Penn football hosts Princeton to close out season on Senior Day

The Quakers (3-6, 1-5 Ivy) will head to Franklin Field for the last time this season to attempt an upset of the Princeton Tigers (8-1, 5-1 Ivy), who are looking to clinch the Ivy League title with a win on Saturday. 

Penn’s offense will look to bounce back from a tough loss against Harvard during which freshman quarterback Aidan Sayin threw three interceptions. 

Penn will rely heavily on running backs Isaiah Malcome and Trey Flowers, who have been consistent scorers for the team. Malcome has notched a touchdown in six of the last seven games, averaging 5.8 yards per carry this season, while Flowers has racked up five touchdowns this season. 

Penn’s defense has allowed its opponents to score on average 20 points per game, but it held strong in key moments against Harvard; the Quakers kept the Crimson to four field goal attempts inside the 25-yard line. 

Penn's defense will have to be flawless in order to contain the Ivy League’s top-scoring offense. The Tigers have put up at least three touchdowns in all but two of their games, and have averaged 33 points per game this season. 

Princeton has won the past two matchups against Penn with the most recent meeting being in 2019, that ended with a 28-7 final score. 

Following the Tigers' Senior Day win against Yale last week — which secured their celebratory bonfire — they are currently tied with Dartmouth for first place in the Ivy League. Princeton's suffocating defense held the Bulldogs to only 58 yards in the second half on Nov. 13, and is seeking a similar performance against a Penn team that has generated some explosive plays, but struggles with consistency. 

With three of the four DP Sports picks predicting a Penn loss, the Quakers will have to overcome both mediocre performances and serious doubt from outsiders in order to win on Senior Day.