Jacobson | Priore's turnaround of Penn football unprecedented
Two years ago, no one saw this coming. When Penn football staggered to a 2-8 finish in Al Bagnoli’s final season, there were few reasons for optimism.
Two years ago, no one saw this coming. When Penn football staggered to a 2-8 finish in Al Bagnoli’s final season, there were few reasons for optimism.
It was a big week for Penn sports, with three athletes receiving individual awards.
In the movie business, sequels rarely hold up to the original. It’s tough enough to make one good movie, and even more difficult to make another one with the same cast of characters. After entering the 2015 season ranked sixth in the Ivy League preseason media poll and dropping three of its first four games, Penn football won six straight to share the Ancient Eight title with Harvard and Dartmouth.
Take an easy-going, gun-slinging quarterback from California.
It was a big week for Penn sports, with three athletes receiving individual awards.
In the movie business, sequels rarely hold up to the original. It’s tough enough to make one good movie, and even more difficult to make another one with the same cast of characters. After entering the 2015 season ranked sixth in the Ivy League preseason media poll and dropping three of its first four games, Penn football won six straight to share the Ancient Eight title with Harvard and Dartmouth.
For the second consecutive year, the Red and Blue upset the Crimson in the penultimate game of the season.
“We’re capable of performing a lot better.” Penn football’s coach Ray Priore didn’t mince words when he assessed his team’s performance in their 28-0 loss at Princeton last weekend.
It’s tough for a defender to make a tackle while on the ground. Unfortunately for Penn football’s opponents, they have found themselves in that position often this season.
Just before he returned to University City for football camp, Sam Philippi got a call. He was a match. Only a few months removed from joining the Be the Match registry, Philippi was needed as a bone marrow donor for a 30-year-old leukemia patient.
Penn football’s loss to Princeton on Saturday was, for lack of a better, less-ironic word, sobering.
From here on out, it’s win or go home. Following Penn football’s 28-0 loss on the road to Princeton, the Quakers (5-3, 4-1 Ivy) will have to win out in order to earn at least a share of the Ivy title for a second straight year.
If you were in attendance the last time Penn football and Princeton faced off, you couldn’t have asked for much more.
I didn’t think there were many more ways Penn could work to stifle any hope of creating a sports culture at this University.
Penn football will travel to Princeton for a pivotal Ivy matchup Saturday. In advance of the game, we sat down with Tiger junior quarterback John Lovett, the reigning Ivy Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for seven total touchdowns Saturday at Cornell.
As Friedrich Nietzsche so eloquently said, “that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” Among the multitude of philosophical quotes that have been and could be applied to this remarkable undefeated Penn sprint football season, this one stands out for its relevance to one of the team's most important players: senior nose tackle Arthur D’Angelo.
Football’s Sam Philippi, men’s soccer’s Dami Omitaomu, and field hockey’s Alexa Hoover were all recognized for spectacular performances that propelled their respective teams to victories this past week.
It's easy to feel like Penn football is an obvious favorite to beat Princeton this Saturday and (eventually) win another Ivy League title. It's hard to argue with ten straight Ivy wins (which I'm about to do).
Who said it needs to be pretty? Penn football, despite not scoring in the second half, grinded out a gritty 21-14 victory over Brown to stay perfect in Ivy League play. The Quakers (5-2, 4-0 Ivy) relied heavily on the star power of junior wide receiver Justin Watson to jump out to a 21-0 lead in the first half.
This Homecoming weekend, the 1986 Penn football team will return to Franklin Field in honor of its 10-0 campaign 30 years ago. As today’s Quakers keep the hope of an undefeated Ivy season alive, the visitors may be able to offer some inspiration.