Rambaud | Penn football needs to throw the ball more

If I had a nickel for every time the Quakers started Ivy League play 0-3 and their starting quarterback was out with an injury forcing them to start their second-string quarterback in their game against Brown, I’d have two nickels — which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?

Three years ago, it was then-freshman quarterback Aidan Sayin stepping up under center after then-senior John Quinnelly was out with an injury. Now, it was Sayin on the sidelines — sidelined by injury — and junior Liam O’Brien taking the snaps.

It was night and day compared to his game against Yale last week when O’Brien unexpectedly went in after Sayin went down with an elbow injury. Last week, he only completed eight of 13 attempts through the air. This week, he completed 18 of 24 for 247 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first game with a passing touchdown since Penn’s last win against Bucknell, which was three weeks ago.

Regardless of who starts at quarterback next week, Penn needs to throw the ball.

Don’t get me wrong – the ground attack led by sophomore running back Malachi Hosley has been consistent and phenomenal – but Saturday’s matchup is a reminder about how much stronger of a team Penn is when it incorporates its receivers.

Junior wide receiver Jared Richardson put the nation on notice last season and was named an FCS preseason All-American and first-team All-Ivy. He became the go-to man and an absolute threat once he got the ball, averaging 11.8 yards per catch. And he absolutely still is. Just watch his touchdown catch from the Brown game. His athleticism allows him to dominate the game.

But Richardson hasn’t been getting the touches he’s been needing. In last week’s blowout loss, Richardson received the ball one time. Once. In the whole 60 minutes of play.

Granted, Sayin got injured early on and the game plan had to change, but the offense quickly became one dimensional. Richardson was only targeted four times. Against Brown, he was targeted 10 times and caught the ball seven. Obviously, he can’t catch the ball every time as he will be double or even triple teamed sometimes, but you need to set up opportunities for him to try to get the ball.

And it doesn’t apply to just Richardson. Junior wide receiver Bisi Owens similarly burst onto the scene last season. Standing at 6’4, he’s another prime athlete that can make great plays if given the opportunity. He too shot up in receptions compared to the previous week, jumping from one to six, and his 89 yards were his most of this season.

What stood out in this Brown game was how much more willing they were to throw the ball, whether that be because they felt they had the advantage over the Brown defensive secondary or because O’Brien was more comfortable this time around. Regardless of the reason, throwing the ball worked.

With a successful week under their belts, Penn should build off this offensive momentum. Have trust in O’Brien and the receiving corps. The next step should be to incorporate more receivers. Against Brown, only five different players received the ball. An increased number of receivers could make for a more varied offense attack and take pressure off Richardson who receives extra pressure.

And now there’s three games left. To win out, Penn needs to incorporate all aspects of the offense. They need to feed the ball to Richardson, Owens, and the rest of the receivers regardless of who’s the quarterback. You have one of the best receivers in the conference with Richardson; it’d be remiss not to use him.

The last time Penn started 1-3 in Ivy League play, they finished 1-6. Time to see if this time it will shape up any differently.