The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Penn football v. Dartmouth

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HANOVER — Not able to make the trip up to Hanover to catch the Penn football game? You didn’t miss much, but don’t worry, the DP made the trek to see Penn lose to Dartmouth handily, 31-13. Here’s the good, bad and ugly:

The Good: On a day in which not much went Penn’s way, the Quakers’ passing offense did manage to put up some impressive numbers. Quarterback Alek Torgerson completed a school-record 40 passes for 350 yards, and wideout Spencer Kulcsar tied a program record with 15 receptions. The Quakers actually outgained the Big Green on offense, 385-325. Perhaps Penn’s offensive highlight of the day was a 53-yard connection between Torgerson and Kulcsar early in the third quarter.

The Bad: Despite the gaudy statistics put up through the air, Penn’s offensive attack had some major holes. The running game was practically nonexistent, as the Quakers were outgained on the ground 260-72. The offense also failed to cash in on its long drives, scoring just one touchdown. Turnovers presented a major challenge, as Torgerson was picked off twice and fumbled a snap, setting up Dartmouth with excellent field position.

The Ugly: Penn’s defense was torched by Dartmouth’s ground attack. Led by dual-threat junior quarterback Dalyn Williams, the Big Green offense averaged 4.7 yards per rush and scored all four of itstouchdowns on the ground. Dating back to last season, the Quakers have lost seven straight games, surrendering an average of 36 points per game over that span. If the Red and Blue are going to take advantage of their bright spots on offense, the defense is going to have to find some answers soon.