Penn football vs. Nova: The good, bad and the ugly

Every year the Penn-Villanova game seems to go the exact same way: close game, Penn has a shot, but the Quakers just can't close it out. This year was no different as the Red and Blue lost 30-21 at Franklin Field after a late pick-6 for the Wildcats. Penn now drops to 0-2 on the young season.

The Good: Quarterback Billy Ragone was noticeably able to get into a better passing rhythm with the offense, going 15-for-26 and passing for 250 yards and a crisp, 4th-quarter touchdown to wide receiver Ryan Calvert to keep the game interesting. The 250 yards are a career best for Ragone. He was efficient enough tonight that coach Al Bagnoli felt he did not need to put backup Ryan Becker in at any point.

The Bad: The way this one ended. You don't expect Penn to drive 60 yards with under a minute left and kick a game-winning field goal. That would be a heck of an ending, but a surprise for sure. But an interception to put the game away? That's bad. Credit Villanova punter Mark Hamilton with a stellar 52-yard punt to pin Penn at the four-yard line for that drive. This is Ragone's second-consecutive week with two interceptions, and the picks are really hurting Penn.

The Ugly: Chalk this week's ugly up to deja vu. For the second time in two weeks, Penn receivers have bobbled difficult passes only to watch the coverage on defense grab the lose ball and take it in for the score. This week a low pass to Calvert bounched off his hands and chest and into the waiting arms of Nova's James Pitt, who took the ball in for six points.

Also a statistical side note: 79 of Ragone's career-high 250 passing yards were to sophomore Tommy Eggleston on desperation plays that ended each half. Eggleston caught a 40-yarder to go into halftime, and a 39-yarder as the game expired. Good individual efforts by Eggleston, but really just padding out the stat book.