Football falls to Columbia, 23-17

Hunter Martin

Match Review: Football | October 19, 2024

PHILADELPHIA – Looking for a way to erase a first-half deficit, University of Pennsylvania football pulled ahead late in the fourth quarter and ultimately lost to Columbia 23-17 on Saturday at Franklin Field.

Penn falls to 0-2 in Ivy League play, while the Lions – who received votes in the latest AFCA Coaches’ Poll – improve their conference record to 2-0.

Quaker note flour
*This will be published later tonight.

How it happened

Early in the first quarter, Penn received the ball and slowly made its way upfield, but could not find its way into the end zone. Likewise, Columbia failed on its first drive and gave the ball right back to the Quakers. A miscommunication on a pass play by Sayin allowed the Lions’ Aaron Brebnor to intercept the pass.

Columbia took advantage of the opportunity and scored its first score of the day on a touchdown pass from Chase Goodwin to Marcus Libman, ending the first quarter with a 7-0 lead.

The Quakers didn’t give up quickly and converted two 4th-and-short plays on the same drive. However, they were unable to overcome the Lions’ defense and gave up the ball at Penn’s 31. Columbia maintained its perseverance and continued pushing further down the field, including a 26-yard pass from Goodwin to Bryson Canty. Ultimately, the Lions couldn’t find the end zone and threw the ball back to Penn.

Penn’s next drive ended with a second Sayin interception, caught by Columbia’s Hayden McDonald and ran back 19 yards to match Penn’s 18 yards. Goodwin and Canty combined to give Columbia a double-digit lead, 14-0, halfway through the second quarter.

Sayin and the offense took their time running down the clock, which paid off in dividends Malachi Hosley rushed a yard through, giving Penn its first score of the day and cutting the Lions’ lead to seven points. With a minute left in the quarter, Columbia was able to create a scoring opportunity that led to Hugo Merry’s 29-yard field goal, ending the first half with a 17-7 lead.

Columbia tried to carry the same momentum into the second half, but quickly gave the ball back with a three-and-out. The Red and Blue took action into their own hands, completing a 13-play, 80-yard drive as Sayin ran the ball 18 yards and spun over the pylon to cut the deficit to 17-14.

The Quakers had a spark of energy that pushed the Lions close to the goal line after that John Lista knocked off an intended pass from Goodwin to Canty. In return, Goodwin threw a 36-yard pass to Braden Dougherty to push the team further downfield. The Lions were in scoring position but only conceded a field goal to Merry after a quarterback sack by Talley.

While Penn kept the ball for another offensive possession, Sayin only completed one pass to Owens. Penn gave the ball back to Columbia with 1:25 left in the third quarter but had to work quickly to score. The Lions had two consecutive fundamental plays that quickly took them downfield. Goodwin completed a 29-yard pass to Canty and then Joey Giorgi ran 30 yards to run out the clock.

In the fourth quarter, Columbia settled for another field goal from Merry to extend its lead to 23-14. After the Red and Blue made a three-pointer, the Lions took the lead at their own 28-yard line and pushed their way down the field, with Merry missing what could have been the dagger.

With half a quarter remaining in regulation, Penn took the lead and Sayin completed a 25-yard pass Jared Richardson to get back into Columbia Territory. The Quakers had no luck turning into the end zone Sam Smith A 25-yard field goal made it 23:17 again. In the final minutes, Columbia took its time and finally gave the ball back to Penn with 14 seconds left.

Sayin found Owens for 24 yards, which then went out of bounds with six seconds left. Another quick pass from Sayin to Owens went for seven yards, while the senior QB was sacked for a loss of six yards, ending the game.

Next

Penn plays Yale under the lights at Franklin Field on Friday night in a nationally televised matchup on ESPNU. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Both the Quakers and Bulldogs are looking for their first wins in Ancient Eight play.

For the latest on Penn Football, follow @PennFB on X (formerly Twitter), @PennFootball on Instagram and online at PennAthletics.com.

#BEGREAT

#FightOnPenn