Rambaud | Penn football's game against Columbia was missed chance after missed chance

Coming into Penn football's clash with Columbia, I was hoping for an afternoon full of post-touchdown renditions of “Fight On” and cheerleaders driving a helmet cart down the track. Instead, the Quakers have fallen to 0-2 in conference play.

While “Fight On” rang out twice in celebration, senior Aidan Sayin was also picked off twice too. And the team as a unit committed eight penalties, leading to a loss of a whopping 70 yards. Conversely, the Lions capitalized on opportunity after opportunity on offense. Penn couldn’t do the same.

Columbia was able to win the game despite Penn controlling the ball for much of the early going. Penn led for possession time for the total game by a margin of two minutes. But in the first half, Penn held the ball for about 19 minutes compared to Columbia’s 11. Despite the time disparity, Columbia led 17-7. It’s not about how much time you get – it’s what you do with it. They made every second count, including charging down the field with one minute left in the first half to tack on a field goal.

It's easy to look at the box score and blame Sayin for his two interceptions. But overcoming such a performance is doable. Later Saturday evening, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw three interceptions and zero touchdowns and his team still pulled off a 30-15 upset over Texas. How? Because in that game, Georgia scored 17 points off three forced turnovers in the first half. The Red and Blue defense just hasn't been able to award the offense those same chances.

Take the third quarter, for example. Columbia wide receiver Edan Stagg muffed the punt and the Lions began the drive on their own two-yard line. But a pass interference call moved Columbia 15 yards forward. And then on third-and-10 on their own 17-yard line, Columbia moved the chains off a pass up the middle for a gain of 36 yards.

Late in the game, after Penn brought it to 23-17 and with less than four minutes left on the clock, Penn decided to punt the ball back to Columbia. It was a move rooted in trust – a sign to your defense that you believed that you’d get them the ball back. The defense did get them the ball back – but with 14 seconds left on the clock and deep in their own territory.

Yes, they serve up big plays, including a huge sack by senior defensive back Julian Talley in the red zone, but they have not been forcing turnovers like other Ivy teams. The unit has had one interception – tied for the fewest in the Ivy League with Dartmouth – and three forced fumbles. With the second half of the season still to go, the defense will need to force opponents off the field faster.

But don’t be fooled by thinking the afternoon was without its shining moments. The offensive line did a great job at protecting the pocket for Sayin, and sophomore running back Jamal Bing Jr. is proving himself to be a strong second option. Senior wide receiver Julien “Juice” Stokes continues to cement himself back in the offense, and Sayin had great scrambles for extra yards and while throwing for 241 yards. It just wasn’t enough this time.

Things are clicking for the Quakers, but they need to come together quicker. There are five Ivy League games left for Penn this year. And with how competitive Ivy League play has been so far, there’s still hope for the Quakers.

However, they need to find a way to put the pieces together on Friday against Yale — the only other 0-2 team. Friday Night Lights is both team’s best opportunity to stay alive. Who’s going to make the most of it?