Penn football comes up clutch to defeat Columbia 20-17 for first Ivy victory

NEW YORK — With most students away for fall break, Penn football also hit the road, traveling north to Columbia for its first away conference game this season. And after three hours of football under a cloud-filled sky, with rain falling for most of the game, the Quakers (4-1, 1-1) will be returning to campus with a 20-17 defeat of the Lions (2-3, 0-2) on their homecoming weekend.

The game was back-and-forth throughout, but it was the Penn offense that scored the final ten points, and the defense that made key stops to shut Columbia out when it mattered most. 

On the first possession of the game, Penn’s offense marched down the field, with junior quarterback Aidan Sayin completing four of his first five passes. But after the Quaker offense stalled out around the edge of the red zone, they settled for a field goal to score the game’s first points. 

However, as the first quarter went on, the Quakers were hobbled by a series of mistakes in crucial circumstances. A rare sitting interception by Columbia linebacker Rocco Milia, after a tipped ball from Sayin, gave the Lions a short field which they capitalized on with the game’s first touchdown. 

That first Columbia score, however, arguably had less to do with the Lions’ skill and more to do with the Quakers‘ mistakes. After a third-down pass by Columbia quarterback Caden Bell was caught just short of the line to gain, the Lions lined up for a field goal attempt. But an offside penalty on Penn gave Columbia a new set of downs, which Bell capitalized on with a four-yard touchdown run. 

But Penn rebounded quickly, and put together an efficient drive through the air and the ground early in the second quarter. Finding themselves with a fourth and goal inside Columbia’s one-yard line, Sayin left the game in favor of sophomore quarterback Liam O’Brien, who had two rushing touchdowns last week against Georgetown. O’Brien, embracing his inner Jalen Hurts, plowed into the end zone on a quarterback sneak to give Penn a 10-7 lead. 

After the two teams traded punts for much of the second quarter, Columbia put together a fast-paced drive in the closing minutes of the first half. With 28 seconds to go before halftime, Columbia running back Joey Giorgi scored to make the score 14-10 going into the break. 

Defense is said to win championships, and the third quarter saw a defensive masterclass from both teams. After a pair of turnovers — with senior defensive back Shiloh Means intercepting a pass and Columbia’s defense forcing a fumble — the two teams exchanged punts for the remainder of the quarter. For all 15 minutes, the scoreboard remained locked at 14-10. 

“We play balanced football,” Priore said. “A game like this is all about positioning … and the defense did a good job of putting the fire out [in the third quarter].” 

In the fourth quarter, the two offenses woke up: at the start, a potential touchdown catch by Columbia wideout Wills Meyer was ruled incomplete, leading to the Lions settling for a field goal to increase their lead to seven. 

Sayin then took things into his own hands, making a huge effort on Penn’s next drive. Senior running back Jonathan Mulatu and sophomore wide receiver Bisi Owens each contributed 26-yard gains, and Owens caught a touchdown to even the score at 17. 

“I hadn’t really done much up until that drive, and I felt as if now was my time to step up,” Owens said.

After a stop by the Quaker defense, Penn's offense again made their way down the field. But after the Quakers got to fourth down, senior kicker Graham Gotlieb made a field goal to give Penn a 20-17 lead with just over three minutes left to play. 

On the ensuing Columbia possession, Penn’s defense came up big for one last stop, as they forced the Lions to go three and out. Needing to ice the game, Sayin converted a pass to Owens for a first down, allowing the Quakers to kneel out the clock and end the game. 

The Quakers will take the field next in New Haven, Conn. against Yale (3-2, 1-1). As they continue their hunt for their first Ivy title since 2016, next week’s matchup against the defending champions will be a key test.