Quakers shocking Villanova, up 14-0 at halftime

Wow, things are going pretty well.

The Quakers, heavy underdogs in tonight’s matchup with crosstown rival Villanova, are hanging right with the No. 4 Wildcats, leading 14-0 at halftime.

Penn’s offense has been led by the dominant play of receiver Justin Watson. The sophomore has tallied 5 catches for 87 yards and both of Penn’s two touchdowns. The man throwing him the balls, Alek Torgersen, has wracked up 10 completions for 144 yards of his own.

The Quakers have also excelled on the defensive side of the ball, holding ‘Nova scoreless through the game’s first two quarters. Freshman quarterback Zach Bednarczyk, filling in for injured superstar John Robertson, has managed to complete only 3 of 8 passes for 23 yards. Villanova has also gotten nothing from its running game, picking up only six net yards on the ground.

The Quakers got the scoring started on their first possession of the game, receiving the opening kickoff and marching 75 yards for the touchdown. Watson capped the drive with a pretty diving catch, getting his feet down as he fell out of the right side of the endzone.

The two teams exchanged possession for a few drives, before Torgersen once again found Watson over the middle for a completion. The play looked to be only a short gain, but Watson trucked several Wildcat defenders – and threw a nasty stiffarm – en route to a 36-yard touchdown to put the Quakers up 14-0.

Penn looked poised to add to its lead going into halftime, but Torgersen threw an interception in the endzone from the Wildcats’ seven-yard line. The Quakers also left points on the board when Jimmy Gammill missed a 34-yard field goal attempt earlier in the second quarter.

If Penn manages to pull the upset, it would be its first victory over Villanova since 1911.

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