Penn football announces 2015 schedule

Penn football announced its 2015 schedule this week, featuring five home games and five away games as the Quakers try to rebound from a 2-8 season in 2014.

The 2015 season will mark the beginning of Ray Priore's tenure as head coach, taking over after 28 years as an assistant coach for the Red and Blue. His first two games will come on the road with Quakers travelling to Lehigh and Villanova on Sept. 19 and 26, respectively.

The matchup with Villanova is expected to be the last game in a one-sided rivalry as the Quakers have not defeated the local Wildcats in over 100 years. Last season's defeat was particularly brutal, with a 41-7 loss at Franklin Field.

Penn's home opener will also be its Ivy opener, taking on Dartmouth on Oct. 3 and one of the early Ivy League Player of the Year favorites in quarterback Dalyn Williams. The Red and Blue will stay home to finish nonconference play in a matchup with Fordham on Oct. 10. Penn lost to both squads last year, including a 60-22 loss to Fordham.

While it may not live up to the hype on the field, the most anticipated game of the season will be Penn's trip to Columbia on Oct. 17. Columbia recently hired long-time Penn coach Al Bagnoli to be its head coach and Bagnoli will be facing Priore and Penn for the first time. The Lions are also in the midst of a 21-game losing streak dating back to 2012.

Penn will alternate home and road for the rest of the season after that, returning to Franklin Field for Family Weekend against Yale on Oct. 24 before going to Providence to face Brown on Halloween.

The Quakers' homecoming game will be against rival Princeton on Nov. 7 at Franklin Field. In 2013, Penn hosted Princeton on Homecoming and drew over 21,000 fans in attendance.

Penn finishes out the season with a road trip to defending Ivy champion Harvard on Nov. 14 before a home finale against Cornell on Nov. 21.

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