Penn football played Delaware on Sep. 21, 2019.
Credit: Son NguyenThe QuakeShow is underway.
This weekend, the long-awaited start to Penn’s football season begins. The journey starts away from home with the Quakers facing the Delaware fighting Blue Hens (2-0) in a non-conference clash. The Blue Hens are off to a strong start, evident by their blowout wins against Bryant and North Carolina A&T. The Red and Blue are hoping to stifle the Hens and put a blue feather in their cap to start the year.
“It’s going to be a terrific atmosphere to play in. You’re going against, perhaps, one of the most talented teams that [we’ll] play this year,” said coach Ray Priore. “It’s just the combination [of their skill position players] that really gets you to raise your level. We hopefully also will come up with a great victory.”
As with any season opener, there will be a mix of nerves and excitement. Penn will come into the game fresh, having not played yet this season. With this in mind, Priore believes that the team will succeed, despite their precarious situation, by weathering the first quarter.
“[Delaware] will have an advantage. No doubt about that. [Delaware will] have two games played before we step on the field. So, there’s going to be that first game [experience],” Priore said. “I’ve used the word jitters, but opportunities that our kids have to acclimate themselves relatively fast, okay, to get themselves ready to play the game.”
The last time the Quakers faced Delaware was in 2019, when the Blue Hens snuck out a victory over Penn by a final score of 28-27. This time around, the Quakers will face a scorching hot Blue Hen offense that put up 48 and 42 points in their previous two games.
Spectacular quarterback play from Delaware’s Ryan O’Connor has been the key. O’Connor tallied four touchdowns in their first win against Bryant and added a touchdown through the air and on the ground against North Carolina A&T. In order to stop Delaware’s high-flying offense, Penn’s defense will need to figure out a way to limit O’Connor’s production.
Further, to keep up with Delaware’s offense, the Quakers will also need to generate some points. To do this, offensive coordinator Greg Chimera hopes to get sophomore running back Malachi Hosley and junior wide receiver Jared Richardson going early in the game. With Hosley in the back field and Richardson out wide, senior quarterback Aiden Sayin will look to utilize the team's explosiveness and big-play ability to move the sticks.
Like last year, the Quakers aim to get a win in their opening game while also preparing themselves for the rest of the season. While it is no small task to get a win against a team like Delaware away from home, the team understands that the experience they gain from this tough matchup will help them make the necessary adjustments moving forward.
“We just want to play hard, brand the football, play small, play hard, and make sure we're doing all the little things right,” Priore said. “If we do that, then that still will snowball to a great second week, third week, and fourth week, but getting excited about the first, the first one.”
Although starting off strong last year didn’t necessarily translate towards the middle and latter parts of the season, I expected Penn to come out ready to show why early games are just as important as those later on.
Score Prediction:
Penn 27, Delaware 24.
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