Riding a 17-point burst early in the second half, the Penn football team got back on the winning track on Saturday with a 44-10 victory over Columbia.
The Quakers (4-1, 2-0 Ivy League) led by only three, 13-10, at the half, but scored four minutes into the third quarter on a Stephen Faulk 11-yard touchdown run.
After a gaffe on special teams by Columbia (1-4, 0-2) returner Kenny Wood which put the Lions on their own 1-yard line, quarterback Steve Hunsberger was picked off by Vince Alexander on the next play. Alexander returned the ball to the two, and fullback Kevin DeSmedt scored on a 1-yard run three plays later.
Wood fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Peter Veldman kicked a 36 yard field goal to complete the 17-point surge in just 2:39.
Penn scored early in the first quarter on a Daniel Castles 23-yard catch from Mike Mitchell. Mitchell was 20 of 31 with a touchdown and two interceptions for 196 yards on the day.
Stephen Faulk ran for 79 yards and Mike Recchiuti ran for 51 as Penn totaled 190 yards of rushing.
Hunsberger, who scored Columbia's only touchdown on a 2-yard run in the first quarter, was 19 of 28 for 128 yards. Penn held the Lions to only 10 yards rushing.
Penn is on top of the Ivy League standings with the win, tied with Harvard and Princeton. The Tigers (4-1 overall) held off Brown, 16-14, on Saturday, while Harvard (3-2 overall) fell in a nonleague game to Northeastern, 17-14.
Check out The Daily Pennsylvanian or dailypennsylvanian.com on Monday for a full recap and analysis of the game.
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