Nothing left for Penn football to lose

Penn football has nothing left to lose. At least, that’s the way the Quakers put it.

Coming off a 41-20 loss in their Ivy League opener last Saturday, the Red and Blue (1-2) have one final non-conference game on tap before wrapping up their season with six consecutive Ivy contests. But if last season’s outing against Fordham is any indication, this weekend might not be pretty.

The Rams (4-1) are the 13th-ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision, marking the second consecutive non-Ivy matchup for Penn against one of the toughest teams in the country. Last season, Fordham destroyed the Quakers, 60-22, handing the program its worst loss under former coach Al Bagnoli.

That October matchup was particularly poignant for Penn because of the injuries it caused. Then-freshman running back Tre Solomon tore his ACL against the Rams, ending a promising season for the rookie from Brooklyn.

Now approaching the one-year anniversary of that injury, the sophomore feels no ill will towards this weekend’s opponent, but is looking forward to helping the Red and Blue get back on track after Saturday’s loss to Dartmouth.

“Injuries are a part of the game, and I accept that,” Solomon said. “They caught me, it was a freak accident and wasn’t like anyone tried to hurt me, so I don’t really have animosity towards them in terms of me getting hurt.

“At this point, I feel like we have nothing to lose really after losing last week so badly. Everyone’s just going into this with a nothing-to-lose mentality.”

For Solomon, who went to high school not far from Fordham’s campus, is also excited for this weekend’s contest for more personal reasons. Having gone head-to-head with players currently on the Rams’ roster while growing up, Solomon is excited to match himself up against his former rivals.

“It’s a little extra motivation for me to prove that I can still beat them,” he said. “At the same time, it’s exciting because we get to see how much we’ve grown since high school, and it’s always fun to go up against them.”

Whereas Solomon was the one who found himself hampered by an injury against Fordham in 2014, it is another member of the Quakers’ starting backfield who will likely be unavailable for Saturday’s game.

Quarterback Alek Torgersen suffered a head injury late in the first half of Penn’s loss to the Big Green at Franklin Field last weekend. Although the junior tried to continue playing after the initial hit, the Red and Blue’s coaching staff pulled him from the game, and it appears he is unlikely to play against the Rams.

“Right now, he’s getting evaluated by the doctors, and we won’t know his status for a couple of days,” coach Ray Priore said. “It’s a concussion protocol, and other than getting tested and riding bikes, he hasn’t done any other physical activity.”

With Torgersen ailing, the Quakers turned to senior Andrew Lisa behind center against Dartmouth. Having never played a down with Penn, the Moorestown, N.J., native entered the game and summarily threw two touchdown passes in his collegiate debut.

Although it remains unclear if Lisa will actually start on Saturday, the veteran is prepared for whatever gets thrown his way.

“I try and go into each week like I am the starter, just in case a scenario like last week does happen, and I need to come in and perform,” he noted. “I’m just preparing like I’m going to be the starter, and whether it’s me or it’s [Torgersen], we’ll make things work.

Regardless of who lines up at quarterback for the Quakers, the bigger problem for Penn may be its ability to contain the Rams’ attack. Fordham has scored 35 or more points in four of its five contests, with the lone exception being the squad’s 14-7 loss to Villanova on Sept. 12.

Yet while the Rams’ pedigree and the non-conference nature of Saturday’s game may lead many to think that Penn should rest its key players before resuming Ivy play, Priore has no plans of doing so.

“We need to get better with the players who are available and can play, but we’re not going in and thinking we’re going to sit someone because we’re afraid they’re going to get hurt,” he said. “At this point, we just need to get better.”

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.