The old cliche in sports is that “a win is a win,” but that does not mean there is no cause for concern for the Penn football team.

Big Green striker Lucky Mkosana scored on a penalty kick awarded after a dubious call, and the Quakers never saw the light again.

On Friday, the fell to Columbia, 5-1, in New York. Two days later, however, they came out firing against Appalachian State at Franklin Field to win, 5-2.

The Quakers fell in five sets to previously slumping Brown Friday night and were swept by Yale the next day.

17-game Ivy winning streak stays intact with comeback 27-20 victory. PHOTO GALLERY: The best shots from the Penn football seasonCOLUMN: Mike Wisniewski: Penn must cut the mistakesTHEE BUZZ: The good, bad and the ugly from Columbia

Heading into Saturday’s match with Dartmouth, Penn men’s soccer finds itself locked in a tie for third in the Ivy League with the Big Green and two other squads.

With eight freshmen on the roster this season, the Penn field hockey team had an uncertain outlook. Its freshmen, however, may have provided the largest contribution of any class so far this year.

Attitude isn’t the only difference between the offensive line and the so-called skill positions. The prospect of joining the boys up front comes along with the perception of eating more than the rest of the team.

The Penn volleyball team has faced several uncertainties and unknowns during its defense of back-to-back Ivy League titles. But the Quakers have come to count on reliable play from one scintillating freshman.

Two running backs with limited experience isn’t the ideal arsenal for most running games, but the strong relationship between the freshman duo has allowed them to make an instant impact.

Down 4-1 midway through the first half Wednesday at Lehigh, the Quakers clawed their way back to within one, but fell, 4-3.

On a cold and drizzly night at Rhodes Field, the Quakers showed the Highlanders that there could be only one.

Though he was recruited as a running back, Hamscher’s sheer athleticism and competitive drive allowed him to make the switch to defense seamlessly.

While Penn students took to Amtrak or the airport for a quick trip out of Philadelphia for Fall Break, Penn athletes boarded their usual buses as Ivy seasons continued for many teams. Here’s the action you missed while you were apple picking:

Though the Quakers, for the most part, dealt with Lehigh’s aerial attack, Penn could only return home with a 1-1 tie.

The Quakers are one of five teams within one point of the Ivy League lead, making the next few weeks of conference play crucial.

The Quakers put together their first complete, 60-minute game of the year. RECAP: Penn runs through Fordham with 5 TDs