Penn Preview

The Yale Bulldogs host the Penn Quakers on Saturday at The Bowl. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+.

Penn enters the contest with a 4-1 (2-0 Ivy) record with a lone loss to Lehigh. Penn defeated Dartmouth in a 36-24 contest and defeated Columbia last week in a 35-21 contest.

The Quakers’ offense is led by senior QB Liam O’Brien (6’0”, 200 lbs.) who took over the starting role last year after the Bulldogs injured Sayin. O’Brien has shown striking improvement from 2024 as he has completed 66.5% of his passes for 1,308 yards, 12 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. In the ground game, O’Brien is even more impressive averaging 4.2 yards per carry and has a whopping 5 rushing touchdowns. Senior RB Julien Stokes (5’7”, 190 lbs.) is the top back for Penn following the transfer of Hosley. Stokes is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and trails only O’Brien in rushing yards with 225. It has been reported that Stokes broke his fibula last week and will likely not reappear until the end of the season. Junior RB Sean Williams (5’10”, 195 lbs.) is a solid second option for Penn with an average of 4.1 yards per carry. Senior WR Jared Richardson (6’2”, 220 lbs.) is the star of Penn’s offense and has dominated opponents for years. Richardson has racked up 41 catches for 628 yards and 8 touchdowns through just 5 games. Senior WR Bisi Owens (6’4”, 215 lbs.) has started since his sophomore season and is O’Brien’s second favorite target with 32 receptions for 379 yards and a touchdown. Junior TE Cadin Olsen (6’5”, 230 lbs.) is a solid run blocker who can occasionally impact the passing game with one touchdown reception. Penn’s offensive line averages 308.0 lbs. across the board and has paved the way for 4.1 rushing yards per carry with 9 sacks allowed. The offensive line is a very experienced, veteran unit featuring returning starters across the board. Senior T Netinho Olivieri (6’5”, 315 lbs.) was a 1^st Team All-Ivy selection in 2024 and will likely be the toughest lineman faced to date. The Penn offense is very difficult to contain with nearly the same level of offensive talent in place as Harvard. O’Brien has dangerous weapons at his disposal on passing downs but can also take off downfield to gain chunks of yardage. Yale must win the battle at the line of scrimmage while staying disciplined in pass coverage. Not only will the Bulldogs need to fluster O’Brien in the pocket, but they will also need to contain him so that he cannot slip downfield. Our cornerbacks will need to have their best performances of the season in this contest as Richardson and Owens have yet to be slowed down this season. There is zero margin for error against this talented offense, any personal foul or pass interference penalty could be the difference in the contest.

Priore’s expertise is on the defensive side of the ball where Penn always features a hard-hitting, fast-flowing unit. Senior LB John Lista (6’2”, 220 lbs.) is the leader of the defense and was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy linebacker in 2024. Lista leads the team with 36 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a sack. Senior LB Kadari Machen (6’0”, 220 lbs.) led Penn in tackles in 2024 and has played very well through 5 games with 27 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Sophomore DB Ty Cortes (6’0”, 200 lbs.) has been the most active member of the Quakers’ secondary with 30 tackles, 3 pass breakups and a forced fumble. Junior DB Jayden Drayton (5’10”, 175 lbs.) made the switch from wide receiver to cornerback and has played well, while senior DB Alec Wills (5’11”, 175 lbs.) and junior DB Josh Narcisse (6’0”, 185 lbs.) return with starting experience from 2024. Senior DL Carter Janki (6’5”, 290 lbs.) is the leader along the defensive front and was a 2^nd Team All-Ivy defender a year ago. Outside of Janki, Penn’s defensive line lacks deep experience and could be the weakest unit of the team. Penn has allowed 4.4 rushing yards per attempt and has only racked up 8 sacks on the season. Penn’s offense has been so explosive in the second half of games that some weaknesses on defense have been overlooked. Stonehill, for instance, scored 21 points on the Quakers and nearly rallied to a victory after a huge early deficit. The Bulldogs will need to burn the clock with a healthy dose of Pitsenberger and Daal to keep Penn’s offense off the field. Opponents have scored touchdowns on 9 of 15 drives in the redzone, so finding a way to Penn’s 20-yard line is critical. Turnovers stemming from ball security issues or mental mistakes in the passing game will need to be eliminated at all costs.

Freshman K Mason Walters (5’11”, 180 lbs.) is 4 of 6 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 45 yards. Walters took over the starting role from last year’s starter, senior Sam Smith (5’10”, 185 lbs.), who missed his only field goal attempt against Stonehill. Senior P Santiago Sturla averages 36.6 yards per punt and has placed 3 punts inside the redzone.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Quakers!