The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - Penn football vs. Yale

THE GOOD – Penn’s rock solid defense

Penn’s defense rocked the house once again by applying force all over the field and making big plays at the right time. Penn’s defensive efforts, including coverage teams on kickoffs/punts, racked up an impressive three forced fumbles with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions over the course of the day. The defense consistently pressured sophomore Yale quarterback Morgan Roberts, forcing him out of the pocket multiple times, pushing him to make quick throws, run at uncomfortable times, or just give up on the play. Once again, the defense shined bright in a game that was relatively sloppy at its outset, and with careful consideration of the plays called by head coach Al Bagnoli and decisions made in critical situations, it’s clear that the Quakers trust their rock-solid defense.

THE BAD – Coming out of the gates slowly

Penn’s offense picked up quickly after the first quarter. However, the outset of this game was plagued with uncharacteristically soft offensive line play, penalties and lack of energy from the offense. It was a slow start. It’s not the worst problem to have but it may spell doom for games later in the season, especially against Princeton and Harvard. Penn has to avoid these slow starts and put the dagger in early against the bigger Ivy threats.

THE UGLY – Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers

This game was all about turnovers. The two teams had a combined six fumbles and Yale also contributed two interceptions. Not only did Penn commit three fumbles but they lost all three as well. Ball security was an issue for junior tailback Spencer Kulcsar, who didn’t make much an appearance after his fumble in the first quarter. With a game riddled with this many errors, it’s hard to say whether it was a sloppy offensive effort or if the defenses were playing an outstanding takeaway game. Either way, it was just plain ugly.