What a difference 42 years makes. In Friday’s Ivy League Heptagonal Championships in the Bronx, N.Y., Penn cross country secured a second-place finish on the men's side and a fifth-place finish on the women's side, the best the men have performed at Heps since 1973.

Technically, two teams stepped on Franklin Field to play a game of sprint football. Based on the final score, however, only one actually showed up.

It was no tricks, all treats for Penn football on Halloween against Brown.

This is the Penn football we're accustomed to seeing.

There might not be much left at stake, but there is still plenty to play for. After being eliminated from CSFL championship contention in last week's double overtime lose to Army West Point, the Penn sprint football team (4-2) looks to reset and finish the season on a high note against rival Princeton (0-6) in the season finale this Friday.

For Penn men’s soccer, missing out on the Ivy League championship does not mean the season is over.

Heading into its Ivy championship meet at Heptagonals this weekend, Penn cross country looks better than it has in a long time – maybe better than ever.

For Watson, things are looking pretty elementary. Justin Watson, that is. Through the first six games of Penn football’s season, the sophomore wide receiver is putting together one of the best pass-catching seasons in recent memory.

Move over Pope Francis — another cavalcade of stars is preparing to take over Philadelphia.

Penn football found itself in an unfamiliar spot on Friday night. And no, that spot isn’t only the winner’s column.

Unfortunately, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, not soccer.

Close, but no cigar.

After Penn football’s week two victory against fourth-ranked Villanova, my colleague Colin Henderson made a bold statement: The Quakers' win was no fluke. Five games into the season, with the Red and Blue sitting at 2-3 heading into Friday’s game against Yale, I still didn’t know what to make of that statement.

Maybe Penn football should spot its opponents early points in every game.

As noted poet Rocky Balboa once said: “When you get knocked down, get back up and keep moving forward.” Responding to failure is a vital process in sports at all levels.

For Penn football, the first five games of the season have exposed stars on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

In 2008 Barack  Obama was elected president for the first time, Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in Beijing, Heath Ledger died, Eliot Spitzer resigned over a prostitution scandal and No Country for Old Men won best picture at the Oscars.  And Penn sprint football beat Army.