Crain | Where does Penn football go from here?

On Friday night, the stage was set for Penn football to put on a show. The Franklin Field crowd was lively, bolstered by the students and their family members in attendance for Family Weekend. The game against Yale would be nationally televised. And the Quakers had won this matchup last year in New Haven, a contest in which junior wide receiver Jared Richardson set the program single-game receptions record. 

Only one ingredient was missing: victory. 

The game I saw on Friday night was about as lopsided as the final score would suggest. But it also summed up this season so far for Penn football, which has been long on frustration and short of highlights nearly halfway through Ivy League play. 

Before delving into any analysis, I want to say two things. Firstly, I do not know much about Aidan Sayin’s health. The senior quarterback left the game in the first quarter with an arm injury, and coach Ray Priore didn’t have many details about his prognosis postgame. But I hope that his injury is not serious and that he recovers quickly. 

Second, Penn will not win the Ivy League this year. In the entire seven-decade history of the Ancient Eight, a three-loss team has never finished atop the conference standings. Moreover, the Quakers’ performances in their first three league games give me minimal confidence they can go undefeated the rest of the way. 

With that said, let’s delve into Friday night. Functionally, the game was over when Sayin left it during the first quarter. His backup, junior quarterback Liam O’Brien, is clearly physically gifted. His legs add a dimension to the Quaker offense that Sayin cannot match. But he is still raw, and there are noticeable flaws in his game. 

O’Brien wasn’t handed any favors with the circumstances he entered the game in. The Quakers trailed 14-0 just eight minutes into the game after the Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their first two drives. Overall, Yale rushed for 208 yards on nearly six yards per carry, well above their averages thus far in conference play. 

Through the air, it was just as atrocious. Yale quarterback Grant Jordan completed 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. At 9.6 yards per attempt — nearly every time Jordan threw the ball — the Bulldogs got almost enough yardage for a first down.

The game got out of hand quickly. Following an O’Brien rushing touchdown in the second quarter, I had a glimmer of hope at halftime. That was extinguished when Penn punted on its first drive of the third quarter, and the Bulldogs then methodically drove down the field to score another touchdown. 

Penn football’s loss — dropping the team to 0-3 in conference play — leaves me with many more questions than answers. I do not know what the team’s identity is. I trust that the players will continue to try their best, and so far I have not heard any indication that Priore has lost the locker room. But I’m also not sure what is reasonable to expect from this team for the remainder of 2024. 

With four games remaining, there is plenty of opportunity for this team to salvage something from this season. Players can still gain valuable experience for future seniors, or — for seniors — there are still chances for memories to be made. Highlight plays like sophomore defensive back Josh Narcisse’s interception are no less amazing. A win against Princeton would go a long way to end the season on a high note. These may seem like consolation prizes, and I suppose they are. But in a season which has been disappointing thus far, those are all that could be left.