Last weekend's games saw most of the Ivy football teams dominating or being dominated, with Penn falling towards the latter category with a 31-13 defeat at Dartmouth. Let's see how the other teams in the league fared.
Yale 51, Cornell 13
Yale (3-0, 1-0 Ivy) was an absolute machine on offense for the third straight week, and the Elis' defense finally held up their end of the bargain in the Ivy opener. The Bulldogs held Cornell (0-3, 0-1) to just 13 points after allowing 41 in each of their first two games. Yale looks like a serious favorite for the Ivy title, but it's still early.
Yale Quarterback Morgan Roberts was the big star in this excuse for a game, as the junior put up 312 yards on 26-for-30 passing, finding the end zone five times. Yale will look to continue its winning ways against Dartmouth at home this weekend, while Cornell will seek redemption in a visit to Harvard.
Princeton 38, Columbia 6
This one wasn't as ugly as the Yale-Cornell romp, but it wasn’t very far off. Columbia (0-3, 0-1) actually had the lead near the end of the first half, but Princeton (2-1, 1-0) rammed it in from the goal line on the final play before the intermission to take a lead into the locker room, and never looked back.
Princeton's junior running back DiAndre Atwater had 107 yards on just 11 carries, and notched one of the Tigers' four rushing touchdowns on the day. Meanwhile, Princeton first-team All-Ivy cornerback Anthony Gaffney came up with two interceptions.
The Lions have yet to crack double-figures in points in a game this season, and they haven't been able to hold any of their opponents under 35, either. Columbia will look to get its season on track this Saturday at Monmouth, while the Tigers will visit Colgate.
Harvard 34, Georgetown 3
Harvard (3-0, 1-0) dominated its non-conference opponent on both sides of the ball in this matchup, stifling the Georgetown (2-4) offense while bulldozing through their defense. Senior running back Andrew Casten was the story of the game for the Crimson, as he rushed for 139 yards and four scores, also adding 49 yards in the receiving game.
Harvard will host Cornell this Saturday, and look to beat up on the Big Red.
Brown 20, Rhode Island 13
This year's Governor's Cup was a battle between a pair of winless teams, but Brown (1-2, 0-1) edged out Rhode Island (0-5) to win the 99th matchup between the two teams. Senior quarterback Marcus Fuller led the way for the Bears, throwing for 169 yards and a touchdown. Brown will have another nonconference game this weekend, when they host Holy Cross.
Over the weekend, Penn volleyball split its two matches against Columbia and Cornell. So how did it go down? Here’s the good, bad and ugly!
The good…
First Ivy Win: After dropping tough matches to Princeton and Columbia, Penn volleyball got its first win of the Ivy season against Cornell. Riding a five-point run to open the game, the Quakers electrified the Palestra and defeated the Big Red in four sets. The Red and Blue enter the final two matches of a long stay in Philadelphia with much needed momentum, as they will face stalwart Yale and a beatable Brown team at home next weekend.
Stars Light Up: Junior outside hitter Alexis Genske and freshman Emmy Friedler were terrifying from the last set of the Columbia match and on. Whether emotionally spurred by the team’s failure against Columbia or simply pressured by overall doubts surrounding the team, the two dominated the Quakers’ half of the court, as Genske recorded a team-leading 15 kills and Friedler flew for 19 digs against the Big Red. “I think in general the team seemed more confident today,” Genske said. “[Emmy’s] a freshman, and she’s really stepped up to the plate… and we’re so proud of her.”
The bad…
Slow Starts: Simply put, the Quakers took too long to get going. Against Columbia, Penn conceded the first five points of the first set and was unable to stifle the Lions’ momentum and suffered a 25-12 set loss. The Quakers let four consecutive points slip by them again in the beginning in the third set, epitomizing their inability to start sets strong throughout the young season. “I think we did a really good job [against Cornell] at focusing on the first ten points… We came out strong, and that’s what we’re going to do the rest of this season.
Blocking Struggles: After Dayton doubled the Quakers up in blocking last weekend, Penn again had no answer for its opponents’ blocking game, as the Lions tripled the Red and Blue in blocks. The front line was dominated by Columbia’s Kesi Neblett and Zoe Jacobs, and while Penn out-blocked Cornell 10-5, the team must be able to counter the blocking systems of better teams.
The ugly…
Opposing Teams’ Headbands: As Columbia’s Sarah Burbach got set to serve, a voice from the crowd rang, “I like your headband… No I don’t!” The anonymous fashion expert came from the men’s heavyweight crew team, which has consistently supported its fellow athletes at volleyball and women’s soccer matches. “It’s always an exciting atmosphere to come out and support the girls’ volleyball team,” rower Jon Hennessy said. “We just try to get into other teams’ heads.”
Referees’ Ability to Count: While the calls of referees Dave Jones and Mike Albright were generally unfavorable for the Quakers against Columbia on Friday, one decision had the Quakers particularly fired up. After the referees called a four-touch foul on Penn when clearly only three players had hit, coach Kerry Carr deliberated with the referees for over a minute to no avail. When asked about the call, Genske said, “I’m not allowed to comment on the refereeing because they’re professionals.”
HANOVER — Not able to make the trip up to Hanover to catch the Penn football game? You didn’t miss much, but don’t worry, the DP made the trek to see Penn lose to Dartmouth handily, 31-13. Here’s the good, bad and ugly:
The Good: On a day in which not much went Penn’s way, the Quakers’ passing offense did manage to put up some impressive numbers. Quarterback Alek Torgerson completed a school-record 40 passes for 350 yards, and wideout Spencer Kulcsar tied a program record with 15 receptions. The Quakers actually outgained the Big Green on offense, 385-325. Perhaps Penn’s offensive highlight of the day was a 53-yard connection between Torgerson and Kulcsar early in the third quarter.
The Bad: Despite the gaudy statistics put up through the air, Penn’s offensive attack had some major holes. The running game was practically nonexistent, as the Quakers were outgained on the ground 260-72. The offense also failed to cash in on its long drives, scoring just one touchdown. Turnovers presented a major challenge, as Torgerson was picked off twice and fumbled a snap, setting up Dartmouth with excellent field position.
The Ugly: Penn’s defense was torched by Dartmouth’s ground attack. Led by dual-threat junior quarterback Dalyn Williams, the Big Green offense averaged 4.7 yards per rush and scored all four of itstouchdowns on the ground. Dating back to last season, the Quakers have lost seven straight games, surrendering an average of 36 points per game over that span. If the Red and Blue are going to take advantage of their bright spots on offense, the defense is going to have to find some answers soon.
Penn football looks to right the ship heading into Ivy League play as we give you the live action straight from Hanover. Follow along and enjoy the ride
Live Blog Penn football at Dartmouth
Our sports editors look back at Penn-Dartmouth from last year and try to predict what will happen this year. Enjoy!
Taking time out of his birthday evening to do a rare interview with an opposing school, Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens showed high regard for Penn’s football program when he spoke with us yesterday. Discussing everything from last year’s quadruple overtime to this weekend’s match to Al Bagnoli’s legacy, the Big Green’s leader is as respecting of the Quakers as he is excited to play.
Daily Pennsylvanian: First of all, Happy Birthday, I heard it’s your birthday.
Buddy Teevens: (Chuckles) I stopped counting. Thank you though.
DP: The Big Green hasn't beaten the Red and Blue since 2007. How do you think this year’s team will stack up against Penn?
BT: Well, we have a continually maturing team. It’s been an ongoing process. Penn has been the team on the league for a long period of time. We had a tough run for a period of time. We’re trying to build our program up, and we’re still in that developmental phase and making progress.
DP: Last year, this game went to four overtimes. Any plans to repeat this?
BT: Well obviously that was a memorable one, the longest game I’ve ever been involved with. It’s been two years running that we’ve been down at Penn, so it will be nice to be back playing in Hanover.
DP: Do you remember running back Kyle Wilcox [who scored the winning touchdown in quadruple overtime last year]?
BT: Yes I do, yeah.
DP: How do you think your defense will handle Penn’s rushing game this year?
BT: They do a great job mixing it up. The line opens holes, the backs… run the ball physically and aggressively, so it’s a typical Penn team.
DP: Your Williams-Bramble-McManus trio has found its share of success this year. How do you think your offensive tandem will gain the upper hand against Penn’s ailing defense?
BT: Penn historically has the toughest defense in the league. They play hard. What we’ll try to do is execute, do the best we can, and hopefully put our guys in the best situation. But nobody scores a whole bunch against them… It’ll be an interesting matchup.
DP: Who do you think will be the hardest matchup on Penn’s roster to go against?
BT: It’s tough to pinpoint any one. They’re solid across the board… [Senior linebacker] Dan Davis is just physical… On the offensive side, the quarterback situation. [Sophomore quarterback Alek] Torgerson, I knew of him. We recruited him. Very, very talented player.
DP: You’ve won your share of Ivy League championships, and you came close to another one last year. What are your expectations for this Dartmouth team?
BT: As you know, every year is something new, something different. We have a good number of players who are returning, and they’ve taken some lumps in the past. We have a committed team and a very cohesive team. We have to play smart. We had a tough game against the University of New Hampshire last weekend, and turnovers and miscues in the kicking game really cost us some points. The past few years, we did the same type of thing: we turned the ball over. I told my team, “Penn stopped us, Penn made the play that they had to. They beat us.” What we have to do is grow and mature, and execution is absolutely critical.
DP: From one decorated Ivy League coach to another: this is Coach Bagnoli’s last year. What can you tell me about Coach Bagnoli, from an opponent’s perspective?
BT: Well, a lot of us wish he’d retired five years ago. He’s done a wonderful job. Great representation for the league and also for the university. You know what you’re going to get: tough, physical, clean execution in all facets of the game. He’s been fun to work with. In the offseason, some of the Ivy coaches get together. Great wisdom, great experience… He’s been the guy. Nine championships, nobody does that, but he did it.
DP: Last question. Is there any chance you’ll fill me in on your game plan against Penn this weekend?
BT: (Laughs) Oh, it’s all execution.
FOOTBALL
Dan Davis to play?
Hanover, Ivy game awaits
Wilcox is ready
MEN'S SOCCER
Neumann owns Saint Joe’s
Leads Quakers to Ithaca
Big matchup on tap
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Bounce back from Crimson
Red and Blue ready for ‘war’
Goal: Beat the Big Red
VOLLEYBALL
Freshmen on the court
Friedler strong at libero
Lions, Big Red at Penn
FIELD HOCKEY
Heroes to emerge
Dartmouth on the horizon
Watch out for Hoover
CROSS COUNTRY
Divide and Conquer
That is cross country’s motto
Awad to help lead
SPRINT FOOTBALL
Navy game is up
Cornell win came from big plays
Saturday night game
Another target is off the board for Penn basketball.
Adlai Stevenson high school (Ill.) senior Connor Cashaw committed to Rice on Tuesday evening. Cashaw had received interest from Ivy schools, including Penn and Harvard, and other mid-majors but ultimately chose Rice in an announcement at his high school.
Penn was not considered a finalist but Harvard was one of the schools very much in on his recruiting.
Scott Pera, an assistant coach for Penn basketball until this year, is now an assistant at Rice under head coach Mike Rhoades.
Cashaw is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard and will join the Owls next fall.
With many Penn sports about to begin Ivy play while others like field hockey and women’s soccer are already in the midst of conference matches, it’s time to look at the expectations for each squad moving forward. Our editors look at what we’re looking for from some of Penn’s fall sports moving forward.
Senior Sports Editor Steven Tydings: Focusing in on Penn field hockey, the Quakers are off to a solid 1-1 start within the Ancient Eight. The Red and Blue lost their first Ivy match against nationally-ranked Cornell and then beat Harvard behind a hat trick from senior midfield Alex Iqbal.
Princeton and Cornell seem to be the Ivy favorites at this point, but the Red and Blue certainly can make things interesting. With a strong core of seniors headed by Iqbal, attacker Emily Corcoran, goalkeeper Allison Weisenfels and MaryRose Croddick on defense, the rest of the season will be important as the upperclassmen look to go out with a bang.
While one still has to pay attention to the progression of those seniors, especially the relatively inexperienced Weisenfels, the upward trajectory of freshman attacker Alexa Hoover has to excite Penn fans going into the future. Hoover is currently third in the Ivies in goals scored and, alongside Corcoran and others on offense, makes the Red and Blue must-watch entertainment, regardless of their Ivy finish.
Sports Editor Ian Wenik: I think that you should be pretty confident if you’re a fan of Penn men’s soccer. The team is 4-4, and I wouldn’t call any of those losses “bad” in any sense of the word. The Quakers have taken on three different top 15 teams this season, and have held their own in each of those matches. Honestly, they should have come away with at least a draw against American.
That kind of performance against such a brutal nonconference schedule makes Penn the clear favorite to repeat as Ivy champs and earn a return trip to the NCAA Tournament. I don’t think that you can make the case for any other Ancient Eight team being as well prepared for the Ivy grind as the Quakers are.
This Saturday should be interesting, though. Penn will open up Ivy play against Cornell, which has won six of its last seven matches. If the Red and Blue aren’t careful, they could find themselves behind the eight-ball quickly.
Sports Editor Colin Henderson: You know I’ve gotta hype up the cross country team. Last week at the Main Line Invitational, the program got its first shot at an (almost) fully assembled Villanova squad that is consistently ranked at or near the top of the region, and the Quakers didn’t disappointed.
Despite being without some key runners, the women were dominant, and the men had enough depth to outlast the Wildcats. I’d say it’s just about official: The Red and Blue are no longer just up-and-comers, they’re certified contenders.
It should be interesting to see how they compete this weekend as they split up for the Paul Short and Notre Dame Invitationals , so big races with formidable competition. I fully expect more team-based running from the two squads, as that is really what coach Steve Dolan has stressed throughout the season.
I’m especially looking forward to seeing how junior Thomas Awad does this weekend. He’s had this weekend circled on his calendar for a while now, and he may be able to dazzle us once again.
On Saturday in Hanover, Al Bagnoli will be on the sidelines for his 221st game as Penn football’s head coach, facing Ivy-rival Dartmouth. 220 games ago, Bagnoli and the Quakers made the same trip to New Hampshire to take on a very different Big Green squad.
Bagnoli’s first game as Penn coach began well but ended badly, as the Red and Blue fell, 36-17, to the defending champion Big Green.
In 1991 — the year before — Dartmouth was an offensive juggernaut, having averaged an impressive 28.3 points per game.
Bagnoli entered the program promising a new spread offense based on a one-back, four-wide receiver attack. With the new system, there was some hope that the Red and Blue would be able to increase their offensive production from the year before, but few expected that the Quakers would be able to keep up with the Big Green.
However, it was Penn’s new defensive system — designed by Bagnoli and then-defensive coordinator Mike Toop, both of whom worked together at Union College previously — that stole the show.
At least in the first half.
The Red and Blue’s defense dominated in a low scoring first half to start the season, shutting out the Big Green. One touchdown was good enough to give the Quakers a 7-0 lead going into halftime.
Once the third quarter started, though, it didn’t last long.
Then-Penn quarterback Mike Barthlow got the second half off to an inauspicious start for the Quakers when he threw an interception on third down that was returned deep into Penn territory.
“I think the momentum changed with the interception,” Barthlow said. “I think we kind of got down on ourselves.”
The mistake proved to be the ignition that would get the Big Green offense going for the remainder of the game, as then-Dartmouth quarterback Jay Fiedler caught fire.
Two plays later, Fiedler was able to connect with wide receiver John Hyland for a 13-yard score, and it was all downhill from there for the Quakers.
When all was said and done, the Big Green torched the Red and Blue for 273 yards and 22 points in the third quarter alone. The sleeping giant had been awoken, and there was nothing that the Red and Blue could do about it.
“Obviously, it’s not the way you would want to script it,” Bagnoli said. “I’m not sure what went wrong after halftime ... All of a sudden we stopped doing the things we were doing before.”
Fiedler’s efficiency in the second half was almost unheard of. He only threw the ball 11 times in that span, but he completed eight of them and tied an Ivy record with five touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Barthlow wasn’t nearly as efficient, completing only 12 of his 33 total attempts.
The Quakers enter this weekend’s matchup with a different set of expectations, having defeated Dartmouth last year in a thrilling four-overtime contest.
Penn basketball had been a finalist for Class of 2019 shooting guard Dalton Soffer, but Soffer has other plans.
Soffer, a California native and high school senior, has committed to Loyola (Md.), joining the Greyhounds next season.
Coach Jerome Allen already has three guards lined up for his next class— Jackson Donahue, Jake Silpe and Morris Esformes — so Soffer's decision isn't a huge blow. Former Penn target Levan Alston Jr. committed to Temple today as well.Small forward Jule Brown and power forward Collin McManus round out Allen's upcoming class.
Missed the game last weekend? Want to rewatch the beatdown from Villanova? We've got you covered with the highlights of the 41-7 loss to the Wildcats.
Penn basketball already has a solid recruiting class for the Class of 2019 but coach Jerome Allen is not done yet. Let's check in on the world of high school basketball recruiting to see what Penn is up to...
Weisner Perez commits to Harvard, Connor Cashaw soon to follow? - Last week, Perez, a small forward from Morton High School (Ill.), committed to Harvard basketball after being recruited by many Ivy League schools, including Penn. The 6-foot-6 high school senior had received interest from every Ancient Eight school outside of Columbia and also had offers from other mid-majors. Ultimately, the pitch from the defending Ivy champions put the Crimson ahead of the other Ivies.
After Perez's commitment, all eyes turn to Cashaw, who is from nearby Adlai Stevenson High School (Ill.). Many people believe that the two will commit as a pair and Cashaw has an offer in hand from the Crimson. Cashaw also has drawn interest from many Ivy schools, and reportedly has an offer from the Red and Blue.
Levan Alston Jr. trims list to three, eliminates Penn - Alston, a high school senior combo guard from Haverford School (Pa.), cut his list of potential schools from six to three, taking the Red and Blue out of consideration. The 6-foot-3 guard is a top-100 recruit on ESPN.com and has received interest from a lot of local schools, including Temple. Alston's godfather is none other than Allen, who already has multiple guards committed to Penn for next season.
Dalton Soffer picks up offers from Penn and Seton Hall - Class of 2019 shooting guard Dalton Soffer had previously cut his list to just four schools, with Boston University, Loyola (Md.), Seton Hall and Penn making the list. Soffer, who is from California, took a couple unofficial visits last week and receiving offers from the Pirates and Quakers during his visits. He is expected to decide on a school in the next month or so.
While Penn football struggled against Villanova, the other seven Ivy League squads were in action to varying degrees of success. Let’s look at the rest of the Ancient Eight.
Yale shocks Army in overtime, 49-43 — Well, raise your hand if you saw this one coming. No one raising their hands? Good. This was a shocker. Yale became the first Ivy team since 1986 to beat an FBS opponent as Army came to the Yale Bowl to renew an old rivalry thanks to the Yale Bowl turning 100 this year. The Elis rallied from a 14-point deficit in the early second half to hang with the Black Knights before exchanging touchdowns in the late fourth quarter.
An Army missed field goal ended regulation and the Black Knights missed another one on their first drive in OT. From there, senior running back Tyler Varga, who rushed for 186 yards, scored his fifth touchdown to clinch Yale’s first win over Army since 1955. The Elis will play their first Ivy game on Saturday against Cornell.
Harvard defeats Brown, 22-14 — The Crimson were without starting senior quarterback Connor Hempel and were forced to go with junior QB Scott Hosch. However, the junior proved himself on Saturday evening, leading the Crimson from behind in the fourth quarter to win its first conference game of the year.
Hosch went 24-for-34 passing the ball, throwing for a touchdown and running for one later in the game. Paul Stanton ran for 120 yards on 12 carries while junior receiver Andrew Fischer made 12 receptions for 115 yards. The Crimson head to Georgetown next week while Brown will look to regroup against Rhode Island.
Princeton demolishes Davidson, 56-17 — This was the Princeton football we’ve come to expect after last year. The Tigers returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and never looked back. Senior quarterback Quinn Epperly ran for four touchdowns and was 15-for-18 passing, pacing a Princeton offense that simply could not be contained. Epperly accounted for 294 yards combined between passing and running, while Princeton’s offense accumulated more than 400 yards in total.
After a disappointing loss to San Diego last week, this win gives the Tigers momentum going into their first Ivy game next week against Columbia.
No. 4 New Hampshire takes down Dartmouth, 52-19 — This one was ugly, to say the least. The Big Green stood little chance against such a highly ranked opponent on the road and it showed after a close first quarter. Junior quarterback Dalyn Williams threw for two touchdowns but was limited to just 108 yards passing. Dartmouth will now face Penn in each squad’s first Ivy game.
Cornell falls to Bucknell, 20-7 — The Big Red have scored just 19 points on the season and Saturday against the Bison was not a shining offensive performance. Freshman quarterback Jake Jatis threw for a touchdown but also had two interceptions and just 102 yards throwing the ball. The Big Red continue to march past the Jeff Mathews era next week against Yale.
Columbia smacked down by No. 24 Albany, 42-7 — Have no fear Penn fans: there was an Ivy team with a worse loss on Saturday. Columbia scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter but by then, the Lions had already given up 35 points and were well on their way to defeat. They will ride a 13-game losing streak dating back to 2012 when they come home to face Princeton.
After a quick first quarter drive by VIllanova, it became immediately clear there would be more Bad and Ugly for Penn football than Good. The Quakers would go on to lose 41-7 to No. 6 Villanova in the team's home opener at Franklin Field. But out of every loss, there's usually some ounce of good - even in a game against a ranked team that serves more as demotivation than preparation.
The Good:
Well there weren't many positives for the Quakers, so let's focus on the one play that provided Penn a bulk of its offensive yards in the first half. Kyle WIlcox's 67-yard run in the early second quarter came a bit too late (the Quakers were already down by 34), but it seemed to have the potential to start something for Penn. A Torgersen fumble on Penn's next drive - which led to a quick Villanova touchdown - stifled any chance of a Penn comeback.
The Bad:
It's hard to pinpoint one area that was particularly worse than the rest of Penn's game. Penn struggled on both sides of the ball, and though the special teams was strong for the most part, you can never win a game on special teams alone. Penn gave up plenty of points early and seemed entirely unable to stop the Wildcats in the first half. With the starters in during the first half, 'Nova put up all 41 of their points and put together 417 yards in just 46 plays. The story was nearly the same for the offense, as turnovers and an inability to consistently move the ball doomed them from the start.
The Ugly:
The turnovers for Penn somehow came at the perfect times to kill any chance of momentum for the Quakers. A Torgersen interception on Penn's first drive left the Quakers without a response to Villanova's early strike. Factor in the afore-mentioned momentum killing fumble and Torgersen's second interception, which came on the first drive in the second half, and it was clear that Penn would be too mistake prone to put together long scoring drives. The Quakers were over-matched to begin, but a few key mistakes made it worse than it needed to be.
Penn football takes on Villanova in its home opener. Follow along as we bring you the action live from Franklin Field
Live Blog Penn football vs. Villanova
Our Sports Editors discuss Penn football's upcoming matchup with Villanova and whether the Red and Blue can take down the No. 6 ranked Wildcats
Welcome to a new feature to The Buzz called "Why Penn will lose." Each week, we will have a reporter who covers the opposing squad talk about why that team will beat Penn, giving you an introduction to Penn's upcoming foe.
To start it all off, we have Brian Ewart of VUhoops.com explaining why he thinks Villanova will take down the football on Saturday. You can follow him on Twitter @Brian_Ewart or @VUhoops.
Why will Penn lose?
The easy answer to this question is, “because they haven’t won this matchup yet,” at least not since Andy Talley revived Villanova’s program from the dead in the mid-1980s. The Wildcats are a different sort of team from Penn, and the Quakers are definitely a different sort of team from the pre-Ivy teams that won five-straight against the ‘Cats (and later had a national TV deal with ABC). The goals are different, the money is different and the athletes are different.
That isn’t the say that Penn could run their sprint football team out of the locker room on Saturday and achieve the same effect, but the Wildcats look at Frisco, Texas for their season aspiration, while Penn will certainly finish their season in Ithaca.
Villanova’s John Robertson is one of the best college football players in the country, even playing with a broken hand and a hip pointer, he managed to impress last week. If you’ve paid any attention, you know that he can pick up yardage in big chunks with his legs, but he is also 4th in the nation for completion percentage. The offense also features Kevin Monangai, a powerful runner who can break-away if he can get into the open field, and Poppy Livers, a spark-plug slot receiver with good hands and a knack for finding a seam to move after the catch. This is one of the best offensive team’s Penn will play this season, and even though field goals are a bit of a crapshoot, they don’t usually need to rely on those.
What’s really impressive though, is the Villanova defense. They held Fordham to just 16 rushing yards and they’ve looked unstoppable at times. They rank 17th in the country against the run, though they are flawed against the passing game. Even that flaw is essentially a matter of maturity – young cornerbacks make mistakes – but they have the excessive speed to run their mistakes down and mitigate the damage.
The Wildcats’ defense will make Penn uncomfortable on Saturday. They will frustrate the Quakers’ running game and have the speed and playmaking ability to keep up with the passing game. When Penn scores, they can expect Villanova’s offense to answer with one of their own.
Penn should lose a game against a team that looks like it could be the best in the CAA and one of the best in the nation at this level. The Quakers haven’t been favored in this game in a long time, however, and too many of these games have been perilously close to a win for the Quakers. They should have won one of the last 13, in all honesty, but Villanova has pulled it out in the end every time.
This weekend is the end of a frustrating series for Al Bagnoli. I expect that he will have his team ready to pull out all the stops, and may just make the Wildcats look a little more pedestrian than they have looked otherwise.
Apparently, Cleveland Cavaliers star Dion Waiters made his way to campus earlier today to visit Penn Women's basketball.
The third-year guard was pictured with freshman guard Beth Brzozowski - a Cleveland area native.
The following was posted earlier by SMAC, an athletic club in the Cleveland area.
This isn't the first time Waiters has made his way to campus in the last few months. Waiters grew up in Philadelphia and appears to return often.
Here's a video Waiters posted on his instagram at the Palestra a few weeks ago.
[Disclaimer: Swamis is an exercise where The Daily Pennsylvanian’s editors make jokes and pick the Ivy League football games. Enjoy]
It’s been a long time since Penn defeated Villanova. Like a really long time. In fact, it’s been more than 37,000 days.
Over the course of the last 103 years, we’ve seen Penn transform, from a team coached by John Heisman and actually mattered on the national football stage to a team playing Ivy schools exclusively and taking pride in Playboy rankings.
Since Penn loves lists and rankings, here’s a selection of our 103 reasons why Penn will beat Villanova...
1. Al Bagnoli. What a guy.
10. Heisman hopeful Alek Torgersen
16. The miniscule chance that Villanova quarterback John Robertson mysteriously goes missing.
20. The toast toss distracts Villanova while Dan Davis manhandles its offense in the second half.
47. Mitch King turns out to actually be royalty, declares dominion over all the Big 5.
77. The magical Swamis stop trying to predict football games and use their powers for something important, like winning football games.
87. The remix to Ignition, hot and fresh out the kitchen. Ryan Kelly running those post routes, got all the cornerbacks missing.
99. Connor Loftus wins an epic special teams duel pregame with Nova’ kicker. Game declared over right then.
103. It’s opposite day. Penn doesn’t beat Villanova?
PREDICTION: Villanova 14, PENN 5
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