Sophomore wide receiver Justin Watson was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week and STATS FCS Player of the Week after racking up 249 yards in Saturday's win over Harvard.
Penn Athletics could see one of its teams bring home the program's first Ivy title of 2015-16 on Saturday. But a couple performances over this past weekend garnered plenty of awards for athletes sporting the Red and Blue.
In Penn football's 35-25 upset of No. 12 Harvard, wide receiver Justin Watson did a little bit of everything to help the Quakers end the Crimson's 22-game winning streak. The sophomore from Bridgeville, Pa., hauled in seven catches for 149 yards and a touchdown while also carrying the ball five times for 100 yards and a score.
Watson's effort — highlighted by an early 68-yard touchdown reception and a 79-yard run late in the fourth quarter — didn't only draw the attention of Harvard's defenders. Thanks to his performance in Massachusetts, the wideout was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week as well as STATS FCS National Player of the Week.
Saturday's game saw Watson go over the century mark in receiving yards for the fourth consecutive game and the fifth time in six contests. In nearly two full seasons with the Quakers, Watson has never had fewer than two receptions in a game, and his seven touchdown receptions in 2015 are the most in a season for a Penn wide receiver since 2003.
But as the Red and Blue look to clinch their first Ivy championship since 2012 on Saturday, Watson isn't the only sophomore athlete making waves with his output over the past several days.
Penn basketball's Sam Jones is in full heat-check mode at the beginning of this year. In the Quakers' season-opening games on Friday and Sunday, the forward stroked a cool 48 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 10 of his 21 three-point attempts in two contests.
As a result, Jones picked up this season's first Ivy League Player of the Week honors on Monday, his second weekly award within the Ancient Eight after winning Ivy Rookie of the Week honors once a year ago. With the Red and Blue off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2004, the Gilbert, Ariz., native tied his career high with 23 points against Central Connecticut State after notching 21 points against Robert Morris on Friday.
Now, with both teams in position to do damage moving forward in November, the pair of underclassmen can look to add a little more hardware to their respective trophy cases.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.