Friday Night Frights: Penn football falls to Yale in third-straight Ivy loss

Friday Night Lights turned to Friday night frights as Penn fell to Yale 31-10, marking the Quakers’ third-straight Ivy League loss.

Penn’s (2-4, 0-3 Ivy) loss against Yale (4-2, 1-2) was due in part to an early injury to senior quarterback Aidan Sayin. The Quakers defense also struggled against the Bulldogs, as a series of long passes and rushes gave the Bulldogs 497 yards of total offense. 

“[We] relied on the explosive plays on offense,” coach Ray Priore said. “We thought the magic going into it would have been … a better outcome at the end.”

Yale’s first drive was a sign of things to come. A pass from quarterback Grant Jordan to wide receiver David Pantelis was deflected by Penn’s defender but still ended up in Pantelis’ hands for a 31-yard gain, shortly followed by a three-yard rushing touchdown from Jordan for the game’s first score.

On the flip side, the Quakers also struggled to produce on offense. After three-straight incompletions from Sayin, Penn was able to maintain possession after a muffed punt by Yale. But on the next play, Sayin was sacked, fumbled, and suffered an elbow injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game. 

The Bulldogs took advantage with running back Tre Peterson rushing for 16 and 25 yards on consecutive plays. A 19-yard pass from Jordan to wide receiver Chase Nenad gave Yale a 14-point lead just eight minutes into the game. 

Following Sayin’s injury, junior quarterback Liam O’Brien took to the field at the start of Penn’s third drive. Despite a 28-yard kick return, the Quakers lost yardage through unsuccessful attempts to break the Bulldog defense as well as a false-start penalty. 

Penn’s first points of the night came off a 25-yard field goal from junior kicker Sam Smith midway through the second quarter. Yale responded with consistent yardage. But as the Bulldogs reached the red zone, sophomore defensive back Josh Narcisse read the pass from Jordan and intercepted the ball, giving the Quakers a spark of momentum. 

However, O’Brien was quickly sacked in the ensuing drive, and the Red and Blue were unable to capitalize on the rare error from the Bulldogs. After finally forcing a Yale three-and-out, Penn once again struggled on offense, culminating with Yale defensive back Abu Kamara intercepting a pass from O’Brien. A 20-yard reception by wide receiver Joey Felton was all Yale needed for its third touchdown of the night. 

O’Brien finally seemed to put things together on the next drive. A 19-yard pass to junior wide receiver Alex Haight was followed by a pass interference against the Bulldogs, putting Penn in position for a shot at the end zone. O’Brien delivered with a 12-yard rush, quickly followed by a five-yard rush down the middle for Penn’s first touchdown, putting the score at 21-10 as the half came to a close.

As the third quarter began, Sayin was nowhere to be seen on the Quaker’s starting drive. 

“[It was] an injury to his elbow,” Priore said. “His health and welfare is more important than the game.”

The second half was defined by the Bulldogs widening their lead. After forcing a turnover on downs, Yale quickly added another score with a short pass from Jordan, expanding the lead to 18.

A five-yard rush by senior wide receiver Julien Stokes on the following drive brought the Quakers to the Yale one-yard line, a similar situation to last week’s game against Columbia. But two failed rushes from O’Brien and a solid stop from the Yale defensive line on a fourth down attempt from sophomore running back Malachi Hosley killed the Quakers’ momentum. Freshman quarterback Karson Siqueiros-Lasky played for the Quakers in the fourth quarter, but the Quakers were unable to mount a comeback.

“I look for the opportunity. I look for the pressure,” said O’Brien. “I feel like I didn’t do enough at the end of the day.”

Penn will face off next week on the road at Brown at 12 p.m. in Rhode Island. 

“[We have] a week of preparation for Brown,” O’Brien said. “[We’re] just going to make the most of that.”