Penn has a Sholly good time

Jared Sholly never expected this to happen.

He is a left defensive tackle, one of three interior lineman in Penn’s 5-2 schema. He had no interceptions — and just one solo tackle — in his NCAA career and just one interception in his entire football life.

But there he was on Saturday with the only touchdown in Penn’s 9-0 win over Yale at Franklin Field.

“Some people were coming up to me saying that I had more points than both of the offenses combined,” Sholly said. “So I got a good laugh out of that.”

Late in the first quarter, Penn had the Bulldogs pinned deep in their own territory. Quarterback Brook Hart was sacked on first down for a loss of nine yards, and a short run and a false start penalty set up 3rd and 23 from the Yale 15.

Hart, a lefty, lined up in the shotgun with running backs on each side. Moving backwards and to his left, he tried to complete a screen pass across his body to the rusher on his right.

Instead, he hit Sholly between the numbers.

“It was a great call — I was right where I needed to be,” Sholly, a sophomore said. “The quarterback pretty much just threw it right to me, and the rest was just execution.

“Coaches, they always talk about visualizing making the big play,” he continued. “And I think that helps a lot. Every time when we’re sitting in the locker room, waiting before the game, [you’re] just visualizing yourself making the play, and that’s key.”

Sholly went to high school in Clear Lake, Iowa — population 8,161, according to the 2000 Census— where he captained the football team and notched his only other interception in a state semi-final game. Now at 6-foot-1, 250 pounds, he excelled at the shot put and discus toss. Despite his size, he was also a state qualifier in the 4x100 relay and a quality basketball player.

He displayed his athleticism Saturday. After making the catch, he had a pretty easy route to the end zone; only Hart, the quarterback, stood in his way. But Sholly had seen that, and unlike many lineman and linebackers, made sure to secure the football before taking off at full speed for the empty space ahead.

“I’ve never seen him run that fast,” Penn coach Al Bagnoli quipped.

Nobody knew then that neither team would score again. Even at the time, though, it was clear that Sholly’s pick-six changed the complexion of the game. Only five minutes prior, Yale was attempting a 54-yard field goal to take an early lead.

Now, the Bulldogs were down by two scores. Yale linebacker Tim Handlon said that his team uses a “sudden-change drill” to work on responses to a momentum swing like that. But on a day where points were nearly impossible to come by, such preparedness wasn’t enough.

So Sholly could revel in the good-natured ribbing, the high-fives and hugs on the sidelines —the pride that comes with a defensive score.

“That’s the ultimate — when you score a defensive touchdown, and a defensive lineman does it,” Bagnoli said. “That’s a special play.”

Said quarterback Kyle Olson with a laugh: “Hey man, if he can score as many touchdowns as he wants, that’s all good for us. I’d like to put up some more points than Jared, but beggars can’t be choosers. We’ll take the win.”

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