Game 2: Villanova — The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

For the second consecutive week, the Quakers were unable to pick up a win as they fell to Villanova, 24-8, in their final non-conference tune-up before Ivy League play begins next Saturday at Dartmouth.

THE GOOD: The offensive spark of Spencer Kulcsar

Despite primarily playing special teams in his career before Saturday's game, Spencer Kulcsar came up with a large contribution to the rushing attack in the second half. The Quakers were without senior running back Brandon Colavita, who had a rib injury, but Kulcsar, a sophomore, picked up the slack in the second half with long runs of 27 and 28 yards that brought Penn into Villanova territory. While Colavita is expected back for Ivy play next week, Kulcsar displayed the depth of the Penn rushing attack and could be in line for more carries next week.

THE BAD: The struggles of the secondary

Facing a Villanova team known for its ground game, the Quakers focused on stopping the run. While the Red and Blue stopped the Wildcats' rushing attack early, they allowed the Villanova aerial assault to control the first three quarters of action until the game got out of hand. Three of Villanova’s top-five receivers had injuries, yet quarterback John Robertson threw for over 200 yards while scoring two touchdowns in the Villanova victory.

THE UGLY: Dexter Davis’s fourth quarter shoving match

Villanova’s offense hit Penn with a barrage of long drives throughout the game and Penn seemed ill-suited to hit back. The only strike from the Quakers came from defensive back Dexter Davis’ fight with a Villanova player late in the game. Davis was shoving the offensive player and landed a blow to the helmet before being assessed a 15-yard personal foul. The penalty provided the Wildcats 15 yards and a first down towards their third and final touchdown drive.

-Steven Tydings