Penn football’s running backs have stepped up after senior and 2016 first-team All-Ivy selection Tre Solomon left in the first quarter of the season opener with an apparent ankle injury.

With parity in the Ancient Eight arguably the highest in recent memory, a single play could spell the difference between a championship and fourth place. Penn’s next opponent, Dartmouth, gave a great example of this last week. 

Penn Athletics will be hosting their first Fan Fest of the season this Friday before the Red and Blue’s Ivy League opener again Dartmouth. The event will take place from 5-7 p.m. at Shoemaker Green, which is the green field right in front of the Palestra, and right next to DRL (David Rittenhouse Laboratory).

After defeating Lehigh 65-47 for its second win of the season, Penn saw not just one, but two of its players win conference-wide recognition. Sophomore running back Karekin Brooks was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week and junior linebacker Nick Miller was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week. 

As of now, Yale and Harvard sit atop the conference with 1-0 records in the Ancient Eight, while Dartmouth, Penn, Princeton, and Columbia all are 2-0, but have yet to start conference play. Brown and Cornell currently sit in last place, each with 0-1 conference records. 

On Saturday against Lehigh, sophomore running back Karekin Brooks dominated with 268 rushing yards and four total touchdowns to carry Penn to its 65-47 victory. His 268 yards might have not been quite enough to break Penn’s all-time record of 272, but it was enough to earn him the honor of DP Sports’ Player of the Week.

Last week, my colleague argued that we still didn't know much about this team. But after the game against Lehigh, we do know a few things: they can spread the ball around, they can score, and they can force key turnovers.

Penn football toppled Lehigh on Saturday afternoon in a thrilling shootout victory, scoring nine touchdowns en route to its second win of the season, 65-47 — the most the Quakers have scored since 1946. The 112 total points scored were the most in a Penn game ever. 

Penn football is locked in a shootout with Lehigh, with both offenses cashing in early to crank the score up to 35-28 at halftime. 

SWAMIS week two is here, and with it comes all the predictions and spice you need for week two of Penn football.

During its back-to-back Ivy League title campaigns, Penn football had an answer for nearly every opponent in its path. But the Quakers couldn't solve the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. On Saturday, the two squads will face off again with redemption on the line for the Red and Blue against the defending Patriot League champions.

Quarterback is not the only place where the Red and Blue need their “next-man-up” mentality to pay off. Both the offensive line and the secondary have some drastic overhaul from one year to another, and these groups will play just as pivotal roles in determining if coach Ray Priore’s squad can make history.

The Quakers' star senior wide receiver helped save Penn's skin in his team's 42-24 defeat of the Division II visitors who gave the hosts more trouble than expected. His performance outshone all others throughout Penn Athletics over the weekend, earning him DP Sports' Player of the Week.

In reality, the game should not be used as a barometer — the Red and Blue were facing off against a winless Division II team. Drawing conclusions from the matchup would be like judging your guitar skills based on a couple rounds of Rock Band (on easy mode).

Penn football hasn’t won its season-opener in three straight years, and at halftime, it looked like the Quakers were on their way to four. The second half was a completely different story, though. 

Penn football hasn’t won a season-opener in three straight years, and if things keep going the same way, it could be four. And this one would be the most painful of them all. At halftime, Penn (0-0) trails Division II’s Ohio Dominican 10-7 (0-2).

SWAMIS! A tradition as old as the Earth itself. And now, for the first time, you can experience it online. Click at your own peril.