Penn Preview

The Bulldogs head to the City of Brotherly Love to square off against the Penn Quakers in a Friday night clash. Kickoff is set for 7 PM, and the game will air on ESPNU.

Penn enters the contest at 2-3 (0-2 Ivy) with losses to Lehigh, Dartmouth, and Columbia. The Quakers will really be fired up for this contest as they lost a heartbreaker last week in the waning seconds when they failed to stop the clock, ran their kicking unit out, noticed they were missing the kicker, ran their kicker out, and had a disjointed attempt that was missed for the loss. The Dartmouth loss was a hard-fought battle, and the Quakers managed to keep Lehigh in check for most of that contest.

The Quakers have two viable options at QB in freshman Miles Teodecki (6’3”, 215 lbs.) and junior Karson Siqueiros-Lasky (6’1”, 190 lbs.). Teodecki was able to secure the starting role as a first-year despite Siqueiros-Lasky being named the starter during media day, and he looks poised to develop into a great one in the league. Siqueiros-Lasky has been playing the last few weeks after a minor injury to Teodecki and rallied the squad for a win over Howard before an up-and-down performance against Columbia with 374 passing yards and 2 TDs but 4 costly picks. Teodecki leads Penn in rushing and passing as a young dual threat, running for 166 yards (4.7 YPC) and throwing for 607 yards, 2 TDs, and 3 interceptions. The running back carries have been spread out between junior Dante West (5’11”, 200 lbs.), sophomore Tommy Lafayette (6’0”, 200 lbs.), and senior Sean Williams Jr. (5’10”, 195 lbs.). Columbia was able to keep their backs in check last week with just 72 yards on 29 attempts. Freshman WR Mason Page (6’2”, 190 lbs.) leads Penn in receiving yards with 301 and 2 TDs. Sophomore WR Isaac Lee (6’0”, 175 lbs.) dominated Columbia with 10 catches for 158 yards. Junior WR Ronan Johannson (6’2”, 195 lbs.) is another dangerous target, averaging 15.9 yards per catch. Junior TE Jack Donnelly (6’2”, 235 lbs.) gets into the mix in the passing game with 11 grabs and a touchdown, while sophomore TE Michael Hegarty (6’5”, 230 lbs.) returns with starting experience. The offensive line averages 298 lbs. across the board with 3 returning starters. The line has been inconsistent, with 3.1 yards per carry and 9 sacks allowed, but Penn’s quarterbacks are fairly mobile in the pocket. The keys to victory this week start up front with solid pass pressure from the defensive tackles and ends. Our secondary has to find its footing this week with DBs keeping everything in front of them, as Penn has multiple weapons at its disposal.

Penn’s defense has been very stingy and is allowing just 252.4 yards of total offense per game. The Quakers are phenomenal on third downs, holding opponents to just a 29.9% conversion rate, and nearly as good on fourth downs at 37.5%. Senior LB Zach Darche (6’1”, 220 lbs.) leads the Quakers with 47 tackles as a rare linebacker and long snapper combo. Senior LB Cole Olsztyn (6’1”, 225 lbs.) is a returning starter from 2025 who is second on the squad with 29 tackles and is solid in pass coverage. Senior DB Josh Narcisse (6’0”, 185 lbs.) is a veteran, multi-year starter at strong safety, while junior DB Ty Cortes (6’0”, 200 lbs.) was an honorable-mention All-Ivy player in 2025. Senior DB Jayden Drayton (5’10”, 175 lbs.) was second-team All-Ivy in 2025. Junior DL Connor Martin (6’4”, 255 lbs.) has been a handful for teams to contain, and the three primary defensive linemen are all 6’4”, which has really thrown off passing lanes for opponents. Reno is certainly susceptible to batted-down passes and will need to proceed with caution in that area. Third-down play calling will need to be on point this week, and the Bulldogs have to find ways to keep drives alive that result in touchdowns. If they want to mimic Rhode Island with a heavy focus on Santiago and Anderson, the Elis will need to get Smith, Jones, Kemp, and Wagner into the fold early on, along with a dose of HDK. Getting Reno into a groove in the first quarter will be the most vital aspect of the contest.

Sophomore K Mason Walters (5’11”, 180 lbs.) will be looking for redemption after last week’s blunder and has connected on 4 of 9 field goal attempts with a long of 52 yards. Freshman P Nate Kashey (6’3”, 190 lbs.) averages 38.1 yards per punt. Drayton is a very talented returner, averaging 27.7 yards per kickoff return with a long of 66 yards, plus 7.7 yards per punt return. In what appears to be a slugfest tonight, the team that wins on special teams will walk away victorious.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Quakers!