some time to reflect on what made him confident in that decision.
“It was a gut decision,” O’Brien said. “I’ve made some of the best friends in my life that are here, and the coaches have been great. The trainers have treated me well through ups and downs, and you know, ultimately, it’s just the people who have made the experience great.”
