PENN’S FIRST-EVER WIN: Penn 4, All-Philadelphia 0 (November 17, 1876)
Win No. 1 came against the “All-Philadelphia” team as the Quakers scored four “goals” to their opponents’ zero. (Penn’s other two games of its inaugural season were losses to Princeton, but we don’t have to talk about those.)

PENN’S FIRST WIN OVER ANOTHER COLLEGE TEAM: Penn 9, Swarthmore 0 (November 11, 1878)
Penn’s first win against another college team was an all-out dismantling as it scored nine goals and 16 touchdowns to Swarthmore’s zero in both categories. (16 touchdowns was a lot back then, right?)

PENN FINALLY BEATS PRINCETON: Penn 6, Princeton 4 (November 5, 1892)
After 27 straight losses to Princeton, Penn finally beat its neighbors to the north, 6-4. Penn went 15-1 that season – George Woodruff’s first as head coach – as it began to assert itself as a national powerhouse.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: Penn 18, Harvard 4 (November 29, 1894)
Penn defeated Harvard, 18-4, and earned its first national championship after recording the first undefeated campaign in the program’s short 18-year history. The Red and Blue posted a 12-0 record under Head Coach George Woodruff. Other wins included Virginia, Navy and Princeton (only the second in 30 meetings). The Quakers averaged 30.5 ppg while allowing just 1.6 ppg. Penn shut out nine of its 12 opponents.

FIRST FOOTBALL GAME AT FRANKLIN FIELD: Penn 40, Swarthmore 0 (October 1, 1895)
Stands are built at the stadium’s current location at 33rd and Spruce Streets. The stadium is opened for the Penn Relays, and the Quakers shut out Swarthmore, 40-0, on their way to another national title, in the first football game played at Franklin Field.

BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: Penn 46, Cornell 2 (November 28, 1895)
Penn defeated Cornell, 46-2, capping back-to-back undefeated seasons, as well as a second-consecutive national title. Penn did itself two better in 1895 going 14-0 under Head Coach George Woodruff. Ten shutouts, including Virginia, and wins over Penn State and Harvard were the highlights as the Quakers averaged 34.3 ppg while surrendering just 1.7 ppg.

“SAVING EMBARRASSMENT”: Penn 12, Cornell 11 (November 27, 1902)
Cornell came to Philadelphia for what would become a tradition for much of the century -- a Thanksgiving showdown with the Quakers on Franklin Field. The visitors dominated Penn during the first half. The Big Red’s offense generated 240 yards to Penn’s 85 and outscored the Quakers 11-0 in the first two quarters. During the intermission, Cornell, one of the strongest teams in the nation, sent a message to Penn offering to shorten the game to save the Quakers from further humiliation, as the Big Red had also defeated Penn 23-0 the previous year. But Penn refused to end the final game of its season on such a sour note, emerging in the second half as an almost entirely different team. The Quakers moved the ball 235 yards and held Cornell to just 40. Carl Williams’ Red and Blue scored 12 points to win the game -- Penn would not allow another point until the eighth game of the next season -- and the embarrassment belonged solely to Cornell.

SITE OF THE ORIGINAL HORSESHOE: Penn 27, Dickinson 0 (September 26, 1903)
In response to inadequate seating for big games, wooden stands in the stadium were replaced by a brick horseshoe, seating 20,000 fans and making Franklin Field the first permanent horseshoe college stadium, and Penn defeated Dickinson, 27-0, in its season opener.

Penn 34, Cornell 0 (November 24, 1904)
One of the most dominant years in Penn history concluded with a 34-0 whitewashing of Cornell. The Quakers allowed only four points the entire season.

“THE CARLISLE INDIANS”: Carlisle 26, Penn 6 (October 26, 1907)
The Carlisle Indians of 1907 would be the most dynamic team in college football, as they pioneered that elegant, new invention called the passing game. The Indians were about to take off. Carlisle roared off to a 6-0 start. They came to Philadelphia to face unbeaten Penn, ranked fourth in the nation, at Franklin Field before a crowd of 22,800. No team all season had crossed Penn’s goal line. On just the second play of the game, Carlisle fullback Pete Hauser whipped a 40-yard forward pass over the middle that fleet end William Gardner caught on a dead run. There are three or four signal moments in the evolution of football, and this was one of them. Imagine the excitement of the crowd that day -- and the confusion of the defenders -- if all they had ever seen was a densely packed, scrumlike game. Suddenly, the center snapped the ball three yards deep to a man who was a powerful runner, a deadeye passer and a great kicker. The play must have felt like an electric charge. It was the sporting equivalent of the Wright brothers taking off at Kitty Hawk. And it utterly baffled the Quakers. From that moment on, the Indians threw all over the field. To the panicked Quakers, the Carlisle receivers came at them like a stampede. At the start of a play, every man shot downfield. Some decoyed the defensive backs and others hit the safeties. Penn’s All-American fullback, William “Big Bill” Hollenback, described what it was like: “I’d see the ball sailing in my direction. And at the same time came the thundering of what appeared to be a tribe of Indians racing full tilt in my direction. When this gang hit you, they just simply wiped you out, and you lost all other interest in the football contest.” There was one other significant event that day: Jim Thorpe’s debut. In the first half, Carlisle’s veteran starting halfback, Albert Payne, wrenched his knee. Thorpe finally had his chance, and he raced onto the field. He was so excited that the first time Carlisle called his number, he ran in the opposite direction from his blockers and was buried under a pile of tacklers. But on the next play, he ran 45 yards. The Indians completed 8 of 16 passes -- even Thorpe threw one -- and outgained Penn by 402 yards to 76. The Quakers were so confused by the Indians’ fakes and feints that they “finally reached a point where the players ran in circles emitting wild yawps,” Carlisle head coach Pop Warner remembered. Carlisle won, 26-6. The ease of Carlisle’s victory over Penn startled and discomfited football traditionalists. The New York Times reported that the Indians’ explosive use of the pass “put all the coaches at the large universities at sea.” Clearly, the Indians were miles ahead of any other team. Unsurprisingly, the competition did not congratulate them for it, but resented them. In the past, the Indians had been a novelty act, a plucky little team that played over their heads. But now they were a powerful and undefeated machine, and they had made an opponent look slow and stupid.

Penn 29, Michigan 0 (November 14, 1908)
Head coach Sol Metzger’s only season in charge produced an unblemished record, a national championship and this 29-0 win at Michigan, the winningest team of all-time.

“THE MOST SPECTACULAR GAME EVER PLAYED”: Penn 27, Michigan 21 (November 9, 1912)
After losing four straight games, Penn appeared destined for its fifth straight defeat as powerful Michigan had stormed to a 21-0 lead at Franklin Field by halftime. During the intermission, trainer Mike Murphy, withered to less than 100 pounds and dying of tuberculosis, asked coach Andy Smith for a uniform, saying, “I just want to wear the Red and Blue to show these boys how to fight.”  No team in history had ever come back from a deficit so great. But with a minute to play in the fourth quarter, the Red and Blue had slashed the Wolverines’ lead to just one point, and Michigan was lined up in punt formation. Richard Marshall received the punt on the Penn 48 and escaped three tackles on his way to what The Daily Pennsylvanian called “the most spectacular touchdown ever made on the American gridiron.”  The jubilant crowd rushed the field and it took the police and players five minutes to restore order so that the final minute of the game could be played. When it was completed, Penn emerged victorious from “what is generally conceded to be the greatest football contest of all time,” according to that Monday’s DP.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S FIRST TELEVISED GAME: Penn 51, Maryland 0 (October 5, 1940)
Franklin Field is the site of the first-ever telecast of a college football game as Penn routs Maryland, 51-0. Local station Philco/WPTZ-3 (now KYW) used two cameras to broadcast all of the action.

WALT MOTSON’S 93-YARD INTERCEPTION RETURN: Penn 55, Maryland 6 (October 25, 1941)
Penn’s Walt Motson returned an interception for a school-record 93 yards, as the Quakers routed Maryland, 55-6, at Franklin Field. Click to watch Walt Motson’s school-record 93-yard interception return.

Penn 21, Navy 0 (October 25, 1947)
Head coach George Munger’s only undefeated season included this 21-0 shutout of Navy at Franklin Field. Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik was the team’s star two-way player on that squad.

Penn 42, Dartmouth 26 (October 14, 1950) **
Reds Bagnell had his share of incredible days at Franklin Field, but none eclipsed this one in front of a packed stadium and a live television audience (ABC Sports broadcasted all of Penn’s home games that season). In a 42-26 whipping of Dartmouth, Bagnell set two national records with 490 total yards and 14 consecutive pass completions. Bagnell finished with 276 passing yards and 214 rushing yards. No matter how you arrange them, those number are just plain huge. But Bagnell didn’t start out flaming. He had only two rushes and four completions in the first quarter for a total of 62 yards. The six-foot, 178-pound back began to heat up, though, in the second quarter. Bagnell scored two touchdowns in that second period and started his record-breaking streak of 14 straight completions with some under-the-coverage passes out of the tailback spot. Tom Hanlon, a junior end for the Quakers, caught six of those short Bagnell passes for 75 yards in the first half alone. Hanlon did end up hurting himself -- he suffered a season-ending broken ankle late in the second quarter -- but that wasn’t the fault of Bagnell. And the loss of his star receiver didn’t slow down the All-American tailback. Bagnell completed all seven of his passes in the third quarter for 60 yards. Still, that was just a precursor to the Germantown Academy graduate’s stellar fourth quarter. Bagnell completed his first three passes of the final period -- including his only passing touchdown of the game, a 60-yard strike to John Moses. Bagnell’s next and final pass of the game fell incomplete, but he still had some running to do. The pass to Moses was effective, but the real highlights of that quarter were Bagnell’s rushes. He only had two of them, but those pair of attempts resulted in 108 yards -- 27 more than Dartmouth totaled on the ground the entire day. And the second of those rushes was a 64-yard touchdown scamper with 19 seconds remaining, giving Bagnell the record. Click to watch some of the Reds Bagnell highlights.

Penn 39, Dartmouth 14 (October 6, 1951)
Glenn Adams completed 11-of-20 passes for 190 yards and four touchdowns in leading Penn to a 39-14 victory over Dartmouth.

“A VALIANT LOSS”: Notre Dame 28, Penn 20 (November 7, 1953)  **
In 1953, Penn stood at a crossroads. The Quakers were severely restricted by the rules of the newly formed Ivy League. But with football schedules being made several years in advance, the Ivy restrictions took effect three years before the league’s round-robin schedule would begin, and the Red and Blue faced a schedule laden with some of the nation’s top teams. This “suicide schedule” included Vanderbilt, Penn State, Ohio State, Navy and Michigan. The toughest opponent, though, was national No.1 Notre Dame. When the Irish opened up a 21-7 halftime lead, George Munger’s troops appeared doomed. But Penn stormed back, outscoring the Irish 13-7 in the third to cut the deficit to eight. Penn, led by QB Ed Gramigna, stormed down the field early in the fourth quarter, desperately trying to get back into the game. When they got down to the goal line, however, Notre Dame’s Johnny Lattner, then one of the best players in the country, intercepted a Gramigna pass and the Quakers were denied. The Irish might not have escaped victorious without Lattner. In addition to his key interception, the All-American rushed 12 times for 60 yards and returned one kickoff 56 yards to the Penn 26 and another 92 yards for a first-quarter touchdown. Click to watch highlights of Penn’s valiant comeback effort.

FRANK RIEPL’S RECORD 108-YARD KICKOFF RETURN: Notre Dame 46, Penn 14 (November 5, 1955) **
No. 6 Notre Dame walked into Franklin Field fully expecting an easy victory over Penn, who had not won a game all season and was facing a 16-game losing streak. After the coin toss, it was determined that Notre Dame would kick off to the Quakers. Fighting Irish kicker Paul Hornung prepared to start the game. For the Red and Blue, sophomore Frank Riepl -- who was appearing in his first game ever for the Quakers -- stood ready to return the kick. The whistle blew, the ball was kicked and it flew eight yards deep into the Penn end zone. Riepl stunned everyone as he caught the ball and began moving up the field. With the biggest crowd of the season (45,226) in Franklin Field stunned, Riepl ran straight at the oncoming Fighting Irish. The Quaker ran straight up the middle to the Penn 35-yard line, with the help of a number of phenomenal blocks. The sophomore then cut to the right sideline. That cut opened up the field, and no player was able to catch the young halfback as he tore down the remaining 65-yards of Franklin Field straight to the end zone. Riepl had returned the opening kickoff from deep in Penn’s own end zone 108 yards to give the Quakers a very quick 7-0 lead. The Fighting Irish stood stunned as the Quakers rejoiced in the end zone. Penn’s surprise start shook up the Fighting Irish so much that they fumbled four times and threw two interceptions before regrouping. Nevertheless, the Quaker lead was short-lived, as Notre Dame replied with a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. The Red and Blue weren’t giving up without a fight, however. The Quakers took advantage of the shaken up Notre Dame team, recovering a fumble in the second quarter that led to a scoring drive and a 14-7 lead. After Bob Barber recovered the fumble on the Notre Dame 13-yard line, Riepl threw a pass to Barber in the end zone on the first play. Riepl, an all-around player, kicked the extra point, as he had previously in the game, to bring the Quaker total to 14. Going into the second half of the game, Penn held the Fighting Irish to a 14-14 stalemate. But Notre Dame came back in the end with authority, winning the game, 46-14. Click to watch Frank Riepl’s record 108-yard kickoff return.

Penn State 19, Penn 14 (September 28, 1957)
A two-touchdown underdog, Penn battled but lost a tough 19-14 decision to Penn State, at Franklin Field. Click to watch some of the highlights.

“THE BEST NON-WINNING TEAM WINS”: Penn 33, Yale 20 (November 9, 1957)
Penn was winless in its first six games, having lost a 19-14 decision to Penn State and blowing leads against Dartmouth, Princeton and Harvard. The New York Post called the Red and Blue “the best non-winning team in the country.” The Quakers had lost 29 out of 33 games under coach Steve Sebo and earlier in the week, a DP editorial had called for his ouster. Enter Yale, which had lost just one game and could not believe that it would lose to lowly Penn, and Francis Riepl, the Quakers star defensive back without whom the Quakers had lost every game. At the beginning of the game, the Elis seemed to have things in hand, bolting to a 13-0 lead. But when the Elis next put points on the scoreboard, Penn had tallied 33. The Red and Blue did not lose for the rest of the season. Click to watch.

Penn 47, Lafayette 0 (September 28, 1963)
Penn had its finest opener in over a decade in gaining a 47-0 win over Lafayette, at Franklin Field. The Quakers had 19 first downs to three for the Leopards and gained 363 yards rushing. It was Penn’s 15th straight win in the series with Lafayette’s last win coming in 1923.

“THE COIN TOSS DECISION GAME”: Penn 7, Harvard 2 (November 2, 1963)  **
Even Harvard is vulnerable to the Sports Illustrated jinx. Two days after being featured on the magazine’s cover, the Crimson carried the nation’s longest unbeaten streak to Philadelphia along with Ivy title hopes. Penn won the coin toss before the second half opened -- as was then the practice -- and elected to kickoff to the Crimson, hoping to force Harvard into a mistake. That mistake came when Wally Grant fumbled the kick. The blunder set up the only touchdown of the game for either team. Harvard’s only points of the game came when Penn tried to run out the clock. Quakers tailback Bruce Molloy ran back and forth in his own end zone until he was tackled by the Crimson for a safety. Molloy, who doubled as a punter, helped the Red and Blue immensely by pinning Harvard inside its own 10 on multiple occasions. The win was last-place Penn’s only Ivy triumph that season. Click to watch Wally Grant’s fumble on the kickoff return.

BARRY ELLMAN’S 96-YARD KICKOFF RETURN: Penn 13, Lehigh 6 (September 26, 1964)
Barry Ellman returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, as Penn defeated Lehigh, 13-6, at Franklin Field. Click to watch Barry Ellman’s 96-yard kickoff return.

JOHN MARTINOWICH’S 77-YARD BLOCKED FG RETURN: Penn 38, Lehigh 28 (September 24, 1966) **
To say that Penn stunned the Engineers with its 38-28 comeback victory over Lehigh would put it mildly. Lehigh broke a 7-7 tie and rolled to a comfortable 28-7 halftime lead. Penn quarterback Bill Creeden, sidelined due to an injury, came off the bench late in the second quarter and Penn began to move. In the third period two touchdowns, one when John Martinowich blocked a Lehigh field goal attempt and returned it a school-record 77 yards, made it 28-19 and then a three-touchdown onslaught in the final period gave Penn the win, 38-28, at Franklin Field. Click  to watch some of the highlights including John Martinowich’s blocked field goal attempt and school-record 77-yard return.

Penn 20, Brown 0 (October 1, 1966)
Penn finally gained a win over Brown at Providence and it was done in the rain, 20-0. The Red and Blue dominated the contest, holding Brown to 98 yards rushing and 69 yards passing. Quarterback Bill Creeden and tailback Cabot Knowlton were the key offensive threats. Creeden completed 15 of 27 for 208 yards in the rain and Knowlton gained 133 yards rushing and tallied one touchdown while Creeden scored twice. Penn scored in the first quarter when Knowlton plunged two yards. Creeden plunged over for the other two scores in the second (three yards) and final (two yards) periods as Penn kept the ball on the ground in the second half, and the defense held the Bruins. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Cornell 45, Penn 28 (October 8, 1966)
It was a wild affair at Ithaca as the powerful Cornell offense, led by Pete Larson, was too much for Penn and the Big Red won, 45-28. After a 7-7 first-period tie, Cornell scored 17 unanswered points for a 24-7 halftime margin. Chris Ritter ran 57 yards with a punt return for one of those scores. The Quakers did not stop, as they tallied two quick third-quarter touchdowns, both by Cabot Knowlton, on a 55-yard pass from Bill Creeden and a 9-yard run, to make it 24-21. After another Big Red touchdown made it 31-21, Cornell scored on a 59-yard pass to Ron Gervase from Bill Abel but George Burrell got it right back for Penn with a 95-yard run with the ensuing kickoff to end the third-period scoring, 38-28. Cornell ended the scoring with a final-quarter 1-yard touchdown run by Abel. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Bucknell 28, Penn 21 (October 15, 1966)
Bucknell shocked Penn with a 28-21 victory as they were coming off a tremendous defeat (82-28 to Temple) for the win. Mark Vetter, a converted split end during the week, took over at quarterback late in the second quarter and led the Bisons with 40 yards rushing and 62 yards passing. The Bisons tallied three touchdowns in the second half to dominate the play. Penn scored first on a 20-yard run by Cabot Knowlton but Bucknell took a 7-6 lead in the second period on a Vetter 7-yard touchdown pass. Knowlton came right back with a 48-yard touchdown run and it was 13-7 at halftime. Two Bruce Smith 1-yard touchdown runs made it 21-13 Bucknell and then it was upped to 28-13 before Bill Creeden, hampered with a severe ankle injury, passed 35 yards for a score on a tackle-eligible play to Pete MacDonald. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Princeton 30, Penn 13 (October 22, 1966)
The Princeton offense moved on the ground and the defense, helped by injuries to Cabot Knowlton and Bill Creeden, kept Penn bottled up all day for a 30-13 win, at Franklin Field. Princeton scored the first time they had the ball, on a 16-yard run by Bob Weber, and then a safety on a blocked punt made it 9-0 at halftime. Touchdown drives of 70, 60 and 40 yards put the score at 30-0 in the fourth quarter. Penn scored when Gerry Santini went 64 yards for a touchdown and Bill Creeden pushed over from the 1-yard line late in the final period. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Harvard 27, Penn 7 (October 29, 1966)
While Bill Creeden (15 of 34 for 193 yards) was setting Penn records, Harvard remained unbeaten with a 27-7 win over the Quakers, at Harvard Stadium. The Crimson took advantage of all opportunities and the running of Vic Gatto and Bobby Leo plus heads-up defense gave them the win. Harvard took a 7-0 lead in the first period but Penn tied it on a 12-yard pass, Creeden to Ben Bessette, in the second period. However, Leo then recovered his own fumble for a touchdown and a 14-7 halftime lead. Two quick touchdowns in the third quarter were all that was needed. A block of a quick-kick and a recovery of a kickoff return set up the two Crimson scores. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Yale 17, Penn 14 (November 5, 1966)
The Bulldogs gained a 17-14 win over Penn in a thriller at Franklin Field as Dan Begel booted a 29-yard field goal with 21 seconds left. Yale had a 7-0 lead, on a Pete Doherty 4-yard touchdown pass, but Penn scored twice in the third quarter for a 14-7 lead. George Burrell scored both touchdowns, on passes of 63 and three yards from Bill Creeden. Yale tied it in the final period on a 34-yard pass from Doherty to Jim Fisher, and then went on to win on a key interception as Penn was driving late in the game. Again, Creeden (21 of 48 for 289 yards) established several Penn and Ivy marks. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Dartmouth 40, Penn 21 (November 19, 1966)
The Dartmouth offense was in high gear as the Indians earned a one-third share of the Ivy title with a 40-21 win over Penn, in the final game of the season, at Franklin Field. The Indians moved to a 21-0 lead in the first half before Penn began to move on the offense of Bill Creeden. Two Creeden passes and a rollout for 10 yards set up the first score by Gerry Santini, a 1-yard run, for a 21-7 halftime total. In the third quarter, Creeden’s 15-yard run set up another Santini 1-yard score and it was 21-14. However, Dartmouth bulldozed right back for two scores for their safe margin. Immediately after the second Dartmouth tally, Creeden hit Rick Owens for an 81-yard scoring play but a 27-yard interception return gave the Indians their final score. Pete Walton tallied 142 yards for Dartmouth with some powerful running.

Penn 35, Lehigh 23 (September 30, 1967)
The Quakers scored the first time they had the ball with Bill Creeden hitting Cabot Knowlton with an 11-yard touchdown pass and then Creeden came back five minutes later to run in from seven yards out for a 14-0 first-quarter lead. With Rick Laubach leading the way, the Engineers rocked Penn back with three touchdowns in the second period, two 3-yard runs by Laubach and a 12-yard pass, and it was 20-14 at halftime. Penn added two scores in the third period and after a Lehigh 35-yard field goal another Knowlton touchdown clinched the contest, 35-23. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Penn 28, Brown 7 (October 7, 1967)
Although the Penn attack was not real sharp, Bill Creeden’s passing did a good deal of damage as he hit 10 of 19 in the first half. Cabot Knowlton tallied two first-period scores (20 and 10 yards) to give Penn a 14-0 lead at halftime. Midway through the third quarter, Tom Winner ran a punt back 58 yards for a Brown score but Gerry Santini came back for a 1-yard score and a 21-7 Penn lead going into the final period. The last score came on a Creeden 5-yard pass to George Burrell midway through the final quarter. Knowlton had 94 yards rushing and 59 yards on two pass receptions.

Dartmouth 23, Penn 0 (October 14, 1967)
Bill Koenig took over as the quarterback and a balanced offense along with the stout defense combined to give the Indians a 23-0 win over Penn, at Hanover, N.H. Koenig passed 36 yards to Randy Wallick for the first score and then Rick Wallick ran back a punt 59 yards to give the Indians a 13-0 first-quarter lead. The Big Green added a third-period touchdown and a 32-yard field goal in the final stanza to close out the scoring for the day. Koenig gained 213 yards in the air to lead the attack.

Bucknell 28, Penn 27 (October 21, 1967)
It was another wild affair on Franklin Field as the Bisons pulled their second straight upset over Penn, 28-27. After a scoreless first quarter, Penn took a lead 6-0 on a Cabot Knowlton 14-yard run only to have the Bisons go up, 7-6, on a 7-yard run by quarterback Sam Havrilak. This was followed by a Knowlton 1-yard touchdown run and then a Bill Creeden to Pete Wisniewski pass for 60 yards and a score. Penn took what appeared to be a solid 21-7 lead into halftime. Havrilak then added a 2-yard score for his second touchdown run of the day in the third quarter but midway through the final quarter Knowlton made it 27-13 Penn with a 4-yard run. With less than five minutes to go, Bruce Smith scored from two yards out for Bucknell and a two-point conversion made it 27-21. The onside kick worked and as time was running out, Havrilak scored on a 1-yard run with just 13 seconds left and the extra point was the difference. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Princeton 28, Penn 14 (October 28, 1967)
The Tigers defense told the story, particularly early in the game, as they would not let the Penn offense get going. Late in the opening period, Princeton drove 65 yards and took a 7-0 lead on a Bruce Weber 1-yard run. Another Weber touchdown early in the second period, this one a 6-yard reception, put it at 14-0 at halftime. The Tigers came out for two quick scores in the third quarter and it was 28-0. Bill Creeden came back to tally two touchdowns, on runs of two yards and one yard, and it was 28-14 with seven minutes to go. Penn got to the Princeton 12 and then the 10 but could not score. Weber had 115 yards rushing for Princeton while Creeden passed for 147.

Harvard 45, Penn 7 (November 4, 1967)
Harvard might have thought it was a bad dream at first when Penn took the ball on a recovered fumble and went 35 yards for a score by Bill Creeden (7-yard run) in the early moments of the game. The Crimson could not get going and it was 7-0 until two quick Harvard touchdowns in the second period broke it wide open. The Crimson went on to add two more second-quarter scores and had a 28-7 halftime lead. Ric Zimmerman’s passing continued and a third period score was followed by a 38-yard field goal and an 80-yard touchdown run in the final stanza for a 45-7 final. Vic Gatto gained 81 yards rushing while Zimmerman was 14 of 17 for 237 yards and two touchdowns in the air. Carter Lloyd caught nine passes for 199 yards and one touchdown.

Yale 44, Penn 22 (November 11, 1967)
It was a typical Penn-Yale clash of the recent years. The Bulldogs moved to a 14-0 lead, on a Calvin Hill 1-yard run and a 20-yard return of a blocked punt, when suddenly Penn’s Bernie Zbrzeznj, in his first start at quarterback, got rolling and scored on a 1-yard run. A Dan Begel 16-yard field goal made it 17-7 after the first period. Yale then added two more touchdowns but George Burrell scored on a 4-yard pass from Zbrzeznj and it was 30-14 at halftime. Zbrzeznj drove the Quakers down the field early in the third period and scored from one yard out. And it got a bit tighter, 30-22, when Zbrzeznj connected with Cabot Knowlton on the two-point conversion. However, Brian Dowling reignited and Yale added third and fourth-quarter touchdowns for the 44-22 win at the Yale Bowl. Zbrzeznj finished with 83 yards rushing and 146 in the air for Penn while Dowling had 35 rushing and 141 passing. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

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Cornell 33, Penn 14 (November 25, 1967)
Cornell made it seven straight over the Quakers with a solid 33-14 win, at Franklin Field, in the season finale. Cornell moved out to a big 17-0 first-quarter lead and opened it up to 33-7 going into the final stanza. Running back Bill Huling tallied two of the touchdowns while Bill Robertson gained 214 yards in the air, including two touchdowns. Cornell’s opening score came when defensive back Dan Walker took a lateral on a punt return and went 90 yards to paydirt, three minutes into the opening quarter. For Penn, Cabot Knowlton gained 99 yards rushing to become Penn’s single-season all-time leader while Bill Creeden closed out his career, coming off the bench for 90 yards in the air on 7 for 11.

Penn 27, Bucknell 10 (September 28, 1968)
Penn broke the game open in the middle two periods with a pair of touchdowns and key help from Eliot Berry’s toe for a 27-10 win over Bucknell, at Franklin Field. A Bernie Zbrzeznj to Pete Blumenthal 85-yard touchdown pass in the final period kept the Bisons at bay after they had pulled to within 20-10. Gerry Santini had two touchdowns for Penn and Doug Marinak had a 45-yard field goal for the Bisons to open their scoring. Click to watch Bernie Zbrzeznj’s 85-yard touchdown pass to Pete Blumenthal.

Penn 17, Brown 13 (October 5, 1968)
Penn defeated Brown, 17-13, at Providence, with all the scoring coming in the first half. From a 7-0 deficit, Penn moved to a 14-7 lead on touchdown runs by Bernie Zbrzeznj (8 yards) and Gerry Santini (1 yard). The Bruins then rallied on a 17-yard touchdown pass, but a missed placement left them a point short at 14-13. Eliot Berry added an 18-yard field goal for the final.

Penn 10, Cornell 8 (October 12, 1968)
Penn defeated Cornell, 10-8, at Ithaca, as a 58-yard pass play from Bernie Zbrzeznj to Dave Graham and a fourth quarter, 16-yard field goal by Eliot Berry proved to be enough offense. The Big Red avoided being shutout by tallying on a 1-yard touchdown run in the closing seconds, followed by a two-point conversion.

Penn 34, Lehigh 0 (October 19, 1968)
Penn played an excellent game in the pouring rain to pick a solid 34-0 win over Lehigh, at Franklin Field. Despite the rain, Bernie Zbrzeznj took to the air for 15 completions, two for touchdowns to Pete Blumenthal. Eliot Berry had two field goals and George Burrell ran back a punt 62 yards for a score. Penn built a 24-0 halftime lead and was never headed as the Engineers could not get started against a strong defensive showing by Penn.

Penn 19, Princeton 14 (October 26, 1968)
Penn defeated Princeton, 19-14, at Franklin Field, to snap an eight-game losing streak to the Tigers. Going into the final period Penn held a 19-0 lead, but the Tigers rallied and threw a scare into what seemed like a sure win for Penn. Two field goals (25 and 39 yards) by Eliot Berry proved to be a key factor along with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Bernie Zbrzeznj to Dave Graham. Brian McCullough was in on both Tiger scores, tossing a 57-yard touchdown pass and running 11 for a score.

Harvard 28, Penn 6 (November 2, 1968)
Harvard moved to a 28-6 win over Penn, at Cambridge, as the Quakers could not get started. Harvard built a 28-0 lead at halftime breaking the game open with three touchdowns in the first quarter, two in the closing part of the period. Harvard had the statistical edge despite a first down advantage for Penn. The Crimson defense was a major factor in the contest. Ken Dunn scored for the Quakers on a 1-yard run in the final quarter to avoid a shutout.

Yale 30, Penn 13 (November 9, 1968)
Yale defeated Penn, 30-13, at Franklin Field, as the Elis offense was just too much for the Quakers. Penn threatened early but Yale struck on a 52-yard bomb from Brian Dowling to Calvin Hill and then moved to a 23-0 lead. Penn tallied early in the fourth period on a 1-yard run by Bernie Zbrzeznj, but Yale answered with a 15-yard touchdown run by Calvin Hill. The Quakers closed out the scoring on a 9-yard run by Jim McFillin.

Penn 13, Columbia 7 (November 16, 1968)
Penn scored early, then held off the Lions for a 13-7 win, at Franklin Field. Penn took advantage of two Eliot Berry field goals and a touchdown pass from Bernie Zbrzeznj to Dave Graham to build a 13-0 lead in the first half. The Lions cut the gap to 13-7,with a third-period, 2-yard touchdown run, and threatened several times in the final quarter but a stout Penn defense held.

Penn 26, Dartmouth 21 (November 23, 1968)
Penn snapped an eight-game losing skein against Dartmouth with a 26-21 over the Indians, in the season finale, at Franklin Field. Penn moved to a 26-14 lead and held off a late Dartmouth surge. After a 14-14 halftime tie, Penn took a 24-14 lead into the final quarter. A key safety, scored when Ken Dunn made a tackle in the end zone on a punt return, was a big factor. Dartmouth twice had the lead in the first half.

ASTROTURF INSTALLED: Penn 28, Bucknell 17 (September 27, 1969)
Natural grass was replaced with AstroTurf and Franklin Field has had a synthetic turf ever since, but Penn still defeated Bucknell, 28-17, in its season opener.

Penn 23, Brown 2 (October 4, 1969)
Penn captured a 23-2 win over Brown as reserve quarterback Phil Procacci was rushed into the game in the second period and ignited the Quakers with his play. After being tackled in the end zone to give Brown a 2-0 lead, Procacci took over with a 60-yard touchdown pass to Dave Graham and Eliot Berry added a 34-yard field goal for a 9-2 lead after one period. Procacci then scooted 69 yards for a touchdown and it was 16-2 at halftime. Procacci then tossed a 25-yard aerial to Pete Blumenthal for a fourth-quarter tally.

Dartmouth 41, Penn 0 (October 11, 1969)
The Indians moved to an impressive 41-0 win, at Hanover, for their ninth win in their last 10 meetings with the Quakers. Dartmouth took a 7-0 lead in the first period and then added two touchdowns in the first five minutes of the second stanza to break the game open. They added another in the first minute of the third quarter and two final touchdowns in the fourth quarter brought the final total. The Indians gained 509 yards rushing with John Short getting two touchdowns.

Penn 13, Lehigh 7 (October 18, 1969)
Eliot Berry’s two field goals proved to be the difference as Penn gained a 13-7 win over Lehigh. His field goals were Penn’s last two scoring punches and broke a 7-7 tie. Penn opened with Phil Procacci scooting 20 yards on a first-period score. The Engineers tied it early in the second quarter and Berry broke the tie with a 32-yarder, giving the Quakers a 10-7 lead at the break. Berry added a 36 yarder in the final period.

Princeton 42, Penn 0 (October 25, 1969)
Princeton gained a big 42-0 win over Penn, at Palmer Stadium. Three second-period touchdowns gave the Tigers the momentum and a 21-0 halftime lead, with two of the scores coming in a two-minute span.

Harvard 20, Penn 6 (November 1, 1969)
Midway through the final stanza, Harvard tallied to break open a close contest and defeat Penn, 20-6, at Franklin Field. The Crimson had built a 10-0 first-quarter lead as John Ballantyne returned a punt 61 yards and Rich Szaro added a 22-yard field goal. Penn answered with a score in the early moments of the second period on a Greg Leavitt 8-yard run. Szaro’s 24-yard field goal made it 13-6 at the half. Ray Hornblower then went 59 yards for the final score.

Yale 21, Penn 3 (November 8, 1969)
Two quick touchdowns in the third period (they came within two minutes of each other) helped Yale gain a 21-3 win over Penn, at New Haven. The Quakers moved to a 3-0 lead on Eliot Berry’s 35-yard field goal but Yale took the lead late in the first period on an 11-yard touchdown reception by Bob Milligan. In the third period, Don Martin roared 20 yards for a score and then John Ford went 77 with an interception. A sloppy field hampered the running game of both teams.

Cornell 28, Penn 14 (November 22, 1969)
Cornell used its tremendous rushing game for a 28-14 win over Penn, at Franklin Field. Ed Marinaro scored all four Big Red touchdowns and gained 181 yards.

STEVE SOLOW’S 84-YARD PUNT RETURN: Penn 24, Lehigh 0 (September 26, 1970) **
Penn gained a 24-0 win over Lehigh on Franklin Field in the season’s opener to run its winning streak over the Engineers to 31, dating back to Lehigh’s win in 1889. Sophomore Steve Solow ran a punt back 84 yards, the longest in Penn history, for a second period score. The Quakers followed with two more tallies in the same period, one by Ron Dawson and another by Pancho Micir for a 21-0 halftime margin. In the second half, Penn closed out the scoring on an Eliot Berry field goal of 38 yards. Click to watch Steve Solow’s record-setting 84-yard punt return.

Penn 19, Brown 9 (October 3, 1970)
Penn, by virtue of its 17-9 win at Providence, ran its winning streak to six over Brown. Penn scored early in the game on a Pancho Micir pass to Chris Shead but Brown tied it up in the second stanza. Late in the first half, Eliot Berry’s 29-yard field goal put the Quakers ahead for good. A third period score by Bruce Mellor iced the win.

Cornell 32, Penn 31 (October 10, 1970)
A fourth down and long yardage 40-yard touchdown pass from Rick Furbush to John Bozich climaxed a wild affair at Ithaca and gave Cornell a 32-31 win over Penn. The Quakers took a 17-3 lead before Ed Marinaro went 36 yards to paydirt prior to the half. After a Ron Dawson 2-yard touchdown run boosted Penn’s lead to 24-9, Cornell answered only to have Bob Hoffman open it up to 31-17 on a 2-yard touchdown run. Marinaro then added a 1-yard touchdown, plus a two-point conversion, which was followed by the late pass play. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Penn 31, Lafayette 20 (October 17, 1970)
Penn’s 31-20 win over Lafayette was built on comebacks and gave the Quakers a winning streak of 16-straight over the Leopards. The two clubs exchanged leads in the first half with Penn finally taking the halftime margin at 10-7. The Leopards went ahead in the third stanza, 13-10, but Bob Hoffman scored in the final period to regain the margin for Penn, 17-13. Lafayette came right back to score, but Hoffman tallied what was the deciding touchdown in the final period.

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Yale 32, Penn 22 (November 7, 1970)
The Elis held off Penn for a 32-22 win. Yale rolled to a big 25-0 lead in the second quarter and then Pancho Micir got hot. It was 25-7 at halftime, after Micir hit on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chris Shead. Micir then connected on two more scoring aerials and a two-point play to reduce the count to 25-22 going into the final quarter. But Yale’s Rich Maher took a pass for an insurance score in the final stanza. Click  to watch some of the highlights.

Penn 21, Columbia 14 (November 14, 1970)
Penn scored a fourth-quarter touchdown by Pancho Micir to gain a 21-14 win, at Franklin Field. Bob Hoffman tallied two Penn touchdowns with a Columbia tally sandwiched between. Then the Lions knotted the score at 14 at the half, as the two clubs battled on even terms until the final tally by Micir. Click  to watch some of the highlights or click  to watch Penn’s game-winning touchdown drive set up by Steve Solow’s interception.

Dartmouth 28, Penn 0 (November 21, 1970)
Dartmouth clinched the Ivy title and unbeaten season with a 28-0 win over Penn, at Franklin Field. Two second period scores made it 21-0 at halftime and John Short, who scored the first Indian touchdown, added another in the final period.

Penn 28, Lehigh 14 (September 25, 1971)
Penn broke open the contest in the second half to gain a 28-14 win over Lehigh and run the winning streak to 32 games over the Engineers, dating back to Lehigh’s win in 1889. Don Diorio’s 1-yard run put Lehigh into the lead but Tom Pinto connected with Don Clune on a 30-yard touchdown pass and then Ron Dawson scampered one yard for another to put Penn up, 14-7. Jack Rizzo’s 1-yard run tied it up but Dawson scored another, this time from two yards out, for a 21-14 Quaker lead at the half. Pinto’s 5-yard touchdown run in the third quarter broke the contest open. Click  to watch Tom Pinto’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Don Clune.

Penn 17, Brown 16 (October 2, 1971)
A big second quarter provided Penn with enough for a 17-16 win over the Bruins, at Franklin Field. After Stan Startzell booted a 26-yard field goal for a 3-0 Penn lead, the Bruins went ahead, 7-3, on Gary Bonner’s 2-yard run. In the second quarter, Tom Pinto scooted five yards for one score and Mike Brumbach ran eight yards for another to give Penn a 17-7 lead. Brown added a Tyler Chase 24-yard field goal in the third period and then scored late in the final period on a Bonner 8-yard run, only to miss a two-point try. Click  to watch Penn stop Brown’s fourth-quarter two-point conversion attempt.

Dartmouth 19, Penn 3 (October 9, 1971)
The Big Green broke the contest open in the second half to gain a 19-3 win over the Quakers, in Hanover. The two squads matched first-half field goals in the tight ballgame and it was 3-3 at at halftime. In the third quarter, Dartmouth scored two touchdowns, the second on a long run (57 yards) by Steve Stetson and that did the trick. A safety in the final period widened the margin. Statistically the two teams were very close with Dartmouth dominating the game via rushing.

Lafayette 17, Penn 15 (October 16, 1971)
Lafayette built a 17-0 lead and then held on as Penn rallied, making it 17-15. It was the first Leopard win over Penn since 1923. Lafayette dominated the game by rushing while Gary Shue brought Penn back via his passing. Chet Benhash’s 45-yard field goal in the first period proved to be the ultimate difference in the contest.

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Yale 24, Penn 14 (November 6, 1971)
Yale took a 10-7 halftime lead and then scored the next two touchdowns, one in each of the final two periods, for  a 24-14 victory over Penn, at New Haven. The Quakers dominated the game early but could not get on the scoreboard to take advantage of their ability to move the ball against the Bulldogs.

Columbia 17, Penn 3 (November 13, 1971)
Two third-quarter touchdowns were enough, at Columbia, and the Lions gained a 17-3 victory over Penn. The two teams matched first-half field goals and the Quakers had the edge statistically until a poor punt gave the Lions excellent field position that led to two early third-period scores. The Quakers ran into their usual problem, they could move the ball but could not get on the scoreboard.

ED MARINARO SETS NCAA RUSHING RECORD: Cornell 41, Penn 13 (November 20, 1971)
The Big Red jumped to a 41-0 lead with Ed Marinaro scoring five of the six touchdowns, as Cornell cruised to an easy 41-13 win, at Franklin Field. Penn’s John Sheffield then added two fourth-quarter tallies as Marc Mandel made his first appearance as a Penn quarterback an impressive one. Marinaro capped off his fine career with a then-NCAA record 1,881 yards and 24 touchdowns during the 1971 season, and 4,715 rushing yards for his three-year career (another NCAA record at the time) and 52 touchdowns in just 27 games, for an average of 174.6 yards per game (another NCAA record, which still stands). Click  to watch some of the highlights.

FIRST NIGHT GAME: Penn 55, Lafayette 12 (September 29, 1972)
Penn played its first night game in the season opener; and what a start. The Quakers took a 28-6 lead at halftime and despite close to 80 players seeing action the score finished at 55-12, including a 55-yard run for a touchdown by senior Pat Urban on the final play. Bob Hoffman punched out three touchdowns and had 78 yards rushing while sophomore Adolph Bellizeare showed what was to come with two scores and 89 yards on 13 carries. Click  to watch Pat Urban’s 55-yard touchdown run.

DON CLUNE’S 76-YARD TOUCHDOWN CATCH (PART II): Brown 28, Penn 20 (October 7, 1972) **
Brown pulled a major upset that was costly to Penn in the title chase, winning, 28-20, at Providence. The Bruins never trailed and four field goals by Tyler Chase proved to be the difference. Brown had a 19-7 halftime lead with Chip Regine (16-yard pass from Pete Beatrace) and Bruce Watson (18-yard run) scoring touchdowns. Two of Penn’s scores were by receiver Don Clune (76 and 53 yards) while Ralph McGee had the final tally on a 1-yard run. Watson had 124 yards rushing, with Penn quarterbacks Tom Pinto and Marc Mandel passing for 132 and 126 yards, respectively, mostly to Clune who caught six for 200 yards. Click  to watch Don Clune’s 76-yard touchdown reception.

Cornell 24, Penn 20 (October 14, 1972)
In another wild contest that seemed to keynote this series when it was played in Ithaca, Cornell rallied for a 24-20 win after having lost a 17-0 lead. Midway through the third period, the Big Red had a 17-0 lead when Penn suddenly caught fire and put two touchdowns on the board in a little over two minutes. Early in the fourth quarter at the 1:40 mark, Tom Pinto hit Adolph Bellizeare with a 35-yard touchdown pass and Penn had a 20-17 lead. But with just 36 seconds remaining, Cornell’s Mark Allen fired a 12-yard scoring pass to John McKeown for the winning margin.

Penn 30, Lehigh 27 (October 21, 1972)
Penn rallied twice to gain a 30-27 win over the Engineers in a wild offensive show, at Lehigh. The Engineers took a 13-0 lead only to have Penn tie it up on touchdowns by Adolph Bellizeare (four yards) and Bob Hoffman (three yards). Just before the half, Lehigh scored on an 8-yard touchdown pass by Kim McQuilken for a 20-13 lead. Penn tied it on a 1-yard touchdown run by Adolph Bellizeare and went ahead on a field goal by Tim Martin in the third quarter only to have Lehigh score and go ahead, 27-23, on a 1-yard run by Jim Farrell. Early in the fourth period Marc Mandel sneaked over, from one yard out, for the winning score. Adolph Bellizeare finished with 214 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Click  to watch some of the highlights on the sloppy field.

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Penn 48, Yale 30 (November 11, 1972)
Penn snapped Yale’s nine-game win skein in the series with a resounding 48-30 win at Franklin Field. The outcome was never in doubt as Penn moved to a 41-0 lead in the third quarter and the bench saw plenty of action. It was a well-balanced Penn offense and an outstanding defense that did the job early. The point total was Penn’s best against Yale since the same amount was registered in 1941.

Penn 20, Columbia 14 (November 18, 1972)
A fourth-quarter rally gave Penn a 20-14 victory over Columbia, at Franklin Field. Penn used all three quarterbacks with Tom Pinto finally rallying the team. Columbia had a 14-0 lead in the second period and Penn closed to within 14-6 in the final seconds of the first half on an Adolph Bellizeare 2-yard run. Ron Dawson (one yard) and John Sheffield (32 yards) scored in the third and fourth quarters and Penn had a victory, and a shot at the Ivy title going into the final contest, against Dartmouth. Sheffield had 114 yards rushing as he came off the bench.

DON CLUNE’S 69-YARD TOUCHDOWN CATCH: Lafayette 16, Penn 14 (September 29, 1973) **
Penn opened its season at Easton, being upset, 16-14, as the Leopards dominated the play on the ground. Marty Vaughn moved into the limelight in this game, tossing two touchdown passes, including a 69-yarder to Don Clune followed by a two-point conversion pass to Glenn Gaetano, that gave Penn a 14-13 lead in the final period. It was not enough as the Leopards beat the clock down field for a game-winning 20-yard field goal with less than a minute to play. Click  to watch Marty Vaughn’s 69-yard touchdown pass to Don Clune, followed by the ensuing two-point conversion.

Penn 28, Brown 20 (October 6, 1973)
Penn rallied from a 20-7 deficit to gain a 28-20 win over Brown, at Franklin Field. Adolph Bellizeare scored twice and Marty Vaughn scored one touchdown and passed 11 yards to Don Clune for another to lead the Penn comeback win.

Penn 22, Dartmouth 16 (October 13, 1973)
Penn defeated Dartmouth, 22-16, at Hanover, with a second half rally. Dartmouth had a 16-7 lead at the half but Penn added two touchdowns on passes from Marty Vaughn, and then a safety to put the game away. Adolph Bellizeare scored two touchdowns and Bucky Bucola one as Penn punched out 226 yards rushing.

Penn 27, Lehigh 20 (October 19, 1973)
A fireworks display fittingly closed this night game as the Quakers rallied for a 27-20 win over the Engineers, but Penn had to shut off a Lehigh drive deep in Penn territory as the game ended. The lead changed hands five times and it was tied twice with Marty Vaughn hurling three touchdown passes.

Click  to watch Adolph Bellizeare

Yale 24, Penn 21 (November 10, 1973)
Yale rallied for a 24-21 victory, in New Haven, and the defeat was a major blow to Penn’s title hopes. Yale had a 10-0 lead and Penn rallied to go ahead, 21-10, in the third period, only to have the Bulldogs add two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the win. Adolph Bellizeare scored twice and Bucky Bucola once for Penn, with Mary Vaughn tossing two touchdown passes. Click  to watch Marty Vaughn’s 68-yard touchdown pass to Adolph Bellizeare.

Penn 31, Cornell 22 (November 24, 1973)
Penn and Cornell unleashed a staggering aerial show as the Quakers captured a share of second place, with a 31-22 win, at Franklin Field. Penn quarterback Marty Vaughn threw 31 times, completing 17, and hit on three scoring strikes. Even more impressive was the showing of Big Red signal caller Mark Allen who set a new Ivy single-game passing record with a 27-for-56 performance, good for 395 yards and two touchdowns. Penn never trailed but it was tight all the way. Jack Wixted scored two of Penn’s touchdowns.

ADOLPH BELLIZEARE’S BACK-BREAKING 74-YARD RUN: Penn 28, Lehigh 18 (September 27, 1974) **
Penn used two third-period touchdowns to break the game open and gain a 28-18 win over Lehigh, at Franklin Field. Adolph Bellizeare scored three touchdowns, including a back-breaking 74-yard run 18 seconds into the second half to give the Quakers a 21-10 lead. He gained 116 yards rushing and Jack Wixted 141 while Marty Vaughn was 10 of 15 for 150 yards and one touchdown (to Bucky Bucola). It was a typically exciting Penn-Lehigh contest. Click  to watch Adolph Bellizeare’s back-breaking 74-yard touchdown run.

Penn 14, Brown 9 (October 5, 1974)
Brown controlled Penn for three quarters of the game, but the Quakers scored two touchdowns in the final quarter, the last being a dazzling 61-yard punt return by Adolph Bellizeare in the closing minutes, to gain a narrow five-point victory over the Bruins, 14-9, at Brown Stadium. Jose Violante kicked field goals of 49, 47 and 37 yards for the Bruin points.

ADOLPH BELLIZEARE’S 57-YARD PUNT RETURN: Penn 28, Cornell 28 (October 12, 1974) **
Penn and Cornell each gained over 400 yards total offense in their 28-28 battle. Running back Don Fanelli led the Big Red’s attack with 154 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns. Penn’s Adolph “Beep-Beep” Belizeare took game honors, racking up a total of 174 yards and two touchdowns. Trailing 21-14 late in the first half, Bellizeare, the leading punt returner in the nation, fielded a Cornell punt on the dead run at his own 43-yard line and raced through the Big Red coverage team for a game-tying 57-yard touchdown. Jack Wixted also ripped through Cornell’s defense for 103 yards and a touchdown. Penn had two chances to pull it out late in the game. With less than two minutes to go, Belizeare was stacked up on the Cornell four, short of a first down after an interception had given the Quakers the ball. A desperation field goal from 40 yards out fell short in the final seconds. Click  to watch Adolph Bellizeare’s lightning-quick 57-yard punt return.

Penn 37, Lafayette 7 (October 19, 1974)
Penn dominated the game offensively to gain a 37-7 win over the Leopards, at Easton. Lafayette scored first, but Penn’s 24 points in the second quarter left no doubt except for the final score. Marty Vaughn hit 11-of-18 passes for 188 yards and four touchdowns, two to Bucky Bucola, and Jack Wixted picked up 110 yards rushing to lead the Penn offense. The Penn total offense reached 430 yards and the Quakers remained unbeaten for the season.

Penn 20, Princeton 18 (October 26, 1974)
Penn had a 20-3 lead midway through the third quarter, at Franklin Field, and came off with a 20-18 victory over Princeton, as two unbeatens clashed. Marty Vaughn tossed two first-quarter touchdown passes and Jack Wixted, who had 123 yards for the day, added Penn’s final score. Ron Beible’s 223 yards in the air for Princeton was not enough although it got tight when he hit Neil Chamberlin with a 36-yard pass play late in the final stanza.

“NOTICE HAS BEEN SERVED”: Harvard 39, Penn 0 (November 2, 1974) **
Notice has been served in Cambridge: the Crimson of Harvard want the Ivy League football championship. The official statement was released, as the Crimson annihilated the previously undefeated Penn Quakers, 39-0. Harvard’s astounding destruction of the Pennsylvanians was more than just a rout. For the Quakers, it was a brutal realization that they were not going to win the title they had dreamed of for many years. Harvard entered the contest with a 3-0 Ivy record. Penn was 2-0-1. It was early in the season, but Harvard’s game-day program said it all. “This is Penn’s final road game of the season, and a victory today would possibly put the Quakers in the Ivy driver’s seat.”  The Quakers were primed for the encounter, undefeated in their last seven contests. By all accounts, Penn had the most devastating offense in the league. They were led by Adolph “Beep Beep” Bellizeare, the leading punt returner in the nation, and Harvard’s worst nightmare. He had returned four kicks for touchdowns in two years. The Quakers also had the likes of Marty Vaughn, the best Ivy League quarterback, and a running back, Jack Wixted, who had an astounding three games (over 100 yards per contest) before the Harvard game. But the afternoon went the way of the Crimson. See you later, Ivy League title hopes. The Quakers found themselves in the passenger seat, ending the year 4-2-1, as Harvard clinched the championship. The play of the game was a 30-yard strike from Harvard quarterback Milt Holt to All-American end Pat McInally for a score. Click  to watch some of the action, including footage of Adolph “Beep Beep” Bellizeare.

Yale 37, Penn 12 (November 9, 1974)
The Bulldogs had the upper hand all the way rolling to a 37-0 lead in the early moments of the fourth quarter, eventually winning 37-12. Yale gained 298 yards rushing to control the ball while Penn was held to 16 yards rushing in the first half. Rudy Green and Don Gesicki had two touchdowns apiece while Marty Vaughn and Steve Kochersperger scored for Penn.

Penn 21, Columbia 3 (November 16, 1974)
The Lions and Quakers battled to a scoreless tie in the first half, but three second-half Penn touchdowns crushed the visitors’ hopes for an upset. Early in the third quarter, Columbia’s Lou Guarneri blocked a Tim Martin punt. The drive stalled, and the Lions had to settle for Rudy Gisolfi’s 37-yard field goal. Minutes later, Quaker Fred McCormick intercepted a Jose Rios pass. Penn quarterback Marty Vaughn hit split-end Bob Bucola for 29 yards and a score, giving Penn the lead, 7-3. Steve Kochersperger, subbing for Adolph Bellizeare, capped a 92-yard Penn drive in the final period with a 27-yard jaunt into the end zone. The final score came shortly thereafter as Bill Petuskey snatched a Columbia fumble from mid-air and galloped 37 yards for the touchdown, making the final score 21-3.

Lehigh 34, Penn 23 (September 27, 1975)
A typical, wild Penn-Lehigh game took place in Bethlehem with the Engineers erasing a 23-13 deficit by scoring 21 points late in the fourth period to gain a 34-23 win, their first over Penn since 1889, and snap a 34-game Quaker win streak in the series. Jack Wixted had 200 yards rushing and one touchdown for Penn, while Rod Gardner rushed for 127 yards and scored one touchdown for Lehigh.

Brown 17, Penn 8 (October 4, 1975)
Two second-period touchdowns, one with 25 seconds left, led the Bruins to a 17-8 win over Penn. Jose Violante added a 51-yard field goal, in the third quarter, for the Bruins. The Quakers avoided being shut out thanks to a 34-yard touchdown pass from Carl Smith to Steve Hasselbeck, in the fourth quarter. It was Brown’s first win at Franklin Field since 1902.

Dartmouth 19, Penn 14 (October 11, 1975)
Two field goals proved vital as Dartmouth defeated the Quakers, 19-14, at Hanover. Penn scored first and last as Bob Graustein hit 20-of-29 passes for 230 yards, including a 23-yard scoring strike to Jim Delehanty.

Penn 13, Lafayette 0 (October 18, 1975)
A tremendous rain flooded Franklin Field, but Penn managed to take advantage of the breaks for a 13-0 win over Lafayette. Middle guard Bill Petuskey went 12 yards with a blocked punt, in the first quarter, for the game’s only touchdown, and Tim Mazzetti booted two field goals, one matching his school record of 42 yards, for the points. Both field goals were in the final quarter.

Penn 24, Princeton 20 (October 25, 1975)
Penn broke a 14-14 tie with 10 points in the final period to garner a 24-20 win over the Tigers, at Palmer Stadium. Penn quarterback Bob Graustein was 17 of 32 for 232 yards.

Yale 24, Penn 14 (November 8, 1975)
Dominating the game on the ground, the Bulldogs overcame a 14-10 Penn lead to gain a 24-14 win at the Yale Bowl. The Eli scored the final touchdown with just 30 seconds remaining.

Lehigh 58, Penn 0 (September 26, 1981)

Columbia 20, Penn 9 (October 3, 1981)
Columbia defeated Penn, 20-9, at Baker field, as quarterback John Witkowski directed a commendable offense that produced 286 total yards, 124 by running and 162 by passing. Witkowski completed 12 of 23 passes, one for a 24-yard touchdown to Bill Reggio early in the second half. Reggio’s touchdown was the Lions’ second within 15 seconds; both came after lost fumbles by Penn, the first at Penn’s 21, the second at the 24. Penn contributed to the decision with five turnovers - four lost fumbles and one intercepted pass. At the half, the Lions led by 6-3, following two field goals by Miro Lovric of 31 and 37 yards. Penn had scored first on a 21-yard field goal by Dave Shulman, but after that the Lions were in command. The two quick touchdowns in the third period put them ahead, 20-3. Penn’s final score came on a 26-yard pass from Gary Vura to Rick Syrek. Columbia also showed some defensive resolve by halting the Red and Blue on its 4-yard line early in the last quarter. Penn had driven 91 yards on that thrust.

Brown 26, Penn 24 (October 10, 1981)
Bob Granfors kicked four field goals, and Rod Jones ran for the game-winner for Brown (1-3). The Ivy League victory for Brown came despite a three-touchdown fourth-quarter rally by the Quakers. Granfors’ field goals of 32 and 31 yards in the first quarter opened the scoring, and the Bruins never trailed, though Dave Shulman got Penn (1-3) on the board with a 23-yard field goal later in the first period. Granfors kicked two field goals in the second quarter, both from 27 yards, and Hank Landers followed with a 25-yard scoring strike to Steve Jordan, who caught six passes for 188 yards. Rod Jones, at the end of the third quarter, ran 34 yards for the Bruins’ last score. Gary Vura’s 74-yard touchdown pass to Rich Syrek opened the fourth period for Penn, and Rick Beauvais followed with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone for Penn’s second touchdown. Penn quarterback Doug Marzonie hit Karl Hall, who caught 12 passes for 140 yards, for a 12-yard score to move Penn within two points in the final minute. Click to watch Gary Vura’s 74-yard touchdown pass to Rich Syrek.

Yale 24, Penn 3 (October 24, 1981)
On a cool and sunny afternoon before 24,500 fans in the Yale Bowl, the Elis scored on their first two possessions, and totaled 429 yards for the game. Penn got only 189 yards, with 10 first downs to Yale’s 26. Yale’s Curtis Grieve had seven catches for 84 yards, including two touchdowns, raising him to sixth on the school’s career list with 168 receptions. Grieve, 6-4 and 200 pounds, is said to have a 41-inch vertical leap. He made a leaping grab of John Rogan’s pass between two defenders on the 2-yard line, then wrestled both into the end zone for the touchdown. The 20-yard toss gave Rogan 2,343 yards, making him Yale’s leading career passer. He ended the game with 166, completing 14 of 22 passes. Yale’s opening drive, which covered 69 yards in 11 plays, culminated with the Rogan-to-Grieve connection, as Grieve made a diving catch of an 8-yard pass. Rogan was not Yale’s only record-breaker. When another Eli drive stalled on the Penn 32, Tony Jones kicked a 49-yard field goal, the longest in the school’s history. Rich Diana, a senior tailback whose 142.4-yard game average ranked him ninth in the country, was the workhorse. Despite suffering bruised ribs during the opening drive, he carried 29 times for 153 yards. Yale’s defense broke no records, but it allowed Penn only one successful drive. The second time the Quakers had the ball, they went 69 yards, mostly on the strength of two big plays. Doug Marzonie completed a 28-yard pass to Steve Rubin, then Rick Beauvais, Penn’s leading rusher for the day, ran 31 yards to the Yale 18. But the drive stalled at the five, from where Dave Shulman notched a 22-yard field goal. Click to watch Penn’s 69-yard, first-quarter scoring drive.

Princeton 38, Penn 30 (October 31, 1981)

Delaware 40, Penn 6 (November 7, 1981)
Bob Dougherty rushed for two touchdowns for Delaware in the first meeting of the two teams in 60 years. Dougherty’s 7-yard touchdown run 1:39 into the game gave the Blue Hens a lead they never relinquished. A 9-yard scoring run by Kevin Phelan, a blocked-punt safety and Dougherty’s second touchdown run increased the Hens’ lead to 23-0 by halftime. With less than a minute left in the game, Penn’s quarterback, Gary Vura, hit Karl Hall with a 14-yard scoring toss to avoid being shut out. The previous time the teams met, in 1921, Penn rolled to an 89-0 victory.

Harvard 45, Penn 7 (November 14, 1981)
Harvard swept past Penn, 45-7, before 10,500 chilled spectators at Harvard Stadium. Fullback Jim Callinan scored three touchdowns and gained 188 yards on 15 carries. On the first play from scrimmage, Callinan raced 68 yards for a touchdown. He scored in the third quarter on runs of nine and 66 yards. By that time, the Crimson had clinched the victory, having led at halftime, 31-0. Penn committed eight turnovers, and was unable to pierce the tough Crimson defense, finishing with only 97 yards rushing. Within 10 minutes, Harvard was up by 21-0, with Penn showing little inclination to do anything about it. The Quakers seemed disposed to help rather than hinder their foes. After Callinan’s opening run, in which he dashed toward left tackle, then veered to the sideline and broke away, Penn set the stage for the home team’s next two touchdowns with fumbles. After 4:24 of play, Marzonie dropped back to pass on his 20-yard line and was hit by Harvard’s Joe Azelby. The ball popped out of his hands and was recovered by Scott Murrer. The Crimson reached the end zone in eight plays, Scott McCabe hurdling across from the two. Immediately after the ensuing kickoff, Steve Rubin fumbled on the Penn 31. Murrer again made the recovery. Again Harvard began to march. Two big gainers, each for 15 yards, were turned in by Steve Bianucci on a rush through right tackle and by Callinan on a pass from Ron Cuccia. The payoff was a 1-yard lunge by the quarterback. In the second quarter, Jim Villaneuva booted a 35-yard field goal and Allard plunged a yard for the fourth of Harvard’s six touchdowns.

Dartmouth 33, Penn 13 (November 21, 1981)
Dartmouth scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns at Franklin Field to cap a 33-13 rout of Penn and a season that earned the Big Green a share of the Ivy League championship with Yale. The victory over Penn was even easier than the score indicated, as Dartmouth had two other touchdowns called back on penalties in the second half. The Big Green gained 314 yards on offense to Penn’s 158 and managed 17 first downs to Penn’s seven. Only 9,500 turned out for the Quakers’ final home game of the season. In the first half, Penn looked every bit as bad as its 1-8 record, picking up only 15 yards on the ground in 12 attempts and one first down. Dartmouth took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 35-yard field goal by Tim Geibel and an 11-yard touchdown run by Sean Maher. Four plays later, after the first of its three interceptions, Dartmouth raised the lead to 17-0 at the half on a second-quarter touchdown by Rich Lena. Penn then scored early in the third period when Karl Hall caught a 5-yard pass from Doug Marzonie, but the third quarter ended with Dartmouth ahead, 20-6, after Geibel’s second field goal. Two minutes into the final period, Frank Polsinello found his split end, Jack Daly, open for a 14-yard touchdown. Two plays and 24 seconds later, Charles Williams intercepted a Penn pass and ran it back 42 yards for the team’s fourth touchdown.

Richmond 18, Penn 12 (November 26, 1981)
Barry Redden rushed for a school-record 280 yards and scored two touchdowns for Richmond. The Spiders overcame a 12-10 halftime deficit with Redden’s 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, then staved off a Penn rally in which the Quakers drove to a first down at the Richmond 21, before being halted late in the final period. The Spiders finished at 4-7 and the Quakers suffered their ninth consecutive loss to wind up 1-9. Redden’s 280-yard effort broke the previous Richmond single-game mark of 239 set by Larry Zunich in 1966. Redden’s 51 carries also represented a single-game high for the Spiders. He ended the season with 1,628 yards and had 3,324 yards for his career, both school records. Redden gave Richmond a 7-0 lead with a 17-yard sprint early in the second quarter. Penn, sparked by John Shirk’s 48-yard return of the ensuing kickoff, struck back as Doug Marzonie threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Chuck Nolan. The kick for the extra point failed. Following a 42-yard field goal by Richmond’s Scott Schramme, Marzonie connected with Shirk on a 19-yard scoring pass to put the Quakers up at intermission for the first time all season. However, Penn once again failed to convert the two points as a pass fell incomplete. Richmond finished with 457 yards total offense to 234 for the Quakers.

Penn 21, Dartmouth 0 (September 18, 1982)
Gary Vura shredded the defense of Dartmouth, the defending Ivy League co-champion, for three touchdown passes, setting a school completion mark while leading Penn to a 21-0 upset in the season opener for both teams. The victory snapped a 24-game losing streak on the road for Penn. Vura, a senior, completed 23 of 32 passes for 254 yards as the Quakers dominated the Indians. He connected twice with Karl Hall for touchdowns of five and 41 yards, and once with Jeff Shulte on an 8-yard scoring pass as Penn scored in each of the first three periods. David Shulman missed two field-goal attempts but kicked the extra point after each Penn touchdown. The last road game the Quakers won was a 10-9 decision at Princeton in 1976. Vura’s performance eclipsed the mark of 22 completions held by Ponco Micir and Bob Graustein. The first score came at 7:07 of the first period when Vura ended an 11-play, 66-yard march with an 8-yard pass to Shulte.

Penn 20, Lehigh 17 (September 25, 1982)
Quarterback Gary Vura threw for two touchdowns in the third quarter as Penn won its first two games of the season for the first time since 1974. Vura threw a 5-yard pass to Steve Ortman and a 52-yarder to Karl Hall for touchdowns to put Penn in front, 20-3, in the third quarter. The Quakers also scored on field goals of 33 and 40 yards by Dave Shulman.

Penn 51, Columbia 31 (October 2, 1982)
Gary Vura, a senior quarterback, ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more to the tight end Jeff Schulte to guide unbeaten Penn to a 51-31 victory over winless Columbia in an Ivy League game. It was Penn’s third victory this season, its best start since 1968. Penn improved to 2-0 in the Ivy League. Penn took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter after a 2-yard touchdown run by halfback Steve Flacco and a 10-yard touchdown pass from Vura to Schulte. The second score was set up by an interception by linebacker Matt Finn, one of five interceptions by Penn. Columbia, 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the league, struck back in the second quarter on the first of four touchdown passes by quarterback John Witkowski, a 6-yarder to tight end James Powell. But on the next drive, Vura scored his first touchdown of the game on a 6-yard run to make the Penn lead 21-7. Vura completed 17 of 26 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Witkowski was 22 of 42 for 262 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions.

Penn 24, Brown 21 (October 9, 1982)

Lafayette 35, Penn 20 (October 16, 1982)

Penn 27, Yale 14 (October 23, 1982) **
Pundits had dismissed the Penn football team’s 3-0 start in the Ivy League as an aberration. On homecoming weekend, the Quakers proved them wrong with a 27-14 victory over Yale. It was the Quakers’ first win over the Elis in 10 years -- in front of the largest crowd (32,175) to see a Penn football game at Franklin Field in nine years. Down, 7-3, at halftime, the Quakers rallied in the second half. Dave Shulman hit the longest field goal of his career, a 46-yarder, to cut the deficit to one, and Penn took the lead when Steve Rubin scored from five yards out. Rubin scored again -- this time on a seven yard touchdown run -- early in the fourth quarter, and Penn iced it when Steve Flacco took a pitch from quarterback Gary Vura and ran 83 yards for the score late in the fourth. Click to watch Steve Flacco’s (not Steve Rubin’s, in spite of the call by the Penn student broadcast team) 83-yard touchdown run.

Princeton 17, Penn 14 (October 30, 1982)
Chris Price kicked a 42-yard field goal that barely cleared the crossbar with 25 seconds remaining to give Princeton a 17-14 upset of Penn before a crowd of 20,249 at Palmer Stadium. Price’s field goal, the longest of his career, made it by about four feet in distance and less than a foot in height. Princeton is usually a passing team, but surprised Penn with a consistent running game. Brent Woods scored Princeton’s first touchdown and passed to Ralph Urschel for the second, which tied the score at 14 with 6:13 left. He completed 22 of 36 passes, the longest for 16 yards, and had two intercepted. Gary Vura and the Quakers couldn’t generate anything until the late stages of the third quarter. They were kept scoreless for 43 minutes and 25 seconds until Steve Rubin tied the game at 7-7 with a 6-yard run. Rich Syrek pulled in a 9-yard pass from Vura 4:10 into the last quarter to give Penn a 14-7 lead. Princeton had the only score in the first half as it marched 72 yards in 15 plays in its first series. Woods mixed his plays well before scoring himself from two yards out, running off tackle on the left side. Woods was the Tigers’ top runner, with 65 yards on 16 attempts. Most of the runs came after Woods was looking for the pass, but his receivers were not getting open with consistency. Kevin Guthrie and Urschel, Princeton’s top receivers, caught four passes, with Urschel’s only reception his touchdown. Woods started the drive that led to the winning score at his 29 with 4:14 left. When the Tigers reached Penn’s 26-yard line and a pass by Woods on third down failed, Price made his kick. Vura got a last chance with three passes, the last with four seconds left, but was unsuccessful each time.

PENN SURPRISES COLGATE: Penn 21, Colgate 13 (November 6, 1982)
Tim Chambers’ third interception of the game set up Penn’s winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, and the Quakers held on to defeat Colgate, 21-13, in the first football game between the two universities. The victory improved Penn’s record to 6-2 overall, the first time the Quakers had won six games since 1974. Chambers, a sophomore defensive back, also made nine unassisted tackles. He picked off one pass by Colgate quarterback Steve Calabria, in the end zone, and ran back another interception 27 yards. But the most important interception was his final one. On the second play of the fourth quarter, he picked off a halfback-option pass thrown by Joe Kozak. Three plays later, from Colgate’s 3-yard line, Chuck Nolan burst into the end zone. Dave Shulman’s conversion kick gave the Quakers a 14-7 lead. Two series later, Scott Boggio, a defensive lineman, made Penn’s sixth interception of the day - Ross Armstrong had the other two - and returned the ball seven yards to the Colgate 35. After three plays, including a 25-yard pass from Gary Vura to the split end Warren Buehler, Steve Ortman ran two yards for the Quakers’ final touchdown. Colgate made it 21-13 on its next possession. Calabria completed four passes in an 81-yard drive that ended with a fourth-down, 2-yard touchdown run by Gil Terenzi. Chambers foiled Colgate’s attempt for a two-point conversion by picking off Calabria’s pass in the end zone. Colgate moved 75 yards in the final 65 seconds of the game, but a Calabria pass from the Penn six fell incomplete in the end zone as the game ended.

“MIRACLE ON 33RD STREET”: Penn 23, Harvard 21 (November 13, 1982)  **
The Quakers faced Harvard in the season’s penultimate game with the Ivy League championship up for grabs for the winner. Penn raced out to a 20-0 lead, but Harvard scored three touchdowns in seven minutes in the fourth quarter to take a 21-20 lead. With three seconds remaining, Penn’s Dave Shulman lined up for a 38-yard field goal. The kick sailed wide left, and time expired, with Harvard apparently emerging with the championship. But there was a flag on the field. Harvard had been penalized for running into the kicker -- and Shulman would get another chance. The second time around, he split the uprights to clinch Penn’s first Ancient Eight championship since 1959. The next day’s main editorial in the DP read “Harvard 21, Pennsylvania 20” with a big “X” through it, and then “Pennsylvania 23, Harvard 21. What else is there to say?” Click to watch.

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Harvard 28, Penn 0 (November 12, 1983)

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This game will be remembered more for one incredible play than for the overall game -- which was pretty incredible in itself. The Quakers trailed, 21-0, midway through the second quarter,.but Penn closed to within 21-14 on the strength of two long touchdown drives flanking halftime. Then the Quaker defense stiffened, stopping Princeton on its initial possession of the second half and forcing the Tigers’ Rob DiGiacamo to punt from the Penn 38-yard line. The punt was short and high, and Chris Flynn -- the Quakers’ returner -- signaled for a fair catch, allowing the ball to hit at the 14-yard line. Princeton’s Eduordo Waite went to down the ball as it took a Penn bounce. Waite hit the ball up in the air. Once he touched the ball, Flynn knew he could pick it up and run with it. That’s exactly what Flynn did, and 79 yards later, Penn had tied the game, 21-21. The game-winning points came on a 29-yard Ray Saunders field goal at 2:33 of the final quarter. The Quakers never let Princeton out of its own territory after that, and a 20-yard Jim Crocicchia pass to Brian Moyer put the game out of reach. Click  to watch Chris Flynn’s 79-yard punt return and the ensuing controversy.

lick  to watch Jeff Fortna’s safety, which broke a 7-7 tie and gave Penn a lead it would never relinquish.

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All Penn wanted was respect -- the Quakers not only got that, but a 31-17 victory as well. Penn and Lafayette, ranked one-two in the Lambert Cup voting which rates the East’s top Division I-AA football teams, were headed in opposite directions entering the showdown. The Leopards possessed the most potent offense in the country and had been ranked as high as seventh in the Associated Press poll. Three weeks ago, they stood at 5-0; but a recent loss to Army and a tie with Cornell dropped them to 17th. The Quakers, on the other hand, had been engaged in a season-long quest for respect. They stood undefeated, but still unranked nationally -- indicating that the voters considered Penn’s relatively lenient schedule to be more significant than its perfect record. Immediately after Lafayette tied the score, 17-17, with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter, Penn marched upfield, using a 29-yard kickoff return from Steve Hooper, a key third-down completion from quarterback Malcolm Glover and an explosive 30-yard touchdown run from backup tailback Mike Waller to put the Quakers ahead to stay. Click to watch Mike Waller’s game-winning touchdown run.

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Harvard overcame Penn’s 18-15 lead in the final 24 seconds of play to defeat the Quakers, 22-18, at Harvard Stadium. Sophomore quarterback Mike Giardi’s 9-yard touchdown proved to be the game winner for Harvard. Giardi had been struggling all game long with his passes, completing eight-of-20 for an anemic 86 yards while throwing three interceptions. But when it came down to Harvard’s final drive, a strange thing happened. Giardi not only scrambled for 10 and 15 yards, but zipped two passes to Colby Maher including a key 15-yard completion on third-and-10. The two passes set up the series during which Giardi scrambled for six points on a critical third-and-nine. Following Penn’s first touchdown, making it 7-6, the Quakers went for the extra point. The kick was blocked, and Greg Belsher returned the ball into the Quakers end zone for two points for Harvard. Instead of tying the game at 7-7, Penn fell behind, 9-6. Another unexpected play came on 4th-and-goal from the Harvard 21. Penn QB Jim McGeehan hit Damon Young in the end zone and the Quakers went up, 12-9. Johnson and Penn’s Bruce Mathews swapped touchdowns before Giardi’s winning score. Click to watch some of the highlights, including Greg Belsher’s blocked PAT return for two points.

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This one really should be called “The Terrance Stokes Game.” In the week leading up to the meeting between the undefeated Quakers and the undefeated Tigers, Elias spoke insultingly about the Penn team and its intelligence, all the while flaunting his mohawk and 183.7 yards per game rushing mark. On game day, though, Stokes’ actions spoke much louder than Elias’ words. The tailback ran for a Penn record 272 yards on 42 carries, seven of which went for 10 or more yards. Elias, meanwhile, was held to just 59 yards on 15 carries by a strong Red and Blue defense. After the game, he still couldn’t stop talking, blasting his teammates and coaches over the performance. Six months later, at the Penn-Princeton basketball game at Jadwin Gym, Elias was still sore about the loss and his failure to put his money where his mouth was. As he walked onto the floor at halftime, Penn fans in the upper balcony started chanting “Elias Sucks!”, “59 yards!” and “Terrance Stokes!” Elias charged towards the upper balcony and had to be restrained by the arena guards. Click to watch.

“THE 100TH MEETING”: Penn 17, Cornell 14 (November 20, 1993) **
In the centennial clash between Penn and Cornell, the Quakers turned the ball over four times in the first half en route to a 14-0 deficit, and the Schuylkill appeared safe from a second date with the goalposts. Penn didn’t lead until Marc Horowitz booted a 30-yard field goal through the goalposts with 5:44 remaining. The kick left the game in the hands of the Penn defense, exactly where Cornell quarterback Bill Lazor had been all afternoon. The Quakers sacked Lazor nine times wit defensive ends Dave Betten and Michael “Pup” Turner the ringleaders. Cornell started its final possession from its own 24, facing a long field and long odds. The Big Red moved from its own 24 to the Penn 21, where they. faced a fourth down and two. Betten and defensive end Kelly Tolton stopped Cornell running back Chad Levitt with 59 seconds remaining, preserving Penn’s 17-14 victory that culminated its perfect season. Click to watch.

Penn 27, Lafayette 7 (September 17, 1994)

Penn 13, Dartmouth 11 (September 24, 1994)
The game came down to one play with one minute left in the game. It was Pete Oberle, Dartmouth’s resolute running back, against Pat Goodwillie, Penn’s all-Ivy linebacker. On fourth down, a yard short of the Quaker goal, Oberle ran off right tackle and Goodwillie was there to meet him. No gain. Penn’s ball. And Penn’s victory: 13-11. After the Goodwillie-Oberle play, Dartmouth’s defense even forced the Quakers’ quarterback, Mark DeRosa, to run into his end zone and take an intentional safety, giving Dartmouth two points. The Green had the ball once more with six seconds left and completed one pass before time ran out. Penn, which played in home jerseys because a laundry fire earlier in the week destroyed many of its uniforms, won its 14th straight over three seasons. A DeRosa 53-yard scoring strike to Mark Fabish gave Penn a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. In the second half, Oberle took over the Green attack with fullback Jon Clark as his lead blocker. When Goodwillie was blocked by Clark, Oberle made yardage. But Goodwillie and DeLuca stopped Oberle at the Penn one for a 2-yard loss, and Dartmouth settled for a 21-yard field goal by Geoff Willison, one matched by Andy Glockner’s 44-yard boot. Next came the Dartmouth touchdown, on Ren Riley’s 10-yard pass to Brian Radics, followed by a block of the conversion kick. Then there was the final drive down to the Penn goal, where Goodwillie and Oberle met for the last time.

Penn traveled to Princeton’s Palmer Stadium in the midst of a dogfight with Cornell for the Ivy crown. After trading punches for over 20 minutes, Quakers cornerback Kevin Allen scooped up a blocked Princeton extra point attempt halfway through the second quarter and raced 84 yards for two points. The runback energized the Penn fans in the stands. The Quakers went on to reel off 24 unanswered points, winning the contest 33-19 and clinching a share of the Ivy crown. Click  to watch Kevin Allen’s blocked extra point return.

Penn 33, Harvard 20 (November 12, 1994)
Terrance Stokes rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 37 more yards as Penn clinched its second consecutive Ivy League title with a 33-0 victory over Harvard at Franklin Field. The victory extended Penn’s Division I-AA winning streak to 20, matching the Holy Cross record for that division set between 1990 and 1992. Miles Macik caught eight passes for 104 yards and another score for the Quakers, who forced six turnovers. The Quakers started slowly but built a 17-0 halftime lead. Harvard didn’t cross midfield in the second half until the last two minutes of play. The Crimson missed an opportunity to take an early lead after Justin Frantz’s interception deep in Quakers territory. Harvard drove from the 21 to the five, but a bad snap botched a field-goal attempt. Penn took over at the 15, and 14 plays later Stokes took it in from the three to make it 7-0 with 12 minutes 59 seconds left in the half. It was all Penn from there. The Quakers boosted it to 10-0 with 2:04 remaining on Andy Glockner’s 43-yard field goal after Mike Silvey’s interception. On Harvard’s next possession, Michael Turner sacked quarterback Steve Kezirian, forcing a fumble that Penn’s Nick Morris returned to the Crimson 25. Three plays later, Mark DeRosa and Macik connected on a 19-yard touchdown pass 11 seconds before halftime. Penn expanded the lead to 23-0 by taking the second-half kickoff and marching 72 yards in 12 plays. DeRosa threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Leo Congeni. Glockner’s 34-yard field goal with 3:55 left to play made it 26-0. Harvard fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and Teodecki fired a 22-yard touchdown pass to Mike Chico.

Penn 18, Cornell 14 (November 19, 1994)
Terrance Stokes scored with less than two minutes to go, leading Penn to an 18-14 victory over Cornell for its 21st consecutive victory. The Quakers set an NCAA Division I-AA record with the victory. Holy Cross had held the record of 20 straight, set during the 1990-91 season. Cornell (6-4, 3-4 Ivy League) jumped out to a 14-0 lead after Chad Levitt scored on runs of 67 and three yards. Penn (9-0, 7-0 Ivy League) trailed by 14-3 after a 41-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first quarter and there was no scoring again until the fourth. Penn’s Mark DeRosa hit Mark Fabish with a 54-yard touchdown pass. DeRosa then hit Leo Congeni for the two-point conversion, cutting Cornell’s lead to 14-11. DeRosa and Fabish teamed up again with a 40-yard completion to Cornell’s one. Stokes, who ran for 120 yards, then went around left end for the game-winning touchdown.

Penn 20, Dartmouth 12 (September 16, 1995)
No one ever said that all of the games in Penn’s winning streak were pretty. Victory No. 22, a 20-12 battle with Dartmouth, certainly wasn’t. After a lackluster and sloppy first half, the Quakers scored 17 second-half points while holding the Big Green scoreless. The Quakers’ rally started with a 36-yard Jeremiah Greathouse field goal on the opening drive of the second half, cutting Dartmouth’s lead to 12-6. The two teams traded possessions for most of the third quarter until a long pass from Dartmouth’s Ren Riley intended for Eric Morton was tipped by Kevin Allen, and Dana Lyons made a diving interception. Eight plays later, Mark DeRosa hit Miles Macik with a 7-yard touchdown pass. With the extra point, Penn led by 13-12. With five minutes to play, DeRosa hit Macik on a 25-yard touchdown pass to put Penn up for good. Macik tied his own school record with 12 catches for 158 yards. In the first half, Dartmouth looked like the team with the 21-game winning streak, running out to a 12-3 lead. The Big Green dominated Penn’s young defensive line, giving Riley time to pick apart the veteran Quaker secondary.

DANA LYONS’ 94-YARD INTERCEPTION RETURN: Penn 28, Lafayette 8 (September 23, 1995) **
At Easton, Penn extended its Division I-AA winning streak to 23 games with a solid 28-8 victory over an overmatched Lafayette squad. Its offense was efficient, and the defense was as unyielding as ever. The game was over by halftime. Penn safety Dana Lyons returned an interception a school-record 94 yards for a touchdown, and Mark DeRosa threw three touchdowns to stake the Quakers to a 28-0 lead. The issue was virtually decided five minutes into the game, as the Quakers’ defense came through when Penn needed it most. Lafayette recovered a fumbled Penn punt 12 yards away from a touchdown that would have tied the score at 7-7. But Quakers defensive end Tom McGarrity blasted Lafayette quarterback Shawn McHale just as he released a pass, and the ball went behind the intended receiver. Lyons grabbed the tipped ball on the six-yard line and raced 94 yards to give the Quakers a 14-0 lead. Click to watch Dana Lyons’ record-setting 94-yard interception return.

“PENN SURVIVES BUCKNELL”: Penn 20, Bucknell 19 (September 30, 1995) **
The Bucknell players started the victory celebration exactly 73 seconds too early, and that one innocent party foul may have cost the Bison an upset of monumental proportions. A double unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration gave Penn an enormous field position advantage, setting up Jeremiah Greathouse’s game-winning 41-yard field goal, and narrowly preserving Penn’s 24-game win streak – a Division I-AA streak that still stands today – with an improbable 20-19 victory. After Bucknell wide receiver John Sakowski tiptoed just inside the end line for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:13 remaining, dozens of Bison ripped off their helmets and piled onto the Franklin Field turf. The penalties, assessed on the ensuing kickoff, backed the Bucknell special teams up to their own 10-yard line and changed the complexion of the game. “When I knew we had to kick off from the 10, I wanted to give our kids a chance to win,” Bison coach Tom Gadd said, explaining his decision to go for a two-point conversion with a 19-17 lead. But Bucknell squandered the conversion opportunity when quarterback Jim Fox tripped taking the snap from center, and rolled out the red and blue carpet for a Penn comeback. To their credit, the Quakers wasted no time capitalizing on their good fortune. Mark Fabish took the ensuing kickoff and sprinted 25 yards to the Bison 45-yard line. Quarterback Mark DeRosa connected immediately with Miles Macik on a quick slant for 14 yards. Two plays later, running back Aman Abye scampered another eight yards before stepping out of bounds with 27 ticks remaining on the clock. That brought out Greathouse, who split the uprights with a full five yards to spare. Click to watch the second half.

Penn 38, Colgate 7 (September 28, 1996)

Bucknell 20, Penn 16 (September 27, 1997)

Penn 26, Towson 14 (October 4, 1997)

Lehigh 24, Penn 7 (October 11, 1997)

Richmond 34, Penn 18 (September 26, 1998)
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Penn 20, Bucknell 10 (October 3, 1998)
Joe Piela returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown and Jim Finn ran for 136 yards to help Penn (2-1) over visiting Bucknell (3-2). Click to watch highlights.

Penn 34, Fordham 31 (October 10, 1998)
Fordham quarterback Steve O’Hare and his receivers provided a spectacular comeback, but no victory. Penn, displaying two potent weapons in quarterback Matt Rader and running back Jim Finn, built a 20-point lead in the third quarter and hung on to defeat the Rams, 34-31, at Jack Coffey Field. The Quakers survived a shaky second half after Rader left the game early in the third quarter with a gash on his right shoulder -- apparently caused by a defender’s face mask -- and the quarterback platoon of Reed Warner and Edward Mebs did not produce a point afterward. Finn helped the Quakers run the clock out on the final drive by converting on a third-and-six and a fourth-and-one. Finn carried 29 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns, including a 69-yard sprint in the first half. Rader, who needed stitches for the cut on his shoulder, completed 19 of 25 pass attempts for 256 yards and three touchdowns, including a 39-yard fluttering heave to David O’Neill with four seconds left in the first half. That made the score 27-14 just after the Rams had sprung to life on O’Hare’s 2-yard touchdown loft to Gerry McDermott. McDermott, breaking tackles and outjumping the Quakers’ shorter defensive backs, caught nine passes for 125 yards and three touchdowns. His third scoring reception made the score 34-20 in the third quarter. O’Hare connected on 23 of 37 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns. O’Hare’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Chris Auferio brought the Rams within 34-28 with 11 minutes 43 seconds left. The Rader-less Quakers could not advance the ball, and on the Rams’ final scoring march, O’Hare’s third-down pass in the end zone trickled off McDermott’s fingertips, and Fordham settled for Brian Colsant’s 25-yard field goal, making the score 34-31 with 6:52 to go. The Rams went nowhere on their next drive, and Finn ran seven straight times to chew up the final 3:48. Click to watch highlights.

Penn 34, Yale 21 (October 31, 1998)
Jim Finn ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns and Matt Rader threw for two more scores to help Penn defeat the Elis at Franklin Field. Finn ran for both of his scores in the first quarter as Penn jumped out to a 24-7 lead and never trailed. Rader then connected with Brandon Carson for a touchdown pass before the Bulldogs finally got on the board. The wide-open Carson made a one-handed grab of a short pass over the middle, then ran 50 yards after the 2-yard catch for the touchdown. Joe Walland led Yale by completing 20 of 33 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown. He also ran in from four yards out with 42 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Bulldogs their first score. Brian Scharf led Yale with seven catches for 59 yards, including a 5-yarder with five seconds left in the game. Rader completed 18 of 26 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice. Click to watch highlights.

Penn 27, Princeton 14 (November 7, 1998)
Penn buried Princeton with 21 points five minutes into the game and walked away with a 27-14 victory before a crowd of 20,230 at Princeton Stadium. Princeton entered the game with the best rushing defense in Division I-AA, yielding an average of 54.1 yards a game. The Tigers had given up a total of 156 rushing yards in four Ivy League games and had not had anyone run for more than 100 yards against them this year. But Penn running back Jim Finn was averaging 157 yards rushing against Ivy League teams and was the last running back to rush for more than 100 yards against Princeton (146 yards a year earlier). Finn cracked 1,000 yards for the season on his second carry of the day (a 12-yard run) and proceeded to trample Princeton’s defense. He had 101 yards rushing by halftime and finished with 164 yards on 39 carries. The Tigers’ problems began when they fumbled the opening kickoff. Penn recovered the football at the Princeton 32 and five plays later Quakers quarterback Matt Rader hit receiver Brandon Carson, who had lined up wide left and alone, on a 13-yard touchdown pass. Then, Penn poured it on. A 34-yard punt return by safety Joe Piela gave the Quakers a first down at the Tigers’ 28. On the first play from scrimmage, Finn took a pitch from Rader and threw a touchdown pass to tight end Brandon Clay to help give Penn a 14-0 lead. The fumble bug hit the Tigers again on their next possession when running back Derek Theisen lost the ball at Princeton’s 18-yard line. Linebacker Jim Higsen recovered, and on the next play Rader threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to receiver David Rogers. The Quakers had taken a commanding 21-0 lead and with 10 minutes 10 seconds still to play in the first quarter. Click to watch Penn sprint to a 21-0 lead after just five minutes.

Penn 41, Harvard 10 (November 14, 1998)
Matt Rader passed for 260 yards and two touchdowns, and Jim Finn gained 106 yards and scored three times, as Penn (7-2, 5-1) gained at least a tie for the Ivy League championship. The Quakers would go on to win the title outright by defeating Cornell a week later. Harvard closed to within 20-10 on a touchdown pass from Brad Wilford to Chris Eitzmann with 11:21 left in the third quarter, but Penn came back with a 67-yard drive capped by Finn’s 16-yard touchdown run. Click to watch highlights.

Penn 17, Dartmouth 6 (September 18, 1999)
Gavin Hoffman threw for 196 yards and a touchdown and Kris Ryan led a balanced ground attack with a career-high 99 yards and a score as defending Ivy League champion Penn defeated Dartmouth, 17-6, at Franklin Field. Hoffman completed 23 of 36 passes, including a 37-yard strike to Brandon Carson in the first quarter. The pass set up a 25-yard field goal by Jason Feinberg which gave Penn a 3-0 lead with 1:11 left in the opening frame. Ryan, making his first career start, then increased the Quaker lead to 10 midway through the second quarter, breaking loose from several Big Green tacklers and racing into the end zone for a 48-yard score. Ryan carried 15 times for a 6.6 average as Penn rolled up 162 yards on the ground. Both teams struggled offensively in the second half as Penn and Dartmouth combined for eleven consecutive scoreless drives. Penn finally broke the string with 5:56 remaining in the game, as Hoffman connected with tight end Ben Zagorski for a 17-yard touchdown pass to seal the win. Click to watch highlights.

Villanova 34, Penn 6 (September 25, 1999)
Villanova’s Chris Boden threw for a career-high 424 yards and two touchdowns as the #14 Wildcats downed the Quakers, 34-6, at Franklin Field. Villanova led just 3-0 after the first quarter before Boden hit Brian White for a 10-yard score only 54 seconds into the second frame. Jason Feinberg’s 28-yard field goal cut the Villanova lead to 10-3, but the Wildcat defense provided the turning point of the game as Joe Keating picked off a Quaker pass deep in Penn territory and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown to give Villanova a 17-3 halftime lead. It was all ‘Nova in the second half, as Boden found Luke Stopper for a 16-yard scoring strike at the 12:59 mark of the third quarter. Villanova tacked on 10 points in the fourth before Feinberg kicked a 45-yard field goal for the final points of the game.

Bucknell 23, Penn 16 (October 2, 1999)
Don McDowell ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as Bucknell held off a late Penn rally to take a 23-16 victory over the Quakers at Franklin Field. Kris Ryan gave the Quakers a 7-0 lead when he rumbled 33 yards for a score with 2:14 left in the first quarter before the Bison used a Joe Lordeaux 43-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the stanza to cut the Penn lead to 7-3. McDowell put Bucknell up for good on a 2-yard run with just over a minute left before halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, Bucknell scored 13 straight points to move out to a 23-7 lead. However, the Quakers rallied. With under five minutes remaining, Gavin Hoffman found Erik Bolinder down the sideline for a 49-yard scoring strike with 3:04 left. However, Hoffman was stopped just shy of the goal line on a two-point conversion run, and Penn trailed 23-13. The Quakers got another opportunity after Colin Smith recovered the ensuing onside kick at the Bucknell 44. After moving to the Bison 22, the Quakers had to settle for Feinberg’s 39-yard field goal, making the score 23-16. The Quaker defense then forced a punt on Bucknell’s next possession and Penn marched from its 25 to the Bison 29 with :18 left in the game. But, Hoffman was hit and fumbled, and Bucknell recovered to end Penn’s comeback hopes.

Penn 35, Fordham 18 (October 9, 1999)
Kris Ryan ran for 256 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Quakers to a 35-18 victory over Fordham at Franklin Field. Ryan’s performance, which included scoring runs of 43 and 52 yards along with two 1-yard plunges, was the third-highest single-game rushing performance in school history behind Terrance Stokes (272 yards) and Jim Finn (259 yards). The Quakers’ defense, led by Jason Maehr (two sacks) and Jim Hisgen (seven tackles, one sack) helped shut down the Fordham running game, yielding just 39 yards on 24 carries. Following Ryan’s third touchdown of the game, which gave Penn a 28-3 lead 3:29 into the second half, Fordham quarterback Mark Carney connected with senior wideout Gerry McDermott on a 25-yard touchdown pass to make the score 28-10. After a Ryan Lazzeri punt, one of 18 on the day between the two teams, bounced into the end zone, Rams junior Matt Georgia took over at quarterback. On his third attempt, Georgia found wide receiver Kendal Creer, who scampered 77 yards to the Pennsylvania 3-yard line. McDermott’s 3-yard scoring reception pulled the Rams to within 28-18, with 38 seconds remaining in the third quarter. However, on the ensuing drive, the Quakers marched 68 yards on 12 plays, aided by a pair of personal foul penalties against Fordham. Ryan ran in from a yard out for his fourth touchdown of the game to give Penn a 35-18 advantage. Click to watch highlights.

“HAIL-MARY”: Penn 21, Harvard 17 (November 13, 1999) **
Move over, Doug Flutie. Facing a do-or-die fourth-and-10 from midfield with 1:17 left, Penn quarterback Gavin Hoffman was flushed from the pocket and forced to throw a scrambling desperation heave toward the end zone. As if guided by Flutie himself -- one of Boston’s favorite sons -- the pass settled into the leaping arms of Quakers receiver Brandon Carson 50 yards away for the winning score in Penn’s improbable 21-17 victory. Hoffman completed 29 passes for 348 yards in the Quakers’ last-second-win -- including seven for 105 yards to Carson -- but none could even hold a candle to this final heave. Just minutes earlier, the Quakers had been left for dead. Hoffman was picked off by Crimson linebacker Jeff Svicarovich and Harvard took the ball, and a 17-14 lead, to the Penn 31 with two minutes left. But fate works in mysterious ways. On a third-and-two, Crimson quarterback Brad Wilford collided with sixth-string tailback Brent Chalmers -- the lone available Harvard back -- on a handoff and the ball hit the ground. Penn safety Hasani White recovered the fumble, and seven plays later, Penn’s prayers were answered. Click to watch Brandon Carson haul in the 50-yard touchdown to seal Penn’s comeback win over Harvard.

Lehigh 17, Penn 10 (September 16, 2000)

Penn 45, Lafayette 28 (September 23, 2000)

Penn 48, Dartmouth 14 (September 30, 2000)

Holy Cross 34, Penn 17 (October 7, 2000)

Gavin Hoffman’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Rob Milanese with 28 ticks left on the clock gave the Quakers a stunning 41-38 come-from-behind victory over visiting Brown. Penn trailed, 38-20, with 7:28 remaining in the fourth quarter when Hoffman led the Quakers on the first of the three scoring drives late in the game. He nailed Milanese with a 48-yard pass and then hit Jason Battung for an 8-yard score with 4:37 remaining. After the Quaker defense forced a three-and-out, Penn’s Joe Phillips returned a Sean Jensen punt 32 yards to the 50-yard line. Hoffman came out on the first play of the drive and hit Doug O’Neill with a 49-yard strike and then rushed the ball into the end zone himself on the next play to draw the Quakers within five points, 38-33, with 2:49 left in regulation. After forcing the Bears to punt, again, the Quakers started their game-winning drive on their own 38-yard line, with 1:41 left in the contest. Hoffman opened up with an 18-yard strike to Colin Smith. Hoffman’s next two attempts were incomplete before he found Smith again for a 19-yard gain to keep the drive alive. Hoffman came back to Smith one more time, hitting the third-year wideout with a 13-yard pass at the Brown 12-yard line. Hoffman then laced a perfect pass to Doug O’Neill for a 10-yard gain. After an incomplete pass and a 5-yard penalty against the Quakers, Hoffman found Milanese for the game-winning score. When the smoke cleared, Hoffman had taken the Quakers down the field on drives of three plays-for-61 yards, two plays-for-50 yards and eight plays-for-62 yards, respectively, in 4:11. Click to watch highlights of Penn’s improbable comeback.

Penn 36, Harvard 35 (November 11, 2000)
The Quakers enjoyed another thrilling win – a 36-35 triumph over Harvard – to put themselves in position to win the Ivy League title outright in their season finale at Cornell.

Penn 37, Lafayette 0 (September 22, 2001)

Penn 21, Dartmouth 20 (September 29, 2001)

Penn 43, Holy Cross 7 (October 6, 2001)

Penn 35, Columbia 7 (October 13, 2001)

Penn 21, Yale 3 (October 20, 2001)

Penn 27, Brown 14 (October 27, 2001)

Penn 21, Princeton 10 (November 3, 2001)

Harvard 28, Penn 21 (November 10, 2001)

Penn 52, Lafayette 21 (September 21, 2002)

“PENN ENDS LEHIGH’S 26-GAME WINNING STREAK”: Penn 24, Lehigh 21 (September 28, 2002) **
The Red and Blue upended #4 Lehigh, 24-21, at Franklin Field,  halting the Mountain Hawks’ 26-game regular-season winning streak. As Matt Douglas’ 29-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide with 1:17 remaining in the contest, so did Lehigh’s hopes of a come-from-behind victory. Penn’s Mike Mitchell threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, while Stephen Faulk scored a pair of touchdowns to help give Penn what appeared to be a dominating 17-point lead heading into the game’s final 15 minutes. However, Lehigh rallied in the game’s waning moments to score two fourth-quarter touchdowns and set up the game-tying 29-yard field-goal attempt. Leading 10-7, the Red and Blue got the ball back on their own 26-yard line with just 24 seconds remaining in the half. Mitchell started the drive off by hitting Faulk with a 16-yard pass, and then followed that up with a 24-yard connection with Milanese. After an incomplete pass on the Lehigh 34, Mitchell completed a 12-yard pass to Joe Phillips, who then pitched the ball back to Faulk on the Lehigh 22. Faulk had only one man to beat, when Milanese threw the block that sprung Faulk into the end zone with no time remaining in the opening half, as Penn went into halftime leading 17-7. Faulk added one more touchdown for the cause, as he leapt over a pile of bodies from the 1-yard line, while Peter Veldman’s third extra-point of the contest gave the Quakers a 24-7 lead with 19:26 left in the game. Click to watch highlights, including Stephen Faulk’s “hook-and-lateral” touchdown .

Penn 49, Dartmouth 14 (October 5, 2002)
Mike Mitchell tossed an 82-yard touchdown pass to Rob Milanese early in the fourth quarter and Penn defeated Dartmouth, 49-14, at Franklin Field. Click to watch Mike Mitchell’s 82-yard touchdown pass to Rob Milanese.

Villanova 17, Penn 3 (October 10, 2002)

Penn 44, Columbia 10 (October 19, 2002)

Penn 41, Yale 20 (October 26, 2002)

Penn 31, Brown 7 (November 2, 2002)

Penn 44, Princeton 13 (November 9, 2002)

Penn 44, Harvard 9 (November 16, 2002)
Penn defeated Harvard, 44–9, at Franklin Field. With the win, Penn clinched the Ivy League championship. The game was the site of ESPN’s College Gameday program (the first and only time a Division I-AA/FCS school had been the host). ESPN personality Lee Corso dressed up as Penn’s founder, founding father Benjamin Franklin (who is also the namesake of Franklin Field) and predicted (correctly) that Penn would win the game.

Penn 31, Cornell 0 (November 23, 2002)

Penn 51, Duquesne 10 (September 20, 2003)
No. 23 Penn rolled to a 51-10 victory over visiting Duquesne at Franklin Field in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Penn’s offense scored on its first three possessions of the game, while the defense forced five turnovers and scored a touchdown of its own. The Red and Blue tallied a total of seven touchdowns with four coming from the arm of quarterback Mike Mitchell and the defense shut the door on I-AA’s top passing attack, limiting the Dukes to just 116 yards in the air (Duquesne entered the game averaging 345.5 passing yards per game). Four Quakers scored their first collegiate touchdowns, including Sam Matthews, who scored on a 20-yard reception and 1-yard run in his Penn debut, and Doug Middleton, who returned his first career fumble 34 yards for a touchdown. Penn jumped out to a commanding 20-0 lead just 8:22 into the new campaign as the Red and Blue began the contest with the ball and marched 54 yards down field for the score. Mitchell hit Matthews on a 20-yard play that ended in the end zone just 1:25 into the contest. On its next possession, Penn proceeded 75 yards down field for its second score on a 1-yard Matthews run. On Duquesne’s next possession, Neil Loebig  was picked off by Middleton, who returned his first career interception 24 yards to the Dukes’ 29. It only took Penn 1:20 to make Duquesne pay for the mistake as Jake Perskie punched in his first touchdown of the season on a 7-yard run. Armar Watson got Duquesne on the board when he picked off Mitchell and returned the ball 56 yards for a touchdown. Penn took a 23-10 lead into the break but, the third quarter was all Red and Blue as the Quakers found the end zone four times. Gabe Marabella scored his first career touchdown reception (on an 11-yard Mitchell pass), Kevin Desmedt added a 2-yard reception from Mitchell, Middleton returned a fumble all the way and Joe Phillips hauled in his first career score (on another 11-yard Mitchell toss) as Penn turned a 13-point halftime lead into a 41-point margin of victory.

“PENN UPSETS #19 LEHIGH”: Penn 31, Lehigh 24 (September 27, 2003) **
Sagar Patel’s first career reception could not have come at a better time as the second-year receiver hauled in an 18-yard touchdown to cap off a 21-0 Red and Blue run in the fourth quarter as No. 21 Penn overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 19 Lehigh, 34-21, at Goodman Stadium. And while it was the Quakers’ offense which scored 21 second-half points, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns, to turn the contest around on the scoreboard, it was the Penn defense which shut the door on Lehigh, holding the Mountain Hawks to just 46 yards of offense in the second half and four first downs. The Red and Blue defense also came up with the game’s biggest stop with 1:41 remaining in the fourth as Lehigh attempted to convert a fourth-and-12 situation on the Penn 31. Although it was Patel’s touchdown (as he was sliding out of the end zone) that gave the Red and Blue the go-ahead score, it was the Mike Mitchell-Dan Castles show on offense in the second half that made the first reception of Patel’s career that much more memorable. Mitchell threw four touchdown passes, hitting Castles twice in the end zone in the second half to knot the score at 24, 1:33 into the final quarter. The contest included a 66-minute delay due to lightning with 6:52 remaining in the third quarter. Click to watch Sagar Patel’s first career reception, as he was sliding out of the end zone.

Penn 24, Brown 21 (November 1, 2003)
Pat McManus’ second interception of the season could not have come at a better time for the Red and Blue, as the senior corner’s pick with 2:38 remaining in the contest ended Brown’s comeback bid and sealed the door on the Quakers’ 13th-straight win, 24-21, at Brown Stadium. No. 11 Penn remained undefeated on the season with the victory and, coupled with a Harvard loss, in sole possession of first place in the Ancient Eight. Sam Mathews, the Ivy League’s second-leading rusher entering the contest put on a clinic for its leading rusher as he outgained Brown’s Nick Hartigan by 115 yards. Mathews became the first Quakers’ back since Jim Finn in 1998 to rush for over 100 yards in five-straight games as the sophomore tailback finished with 173 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns. While Mathews was tearing it up, the Red and Blue’s defense was limiting Hartigan to just 58 yards on the ground for the game, including only 12 in the first half. Brown entered the contest averaging 154.7 yards rushing per game and managed only 32 for the contest against the Quakers’ defense. Penn jumped out to a 21-0 lead over the game’s first 33 minutes. Brown finally scored its first points of the game when Hartigan’s 1-yard touchdown trimmed the Quakers’ lead to 21-7. A Peter Veldman 33-yard field goal gave Penn a 24-7 edge with 6:51 remaining in the third quarter. But Brown would not go quietly as Kyle Slager found Nick Christ for a 24-yard touchdown with 8:38 left in the contest. On the Bears’ next possession, Slager led Brown 75 yards down field, culminating with a 7-yard Hartigan touchdown run as the Bears inched closer, 24-21, with 3:50 remaining in the game.

Penn 37, Princeton 7 (November 8, 2003)
The No. 9 Quakers learned that they had clinched a share of the Ivy League title 60 minutes after they defeated Princeton, 37-7, at Franklin Field. Penn improved to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in the Ivy League with its 14th-straight victory. The win was also the Quakers’ 18th straight at Franklin Field and 13th consecutive against Ivy League opponents. For the record, both the Quakers offense and defense were on, as the Red and Blue tallied their second-highest point total of the season and 478 yards while the defense forced five Princeton turnovers and limited the Tigers to just 13 first downs - three in the first half. Joe Phillips posted career highs for receptions (nine) and yards (117), while Mike Mitchell threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Sam Mathews and Dan Castles added two touchdowns, with Mathews breaking the 100-yard plateau on the ground for the sixth-straight game with 204 rushing yards. Michael Sangobowale served notice on the contest’s first play that Penn was ready to go, sacking Princeton-quarterback Matt Verbitt for a 5-yard loss. The Quakers’ defense only allowed the Tigers to gain two yards on the next two plays and forced Princeton to go three-and-out. Penn started its first drive on its own 46 after Princeton’s punt. Three plays later a flea flicker from Mathews to Mitchell to Castles resulted in a 39-yard touchdown and the party was on. The Red and Blue scored on its first four possessions of the game, and on six of their first seven to take a commanding 30-0 lead into halftime.

IVY CHAMPS: Penn 32, Harvard 24 (November 15, 2003) **
No. 8 Penn defeated Harvard, 32-24, at Harvard Stadium to clinch the outright Ivy League title. Penn jumped out to a quick 22-0 lead on Mike Mitchell touchdown strikes to Brian Adams (11 yards), Dan Castles (44 yards) and Kevin DeSmedt (7 yards) 16:26 into the contest. Early in the game, it appeared as if everything would go the Quakers way especially when Gabe Marabella was able to recover a bad snap on Peter Veldman’s point-after attempt on DeSmedt’s touchdown and scramble to find Matt Boyer in the end zone for the successful two-point conversion. That lead was extended to 29-7 to start the second half when Michael Recchuiti scored on a 2-yard run. Veldman then converted a 35-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter in heavy cross winds to give Penn a 32-16 advantage with less than eight minutes to play. However, Penn still needed some late-game heroics from senior captain Steve Lhotak, as the linebacker pulled down Harvard’s Matt Frotto on the Quakers’ 6-yard line as time expired to seal the win. Click to watch Steve Lhotak’s game-saving tackle.

Pat McDermott threw for a career-high 384 yards, but it was his 1-yard touchdown run that was the deciding factor in the Red and Blue’s victory. Prior to the overtime, the game hinged on a literal change of fortunes in the fourth quarter. A holding call negated a 23-yard touchdown run by Bucknell’s Darius Wilson. The penalty pushed the ball back to the Penn 27-yard line and a 2-yard loss forced the Bison to punt 30 yards from the opposing goal line. Penn moved the ball well on the ensuing possession but lost a fumble in Bucknell territory on a Sam Mathews carry only to have Chris Mizell recover a Bison fumble on the same play at the Bucknell 49-yard line. Two plays later, Penn tied the score at 22 when McDermott hit Gabe Marabella from 12 yards out with under six minutes remaining in regulation; a score that would send the game into overtime. Ryan Korn of Bucknell made a 47-yard field goal to open the extra frame, a career-high. On Penn’s possession, the drive was stalled on the Bucknell 25-yard line, forcing the Quakers to attempt a 42-yard field goal of their own. Evan Nolan, on his 22nd birthday, nailed the attempt to force the second and decisive overtime session. Click to watch highlights of this thrilling overtime game.

lick  to watch the game-winning touchdown drive.

One, two or even three offensive drives can be the difference in a game and possibly a season. Penn needed those three drives and a key defensive stop with under a minute remaining to defeat Princeton, 16-15, at Princeton Stadium. The Quakers, down 15-13 with eight and a half minutes left in regulation, pulled off yet another spectacular scoring drive. Penn raced 59 yards in 12 plays to set up freshman Derek Zoch for a 22-yard field goal, the first attempt of his career. A false start call on the Red and Blue moved the rookie back an additional five yards but his leg and aim held true, booting his first-career field goal to give Penn the decisive edge, 16-15. Penn was not out of the woods yet -- there were still nearly three minutes remaining. Princeton drove to the Quakers’ 19-yard line. Luke Hadden, who led Penn with 11 tackles, pulled down Brandon Benson for a 5-yard loss. An incomplete pass from Matt Verbit put the weight of a 41-yard field goal attempt on Derek Javarone, who had hit three field goals during the game from distances of 27, 32 and 33 yards, respectively. Javarone would not make a fourth as the kick sailed wide right. Click to watch the dramatic finish.

Whatever questions the Penn football team may have had coming into the 2006 season were answered as the Quakers convincingly took out No. 22 Lafayette, 21-11, at Fisher Field. The win marked the 100th for Head Coach Al Bagnoli at Penn. There was senior running back Joe Sandberg, who moved into the starting role and ran 24 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-clinching 36-yard breakout to paydirt with 5:39 to play. There was sophomore quarterback Robert Irvin, who entered the contest having never taken a snap of college football, completing his first 11 passes to start and ending up going 17-for-27 for 182 yards. There was junior wide receiver Dan Coleman -- who, like Irvin, was untested in game action -- catching five passes for 85 yards, including a pair of 24-yard receptions to start the game. Click to watch the highlights.

The 11th edition of the Penn-Villanova rivalry certainly gave fans their money’s worth. Forty-seven first-half points, four fumbles, four interceptions, 847 total yards of offense and a last-gasp Penn effort were rolled into a wild shootout that saw the Quakers on the losing end of a 27-20 score at Franklin Field. The final Penn series was déjà vu for Quaker fans, who might have recalled the previous year’s heartbreaking loss to the Wildcats. This time, the Quakers got the ball with 2:35 remaining on the clock at their own 32. Bryan Walker, in for a shaken-up Robert Irvin, marched the Quakers upfield to the Villanova 10-yard line. Penn had four downs to crack it in from there, but only Walker’s 3-yard run amidst three incompletions got Penn closer, and Walker’s incomplete toss to Billy May on fourth down ended the game with no time left. All of the game’s scoring came in the first half, and the Quakers got theirs in the wildest of ways: one when Greg Ambrogi returned a punt 60 yards, another when running back Joe Sandberg threw a 26-yard pass to Kelms Amoo-Achampong, and the final one when Sandberg broke free for a 74-yard run. Click to watch the highlights.

Penn quarterback Robert Irvin threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns, and the Quaker defense intercepted three passes as Penn dropped Dartmouth, 17-10, at Franklin Field. The Quakers overcame three turnovers while the Big Green made a late comeback attempt with a touchdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Irvin, who went 15-of-25 on the afternoon, hit Billy May and Braden Lepisto for touchdown receptions. A Derek Zoch 23-yard field goal made it 17-3 in favor of Penn. Dartmouth had a chance to make it a one-touchdown game with three minutes left, but Ryan Fuselier’s touchdown catch was called back on offensive pass interference. A false start pushed Dartmouth further back, giving it third-and-goal on the 26-yard line, and two incompletions turned the ball over on downs. The Quakers, however, could not gain a first down, and were forced to punt. Anthony Melillo was unable to get the punt away and was tackled in the backfield -- giving the ball back to Dartmouth -- and on first down Mike Fritz completed his first pass to Philip Galligan for a touchdown to make it 17-10. Chris Mizell, however, picked up the on-side kick and the Quakers were able to run out the clock. Click to watch the highlights.

Click to watch the highlights.

Click to watch the highlights.

Click to watch the highlights.

Click to watch the highlights, including Chris Wynn’s electrifying 98-yard kickoff return.

“DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN”: Princeton 31, Penn 30 (2 OT) (November 4, 2006) **
Somehow, the ending didn’t seem all that strange. Sure, there were two overtime periods that included two botched kicks, a blocked field goal and an impromptu running back-to-quarterback pitch, but Penn’s fate recently seemed to suggest that the Quakers couldn’t have won even with a perfect performance. The Quakers dropped a 31-30 double-overtime heartbreaker at Princeton, their third extra-frame loss in a row, setting the NCAA Division I record for consecutive overtime games and eliminating themselves from the Ivy League title race. Aside from a career-long 38-yard field goal by wideout-turned-kicker Braden Lepisto, Penn’s kicking game held true to form; the Quakers had problems every step of the way, from the snap to the hold to the actual kick. Sprint football call-up Peter Stine missed a gimme from 23 yards out before leaving the game, and Penn’s special teams unit made a mess of two overtime kicks. The first, a field goal from 20 yards out in the first possession of the first overtime, was doomed by holder Matt Reinert’s inability to get the ball down. The second was an extra point following a 25-yard touchdown strike to Matt Carre from quarterback Robert Irvin, and may have been the most heartbreaking play that Penn had seen in these three unfortunate weeks. A converted kick would have sent the game into a third overtime, but a low snap from Ted Rosenbaum led to a mad scramble by Reinert to the end zone. And just like most things had gone recently, Penn was just a couple yards short, sealing its fate in the Ivy League. However, Penn might not have even been in this position had an unorthodox play not bailed Princeton out of a failed fourth-down conversion. Penn put forth an admirable goal-line stand on the Tigers’ second overtime possession, stuffing Terrell and running back Rob Toresco on three straight plays. But the kicking unit stayed on the sidelines on fourth down, and Princeton once again went to Toresco. Stopped in his tracks before the goal line, Toresco had nowhere to go. Terrell, however, did. Toresco pitched it straight back to his quarterback, and Terrell scampered into the end zone untouched. But perhaps Toresco’s goal-line pitch never should have happened as the Quakers appeared to have stopped the sophomore’s forward motion, and perhaps he should have been called down. Click to watch the highlights.

“WHO NEEDS OVERTIME?”: Penn 22, Harvard 13 (November 11, 2006) **
With a chance to go up by a pair of touchdowns, the Penn offense ran into a wall. So out strode Penn’s leading wide receiver, Braden Lepisto, to try a 38-yard field goal. He left no doubt. When the ball sailed through the uprights to make the score 17-7, Lepisto had delivered a clear message to visiting Harvard: This would not resemble Penn’s last three games. There would be no points left on the field. The Quakers went on to defeat the No. 17 Crimson, 22-13, snapping an NCAA-record three-game overtime losing streak. Harvard tailback Clifton Dawson broke the Ivy League record for career rushing yards on a 55-yard run, just his second carry of the game. But the Quakers ruined his big day in the end. That was hardly a foregone conclusion, even though Penn only trailed for the opening 10 minutes. Harvard drove 44 yards in three plays to set up a field goal as time expired in the first half, making the score 20-13. But that was the last time the Crimson would threaten. Punter Anthony Melillo pinned Harvard inside its own 3-yard line on three straight possessions in the second half, and regaining the field-position battle proved to be too much even for Dawson and quarterback Liam O’Hagan. Neither team could add anything offensively to the scoreboard in the second half. The lone points came for Penn in the fourth quarter when O’Hagan tripped two yards deep in his own end zone for a safety, making the game a two-possession battle with 6:38 remaining. Click to watch the highlights.

Click to watch some of the highlights.

Click to watch highlights of Penn’s first-quarter touchdown drive.

Click to watch Penn take a 14-7 first-quarter lead.

Click to watch highlights of Penn’s valiant comeback effort.

Click to watch highlights as Penn opens up a 35-0 first-half lead.

Click to watch Penn’s two special teams touchdown returns.

Click to watch some of the highlights.

Click to watch the two game-changing plays.

Click to watch

Click to watch some of the highlights.

Click to watch some of the highlights.

Click to watch some of the highlights.

Click to watch Chris Wynn’s 88-yard return of the opening kickoff.

Click to watch some of the highlights.

Click to watch some of the highlights.

Click to watch

Click to watch

Click to watch highlights of the first 120 years of the Penn-Princeton football rivalry.

Harvard came from behind to upset Penn, 86-78. Ike Canty poured in 12 points in the last seven minutes, and the team had scored on a phenomenal 49 percent of its field goal attempts. In beating the Quakers for the first time since March 4, 1947, the Crimson came from nine points behind after 5:30 of the first half. The zone defense which Coach Floyd Wilson had hoped would stop Penn’s Joe Sturgis was successful in that respect, but had to be abandoned when Lou Bayne of the Red and Blue tallied ten points in the first ten minutes. Penn led, 43-41, at the half, but in the second half the Crimson moved the ball crisply and Bob Hastings passed too quickly for Penn’s zone defense. Sturgis was scoring now, too, however, and Penn led by 61-55 after 9:30. Then Canty, who had been benched since late in the first half with four personal fouls, came back in. Sturgis was high scorer with 31 points, and Canty had 26. Phil Haughey, whose soft hook shots kept the Crimson close, had 25. Click to watch

La Salle 69, Penn 57 (December 20, 1961)
Bob McAteer scored 15 points to lead the Explorers to a 69-57 win over the Quakers, at The Palestra, before a crowd of 4,704.

Penn 66, St. Joseph’s 60 (January 17, 1962)
Penn canned 20 free throws while St. Joseph’s made just six, as the Quakers defeated the Hawks, 66-60, at The Palestra, before a crowd of 2,154.

Villanova 81, Penn 54 (January 20, 1962)
Hubie White netted a then Big 5 record 38 points to lead the Wildcats past the Quakers, 81-54, at The Palestra, before a sellout crowd of 9,237.

Temple 79, Penn 60 (February 14, 1962)
Ever improving in the season’s late stages, Temple’s high flying Owls riddled Penn’s zone defense with crisp ball-handling and torrid first half shooting as they coasted to a 79-60 victory at the Palestra before 2,294. It was strictly no contest from the outset as the Quakers went almost eight minutes with but a single field goal, while the Owls hit from all angles to trace to early leads of 11-1 and 25-10. The margin was 42-20 before the Quakers dragged themselves off the court at halftime, and although the outside shooting of Ray Carazo and Jeff Sturn helped keep the final score respectable, the second half was a meaningless, and lusterless one.  

A torrid comeback by the Crimson fizzled in the final 40 seconds of play and enabled Penn to whip Harvard, 75-67. Penn guards Jeff Neuman and Ray Carazo put on a dazzling display of basketball skill at Harvard’s IAB. Carazo did it with his deadly 25-foot jump shots, Neuman with his phenomenal ball handling and lightning behind-the-back passes. After seven minutes the Quakers led 19-11, with eight of their points coming on fast breaks. After intermission, Penn pulled away with its fast breaks and outside shooting. Near the end of the third quarter, the Quakers led 59-48 and began to stall, forcing Harvard out of its zone and into a man-to-man defense. With 6:20 left, the Red and Blue were still going strong, 65-56. Harvard was unable to penetrate Penn’s zone, but long bombs by Al Bornheimer, Bill Fegley, and Merle McClung cut the Quakers’ lead to 67-62 in the next 80 seconds. Penn began to freeze the ball with a vengeance, and three minutes later the Crimson had moved only an eyelash closer, 68-64. But with 1:47 showing on the clock, Leo Scully bucketed a short shot and cannily drew a foul in the process. His three-point play made the score 68-67. The Quakers continued to stall, and Keith Sedlacek fouled Penn’s Joe Andrews. But Andrews missed the front end of the one-and-one, and Harvard grabbed the rebound. With 50 seconds left, the Crimson worked the ball into McClung, who was two feet from the basket, but Andrews knocked his shot out of bounds. Moments later Sedlacek missed on his patented jump shot. Andrews snared the rebound and Penn went back into its stall. Sedlacek broke it up by fouling Stan Pawlak with 29 seconds to go, and the Quakers iced the game at the foul line. Click to watch

Temple 71, Penn 64 (February 22, 1966)
Jim Williams scored 34 points to lead the Owls past the Quakers, 71-64, before 3,506 at The Palestra.

Penn 83, Columbia 68 (February 25, 1966)
Penn, sparked by the backcourt magic of Jeff Neuman and an ever-changing defense, walloped Columbia’s Lions, 83-68, at University Gymnasium, to clinch at least a tie for the Ivy League basketball championship.

h, by the way, the nightcap featured the #7 La Salle Explorers (17-1) against the #8 Villanova Wildcats (16-2). Sophomore Ken Durrett (20 points, 15 rebounds) led the Explorers to a 74-67 win over sophomore Howard Porter (21 points, 21 rebounds) and the Wildcats. Click  to watch highlights of Penn’s upset win.

ECAC HOLIDAY FESTIVAL: Penn 86, Boston College 65 (December 27, 1969)
The Quakers ran away from Boston College in the closing stages for an 86-65 victory, their seventh in a row to start the season, before a crowd of 12,322. Penn’s victory became one-sided only during the last nine minutes of play, but the Quakers had shown their basic superiority much earlier, even though the score had remained fairly close. Although they never led by more than six points and went off at intermission with only a 35-32 lead, the Quakers outrebounded B.C. in the first half, 28-12. That kind of thing had to take its toll, and it started to about five minutes into the second half. An 8-0 burst made it 52-42, and after a short stabilization, the Quakers took off on a 21-5 tear that made the score 80-59. Corky Calhoun scored 20 points, took down 12 rebounds and had nine assists. Bob Morse, whose hot hand in the second half helped break open the game, was high man with 22 points. Jim Wolf grabbed 13 rebounds although he scored only nine points, taking only six shots.

ECAC HOLIDAY FESTIVAL: Purdue 88, Penn 85 (December 29, 1969)
Rick Mount’s shooting in the second half gave Purdue an uphill 88-85 victory over Penn. Mount was held to nine points in the first half by Penn’s disciplined defense, and the Quakers led, 44-33, at the break. But he broke out in the second half. Many of his shots were acrobatic, with two or three Quakers trying to cover him. Mount was shackled by Dave Wohl, who scored 20 of his 26 points in the opening period. It was after Wohl had picked up his fourth foul with 15:46 left in the game that Purdue started its comeback. Mount, who had been fouled in the act of shooting, made both shots to cut the Quakers’ lead to 50-46. Penn was in foul trouble during the second half, and Purdue put on its winning rally with 2:40 to go. Mount, with his 24th point, gave the Boilermakers a 76-75 lead, their first advantage since the opening minutes. Mount finished with 37 points, 28 in the second half. Corky Calhoun added 23 points for the Quakers.

ECAC HOLIDAY FESTIVAL: Penn 88, St. Joseph’s 69 (December 30, 1969)
In the consolation game, Penn earned third place in the ECAC Holiday festival by overwhelming St. Joseph’s, 88-69, before a crowd of 15, 497 at Madison Square Garden. Penn, beaten by Purdue in the semifinal game for its first loss of the season, won its eighth game on a second-half surge that was sparked by Bob Morse. The 6-foot-8-inch sophomore scored 27 points, 18 in the second half, after Penn led by just four, 43-39, at the break. Corky Calhoun added 15 points for the Quakers while Dan Kelly paced the Hawks’ attack with 25.

Penn 76, Princeton 69 (January 5, 1970)

Penn 89, Dartmouth 75 (January 9, 1970)

Penn 103, Harvard 71 (January 10, 1970)
This marked the first time the Quakers scored 100 points against an Ivy League team.

Penn 75, Massachusetts 65 (January 17, 1970)
Before he set up practice at the Spectrum, Julius Erving made a Philadelphia house call as a collegian... specifically a Big House Call. Erving, a sophomore averaging 23.6 points and 20.5 rebounds, led an underachieving Massachusetts (5-3) team into the Palestra to face a Penn squad that was off to an 11-1 start. He had 21 points in the first half as UMass took a 38-35 lead (after 11 ties), but was held (mostly by Corky Calhoun) to one field goal after intermission and the Quakers used a couple of nifty layups by Steve Bilsky to pull away to a 75-65 victory. That victory equaled the best start for a Penn team since the 1942-43 team also won 12 of its first 13. It fact, the victory came amid an 18-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Niagara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Erving (“He gets off the ground pretty good,” said Calhoun) finished with 25 points on 9-for-18 shooting (7-for-8 from the line) and 11 rebounds. Teammate John Betancourt came off the bench to score 12 points in six minutes to give the Minutemen their final lead, 59-58, before Bilsky and Bob Morse (21 points each) hoisted Penn to victory.

Penn 64, Cornell 60 (January 31, 1970)
Penn won its first basketball game at Cornell’s Farson Hall since 1959, 64-60, but only after a late press cut down an inspired Big Red effort. A regional television audience and 3,500 spectators saw Cornell, with a 4-11 record, lead the 14th-ranked Quakers for most of the game and take a 59-54 advantage with 6:43 remaining in the game. At that point, Coach Dick Harter unleashed a variety of pressing defenses that held the Big Red without a field goal the rest of the way. Steve Bilsky tied the game with a 15-footer with 3:15 left and then sank four foul shots to give the Quakers their 16th victory against one defeat. Bob Morse paced the Red and Blue with 21 points, 19 in the first half, while Bilsky added 18. Cornell’s Bill Schwarzkopf led all scorers with 23 points.

Penn 57, Columbia 52 (February 2, 1970)
Penn, making a big move toward an Ivy League championship, survived a terrible start and a nervous finish while beating Columbia, 57-52, in what could be called a key game in more than one sense. The Quakers looked lost for the first 15 minutes. Surrounded by the claustrophobic din in Columbia’s pitifully inadequate gymnasium jammed to capacity with 1,924 spectators, the visitors seemed nervous and insecure as they fell behind, 15-8 and 22-16. But they seemed to find themselves at that point, having been saved from a larger deficit by the free throws Columbia’s Heyward Dotson (22 points) missed. In the next 18 minutes or so, they outscored the Lions, 35-17, and seemed to be running away with the game. Their lead was 51-39 with less than seven minutes to play. And just as abruptly, the tide shifted again. Columbia scored 13 points in a row while Penn went scoreless for four minutes -- and there were the Lions with a 52-51 lead and 2:50 to play. But two free throws by Bob Morse (15 points) put Penn back into the lead with 2:32 left. The Morse blocked a shot by Jim McMillian (18 points) and hit a short jump shot at 1:16, making the score 55-52. Then Steve Bilsky (18 points) stole the ball from McMillian with 59 seconds to go, and he and Dave Wohl controlled the ball the rest of the way.

Penn 86, Harvard 77 (February 6, 1970)
John Koller came off the bench in the second half, hit on six straight field goal attempts and led Penn to an 86-77 victory over Harvard. Koller’s first four baskets virtually nailed down the triumph as Penn stretched its lead from 67-59 to 75-63. Harvard made a strong bid for an upset. However, Penn, sparked by Dave Wohl, gained a 45-39 halftime lead. Harvard closed to within 62-57 midway through the second half. Then Corky Calhoun tallied five straight points for Penn before Koller took charge.

Penn 96, Dartmouth 68 (February 7, 1970)
The Quakers romped to a 96-68 victory over Dartmouth before a crowd of 2,000 in Alumni Gym. The Quakers broke away from the Indians midway through the first half and increased their lead with 53 percent shooting from the floor in the first half as they gained a 49-34 lead at the break. Bob Morse and Corky Calhoun led Penn’s attack, which shot a torrid 48 percent from the floor. Morse scored 22 points while Calhoun had 18. Steve Bilsky and Dave Wohl added 17 and 11, respectively.

Penn 70, Yale 62 (February 13, 1970)
Dave Wohl scored five consecutive points in the closing minutes to send Penn to a 70-62 victory over Yale before 6,100 at The Palestra. Yale trailed by 59-56 with 4:47 remaining, but Wohl then scored his five points to make it 65-56 with 1:39 left. Yale started fast to lead twice by seven points early in the game, but Penn rallied for a 31-28 halftime lead. Corky Calhoun led the Quakers with 19 points and 21 rebounds. Jim Morgan was high for Yale with 20 points.

Penn 90, Brown 75 (February 14, 1970)
Penn scored 12 points midway through the second half to break open a close game against Brown and captured its 10th straight Ivy League game, 90-75. Brown was in contention through most of the first half as Rusty Tyler had a hot hand from the outside. A long jumper by Tyler brought the Bruins to within 33-30 with 3:20 left. But the Quakers ran off 10 straight points and took a 45-32 halftime edge. Brown battled back and trailed, 62-52, with 10 minutes left. Then John Koller and Carl Robbins each scored two field goals as Penn ran off 12 straight points to keep its league record spotless. Bob Morse was high man for the Quakers with 18 points while Arnie Berman had 24 for Brown followed by Tyler with 20. Dave Wohl dished out a school-record 13 assists to go along with 13 points.

Penn 87, Yale 71 (February 20, 1970)
Four players scored in double figures for Penn as the Ivy League leaders defeated Yale, 87-71. Dave Wohl tallied 23 points and Bob Morse added 22 as the seventh-ranked Quakers improved to 11-0 in the Ivy League and 22-1 overall. It was the 15th victory in succession for Penn.

Penn 84, Brown 56 (February 21, 1970)

IVY CHAMPS: Penn 71, Columbia 57 (February 27, 1970)
Penn won the Ivy League title and the resulting NCAA tournament berth when it defeated Columbia, 71-57, before 9,260 screaming fans in The Palestra. This was the first Ivy crown for the Quakers since 1966 and the first time they reached the NCAA Tournament since 1953. The NCAA barred the Ivy champion from its tournament in 1966 in one of the many NCAA-Ivy policy disputes. Columbia, primarily through the scoring efforts of Jim McMillian, kept up with the Quakers for a half and even led, 31-30, at intermission. But Penn came on quickly to open the second half with seven straight points and never again did the Lions catch them. Columbia got back to within one point but then the Quakers began a parade to the foul line for seven of their next 11 points. Then the Quakers ran away with it late in the game when the Lions were forced to come far out in desperate moves to get the ball. McMillian put on an amazing first-half display, scoring 21 of his 33 points in that segment including 19 of Columbia’s first 23 points. Dave Wohl scored 18 points to lead Penn. Bob Morse added 16, Corky Calhoun and Steve Bilsky 13 each, and Wolf nine.

Penn 97, Cornell 63 (February 28, 1970)
Corky Calhoun made his first six shots in a 20-point performance as he led Penn to a 97-63 victory over Cornell. Dave Wohl added 13 points, Steve Bilsky 12, while John Koller and Carl Robbins each contributed 10 off the bench. It was the 18th straight victory for the newly crowned Ivy League champions, who finished the regular season with a 25-1 record. The 18-game string was the longest current major collegiate winning streak in the country at the time.

NCAA TOURNAMENT: Niagara 79, Penn 69 (March 7, 1970)
When Calvin Murphy dropped 52 points on La Salle in a Niagara victory at the Palestra in December 1967, he was not yet done dealing heartache out to the Big 5. Murphy finished with 35 points, eight assists and five rebounds as the Eagles defeated Penn, 79-69, in an NCAA first-round game before a capacity crowd of 7,500 at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym, negating a possible second-round matchup pitting the Quakers against Villanova. Murphy did most of his damage after the break, when he scored 23 of his 35 points. Penn opened up a nine-point lead, 23-14, midway through the first half, with big men Bob Morse, Jim Wolf and Corky Calhoun leading the way. The lead was still 29-20 with 6:35 remaining, and 33-24 with four minutes left in the first half before its bubble burst. Suddenly the game turned around and never again was Penn in charge. Niagara scored the final six points of the half and closed to 35-34 at intermission. Niagara forced ties at 37 and 39 before Murphy grabbed a loose ball and went in for a layup to put the Eagles ahead to stay. The Eagles spurted to a 48-42 lead within the first six minutes of the second half. Penn had problems stopping the fast break, led so often by Murphy and Mike Brown, penetrating the Niagara zone and getting the ball inside. Even when the Quakers got in close, the Quakers failed to connect too often on their first, second and even third attempts. Forced to shoot from the outside most of the second half, the Quakers couldn’t connect that way very well either and finished the game by hitting only 32.5 percent of their field goal attempts, their lowest figure of the season.

Penn 85, Rutgers 71 (December 2, 1970)
Penn, ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press poll, rolled over Rutgers, 85-71, in the feature of a Palestra doubleheader. Bob Morse led the Quakers with 27 points while Steve Bilsky added 26. Morse scored 19 of his points in the first half as the Quakers moved out to a 48-34 halftime lead. Penn shot a blistering 56.3 percent from the floor, making 21 of 37 shots. Temple defeated Navy, 64-57, in the opener. Click to watch some of the highlights.

Penn 59, Navy 45 (December 5, 1970)
Eleventh-ranked Penn suffered some shooting doldrums against Navy but managed to post a 59-45 victory. Navy held the lead only one time in the game, a 10-9 edge after seven minutes of the first half. The Midshipmen tied the game three times in the first half before Penn grabbed the lead for keeps. Dave Wohl tallied 20 points for the Quakers and Jim Wolf added 12. Navy’s only scorer in double figures was Mickey McCarty with 11.

Penn 91, NYU 62 (December 10, 1970)
Sophomore Phil Hankinson lived up to his reputation as a scorer as he paced the Quakers with 19 points and 15 rebounds at Madison Square Garden. Hankinson entered the game with 12 minutes left in the first half and his team ahead, 24-18, although shooting poorly. He scored five quick points, made a key steal and contributed some fine rebounding. NYU was completely outclassed and the Violets were no match for Penn’s overall balance, height supremacy, bench strength and discipline. NYU shot wildly and was credited with only two assists. The Quakers dished out 23 assists and outrebounded the Violets, 67-33. With 10 minutes left in the game, Penn coach Dick Harter withdrew most of his key players. But even at that, the Quaker substitutes outplayed NYU.

lick  to listen to the dramatic final 32 seconds of regulation.

The Quakers put the finishing touches on their perfect season in spite of losing their starting point guard, Steve Bilsky, to injury in the contest. In coach Dick Harter’s fifth year guiding the Red and Blue, the Quakers made a clean sweep of the regular season with wins over Ohio State, Syracuse and Utah. Penn also defeated each of its city foes to claim the Big 5 title. Bilsky and Dave Wohl manned the backcourt for the Quakers, as only two of their regular season victories were decided by five points or less. Penn ascended the national rankings to as high as No. 3 and defeated Duquesne and South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament, before falling to Villanova, 90-47, in the East Regional final. The Wildcats later had to forfeit the game due to an ineligible player. Click  to listen to the final seconds of Penn’s perfect season.

When the NCAA Tournament pairings were announced, No. 4 ranked Penn was to take on No. 11 Duquesne, the top Eastern Independent, in the opening round. The Iron Dukes entered the game with a record of 21-3 and a 15-game winning streak. The Quakers’ injured guard, Steve Bilsky, was replaced in the starting lineup by forward Phil Hankinson, moving Corky Calhoun to the backcourt. Bob Morse connected on nine 20-footers in the first half, helping Penn take a 32-28 halftime lead. In the second half, Penn controlled but could not break the game open. But Duquesne could not catch up. The lead varied between three and nine points. With 3:10 to go, and Penn leading by three, 61-58, the Quakers went into the Bilsky-Wohl freeze, putting the game away. The Quakers were finally relieved of the terrible burden that the previous year’s first round NCAA Tournament loss to Niagara had placed on them. Click  to watch highlights or c

lick  to listen to some of the original radio broadcast

The 3rd ranked Quakers took on the ACC Champion, the 6th ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, in the NCAA Tournament’s second round in ACC country --  Raleigh, North Carolina. The first half was extremely close, and Bob Morse kept the Quakers in the game, scoring 16 points, as Penn trailed, 37-36, at halftime. With five minutes remaining in the game, Penn held a slim 61-58 lead, before the poised Quakers really took control. Dave Wohl canned a one-and-one and followed with another. Then Corky Calhoun made two free throws, upping the score to 67-58 with 4:03 to go. On the Gamecocks’ next possession, All-American guard John Roche was called for an offensive foul, which was followed by a technical foul on Roche. Wohl converted the technical foul shot. Then Wohl made another one-and-one and Bilsky made two. Penn had completed an 11-0 run, all on foul shots, and led 72-58. Morse led all scorers with 28 points and Wohl added 20. Click  to watch

lick  to listen to some of the original radio broadcast

As the day dawned in Raleigh, N.C., all the Penn Quakers had going for them was a No. 3 ranking, an undefeated season and victories in 61 of their previous 65 games, including three straight against Villanova, the only team between them and the Eastern Regional championship. But what unfurled was - quite simply - the most shocking score in Big 5 history. Villanova 90, Penn 47. The 19th-ranked Wildcats led 9-1 early, then 13-3, 43-22 at intermission... and then they opened the second half by scoring the first 16 points, making it 59-22 and leaving only the final numbers to be determined. Howard Porter shot 16-for-24 en route to 35 points and 15 rebounds. Hank Siemiontkowski was 10-for-15 and finished 20 points and seven rebounds. The Wildcats wound up shooting 37-for-60, a 61.7 percentage. Meanwhile, not one Penn player was able to reach double digits. While the season ended for Penn, the Wildcats would go on to defeat Western Kentucky in a double-overtime semifinal, 92-89, and lose to Sidney Wicks and UCLA in the championship game. Click  to watch highlights.

. Click  to listen to the first 1:40 of the second half.

. Click  to listen to the final 50 seconds.

Massachusetts 62, Penn 58 (January 10, 1973)

Penn 58, Princeton 53 (January 13, 1973)
Penn took a hesitant step toward the Ivy League title by defeating Princeton, 58-53, in a regionally televised contest before 5,300 spectators in Jadwin Gymnasium. The Quakers (8-3, 3-0) frittered away a 13-point, second-half lead and then coolly stifled a frantic Princeton rally to earn their 14th straight Ivy triumph. The game developed into a battle between Princeton’s superior guards and Penn’s powerful frontcourt, with the bigger Quakers prevailing. The Penn front line of Phil Hankinson, John Jablonski and Ron Haigler outrebounded their slower, awkward opponents, 31-18, and outscored them, 35-14. Hankinson was free for easy layups while Haigler grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds, retrieving all of his missed shots. With its inside power, Penn moved to a 26-22 halftime advantage and burst to a 39-26 lead with 14:32 remaining in the contest. Held to only four points in the first 23 minutes, 6-foot-2-inch guard Ted Manakas sank 11 points as Princeton engineered a 15-4 scoring burst to even the contest at 43-43, with 7:17 remaining. Penn coach Chuck Daly then instructed Hankinson to guard Manakas, and the defensive move ended the Tiger rally. Manakas led the Tigers (6-6, 2-1) with 23 points, but could not compensate for his team’s lackluster shooting. Penn’s guards sealed the victory with several key free throws. Sophomore John Beecroft scored eight of Penn’s final 15 points, including six  free throws. Beecroft totaled 14 points and Hankinson, playing on an injured ankle, added 18 to lead the Penn scoring effort.

Penn 77, Villanova 69 (January 17, 1973)
Phil Hankinson scored 24 points, 17 in the first half, as Penn dropped Villanova, 77-69, before a sellout crowd of 9,205 at The Palestra. In the last three minutes, Penn hit on 11 straight foul shots as Villanova fouled desperately. Ron Haigler grabbed 20 rebounds to pace the Quakers. Click to watch.

Penn 52, Manhattan 51 (January 20, 1973)
Ron Haigler’s five-foot jumper at the buzzer gave Penn a 52-52 victory over Manhattan in the second game of a doubleheader at The Palestra. St. Joseph’s defeated Fairfield, 96-69, in the opener. Manhattan built a 34-20 halftime lead by outscoring the Quakers, 16-4, in the last nine minutes. Bill Campion did most of the damage for the Jaspers, drawing six personal fouls and going 7-for-9 from the line. But Campion was charged with his fourth foul with 14:22 remaining in the game and Manhattan leading 38-26.

Penn 57, La Salle 45 (January 24, 1973)
Penn clinched the Big 5 title with a 57-45 victory over La Salle in the second game of a doubleheader, before 6,920 fans at The Palestra. John Beecroft and Phil Hankinson scored four straight baskets, sparking a 17-4 Penn burst in the second half. La Salle failed to score from the floor for over nine minutes as Penn (11-3) gained the edge. Hankinson keyed the Quaker victory with 16 points and 16 rebounds. In the first game, Temple beat Pittsburgh, 71-50. Click to watch.

Princeton 64, Penn 54 (January 30, 1973)

Penn 76, Yale 56 (February 2, 1973)
Penn held Yale to one field goal in the first 15 minutes and went on to defeat the Bulldogs, 76-56, at The Palestra. The Quakers, who entered the game in a four-way first-place Ivy League tie with Yale, Brown and Princeton, took a quick 10-0 edge and led by as many as 16 points in the first half. Yale was guilty of 21 turnovers before intermission and trailed, 32-20, at the break. The Quakers were paced by Phil Hankinson with 20 points in posting their 12th victory in 16 games. Mike Baskauskas led Yale with 11 points. Ron Haigler added 14 points for Penn, Whitey Varga 10. Click to watch.

Penn 74, Columbia 59 (February 9, 1973)
When Penn and Columbia went through the first three minutes of their game without scoring a point, one woman in the crowd of 6,544 at the Palestra said, “That’s what happens when you let scholars play the game.”  Ron Haigler led the Quakers with a career-high 33 points. Click to watch.

Penn 81, Cornell 52 (February 10, 1973)
Ron Haigler and Phil Hankinson combined for 37 points in pacing Penn to an 81-52 victory over Cornell. Penn rolled to a 35-19 halftime edge and had little trouble with Cornell, which suffered its 12th straight defeat.

Penn 78, Cornell 48 (February 16, 1973)
Penn remained tied for first place in the Ivy League by defeating Cornell. 78-48. Penn improved to 16-4 overall and 8-1 in Ivy competition. Sophomore Ron Haigler outscored the entire Cornell team, 19-16, in the first half and finished with 27 points. Cornell did not score a field goal for the first six minutes of the game as Penn built an insurmountable lead. The Big Red suffered its 13th consecutive defeat and fell to 3-18 overall, 0-9 in the Ivy League. Cornell’s internal problems grew when John O’Neill left the gym after arguing with his coach, Tony Coma, when Coma removed him from the game. That left the Big Red with only seven players.

Penn 59, Columbia 52 (February 17, 1973)
The weather outside of Columbia’s University Gym was cold and the shooting inside was colder but Penn still managed to defeat the Lions, 59-52, before a crowd of 1,426.

IVY CHAMPS: Penn 74, Dartmouth 46 (March 3, 1973)
Penn won the Ivy League championship for the fourth year in a row, clinching the title with its easiest league victory of the season, a 74-46 rout of Dartmouth in the final game of the regular season. With the score tied at 14, Penn scored the final 21 points of the first half to lead at intermission, 35-14. Sophomore Ron Haigler got 10 of those points and finished with 16 to lead the Penn scorers. During Penn’s spree, Dartmouth had possession of the ball 19 times, but failed to score during the final 8:59 of the first half. Haigler opened the second half with a basket from the left corner, so the Quakers actually had a run of 23 straight points. Penn’s starters sat out the last six minutes of the game. Penn became the first team to win the Ivy title four straight seasons since the league was formalized in 1955. This became the fourth straight Quaker team to win 20 games in a season as the Red and Blue finished with a 20-5 overall record, 12-2 in the league. Penn also finished the season as nation’s No. 1 defensive team. The Quakers gave up an average of 55.6 points per game.

NCAA TOURNAMENT: Penn 62, St. John’s 61 (March 10, 1973)
Penn defeated St. John’s, 62-61, in an exciting opening-round game of the NCAA tournament. Junior reserve John Jablonski hit from the right corner for the deciding shot with 1:48 to go. Then sophomore John Beecroft connected on two foul shots and Penn advanced to the Eastern Regional semifinals at Charlotte, N.C. It was a major disappointment for the Redmen, who stormed back from a 56-47 deficit with 8½ minutes to go, with an 11-0 run, to take a two-point lead with five minutes remaining. But when St. John’s went into a spread offense, Penn forced a turnover that led to two foul shots by sophomore Ron Haigler, who paced Penn with 20 points. That tied the game at 58-58. Mel Utley converted one of two free throws to regain the lead for the Redmen and Penn took over with 2:19 remaining. The ball was worked around by the Quakers until Jablonski found himself alone with the ball in the corner. He let fly and his basket gave Penn a 60-59 lead. After the Redmen’s Frank Alagia missed a shot, Beecroft took the ball and was fouled with 30 seconds remaining. He converted both ends of a one-and-one to settle the issue. Ed Searcy tapped in a rebound with two seconds to go for St. John’s final points.

NCAA TOURNAMENT: Providence 87, Penn 65 (March 15, 1973) **
Providence exploited the fast break for short spurts to beat Penn and move to the East Regional final of the NCAA tournament. The Friars used their speed to take command and trounce Penn, 87-65, before a crowd of 11,400 in the Charlotte Coliseum. Providence established the pattern for its victory quite early by running and breaking fast enough so that the Quakers were unable to set their defenses. Guard Ernie DiGregorio and center Marvin Barnes, who scored 10 points in the early stages, helped the Friars take a 32-19 lead. Providence led, 36-29, at halftime. Barnes finished with a game-high 20 points on perfect 10-for-10 shooting and DiGregorio, who had 10 assists, scored 18, including 10 in the second half. When Barnes picked up his third personal foul late in the first half, the Friars switched from a man-to-man defense to a zone. But Penn was unable to hit well over that defense and the Quakers’ poor shooting was a big factor in their elimination. During the first half, Penn hit only 12-of-44 field goal attempts for 27.3 percent while Providence connected on 60 percent of its floor shots. The Quakers didn’t improve much against the zone and were 33.7 percent for the game. Phil Hankinson led the Quakers with 19 points and Ron Haigler added 18. Click to watch some of the highlights.

lick to watch Ed Stefanski’s “shot” and the ensuing controversy.

. Click  to listen to the original radio broadcast of the second half.

Temple led, 40-37, with 4:21 to go. Both teams turned the ball over before Penn’s John Beecroft hit a jumper at 3:20 to cut the Owls’ lead to 40-39. At 2:50, Temple’s Wes Ramseur hit a 12-footer to extend the lead to 42-39. Ramseur fouled John Engles at 1:38 and he converted both to close the gap to 42-41. With 1:24 to go, Kevin Washington was called for an offensive foul and the ball went over to the Quakers. With just 25 seconds remaining, Beecroft hit a 15-footer for the winning Penn points, 43-42. Click  to watch highlights as the Quakers outlasted the Owls.

lick 

Penn 89, Brown 59 (March 1, 1975)
Click to watch.

NCAA TOURNAMENT: Kansas State 69, Penn 62 (March 15, 1975)
The home court advantage was of little help to Penn and LaSalle in the opening-round NCAA Eastern Regional doubleheader, at The Palestra. In the first game, the Quakers trailed by as many as 17 points before finally losing to Kansas State, 69-62. The Wildcats scored the first six points of the game and completely dominated Penn while building a 40-28 halftime lead. Led by Chuckie Williams and Paul Gerlach, who evenly divided 40 points, Kansas State opened a 17-point advantage with 14 minutes to play. However, Penn staged a comeback behind Mark Lonetto and Ron Haigler and with just 8:50 remaining had cut the lead to eight. Lonetto connected on a jumper with 1:56 showing to slice the lead to 63-58, but Gerlach, Mike Evans and Dan Droge canned pressure free throws to preserve the victory. In the nightcap, Syracuse defeated LaSalle, 87-83, in overtime. Click to watch Mark Lonetto close the gap to five points in the final two minutes.

EXHIBITION: Soviet National Team 82, Penn 62 (November 22, 1975)
Vladimir Tkachenko scored 10 points and the workmanlike Soviet Union national basketball team jumped out to an 8-0 lead en route to an 82-62 victory over a cold-shooting Penn team in a basketball exhibition at The Palestra. It was the Russians’ third straight win on their American tour and boosted their record against U.S. college teams on the trip to 7-5. The Russians shot a steady 50 percent from the floor throughout the contest while Penn could hit only seven of 37 shots from the floor in the first half. The Soviets led 36-19 at intermission. Penn’s Keven McDonald led all scorers with 24 points. Sergi Belov hit the first two baskets for the Russians while Penn didn’t score until Mark Lonetto’s free throw more than four minutes into the game. The 7-foot-4 Tkachenko led the Russian scorers.

Bucknell 66, Penn 64 (December 3, 1975)
Click to watch.

Penn 93, Navy 74 (December 6, 1975)
Penn bombed Navy, 93-74, as five players scored double figures for the Quakers. John Engles, a 6-foot-8-inch senior, shot 12 for 19 from the field and led all scorers with 26 points. Click to watch.

Rutgers 95, Penn 80 (December 11, 1975)
Undefeated Rutgers went on a scoring rampage in the final 10 minutes in posting a 95-80 victory over Penn at Madison Square Garden.

St. Joseph’s 77, Penn 71 (December 20, 1975)
Norman Black scored 21 points to lead St. Joseph’s to a 77-71 win over Penn in front of a crowd of 7,058 at The Palestra.

SUGAR BOWL TOURNAMENT: Tennessee 77, Penn 70 (December 28, 1975)
Ernie Grunfeld sank two free throws with two minutes to play that gave No. 10 Tennessee a 71-69 lead, and the Volunteers then used more free throws to clinch a 77-70 victory over Penn in the first round of the Sugar Bowl basketball tournament in New Orleans, La. Grunfeld finished with a game-high 36 points to lead the 10th-ranked Vols, while Keven McDonald scored 35 for the Quakers, accounting for 50% of his team’s 70 points.

COLUMBIA FORGES IVY TIE: Columbia 88, Penn 84 (March 3, 1978)
Columbia, which had not reached the NCAA tournament in 10 years, played one of its stronger games since that season when the Lions outran and upset Penn, 88-84, and gained a tie for the Ivy League lead with only one regular-season game remaining. Juan Mitchell and Alton Byrd combined for 47 points to lead the Lions. Columbia had its biggest lead, at 53-42, after one minute of the second half, but Tony Price scored six straight points for Penn, to close the gap to five, 53-48. Penn stayed close the rest of the way, pulling to within two, 84-82, on Bobby Willis’ jump shot with 13 seconds left. But the Lions’ Gene Bentz made two foul shots with nine seconds remaining to ice the victory Mitchell led all scorers with a career-high 29 points while Byrd had 18 points and nine assists. Keven McDonald paced the Quakers with 28 points while Price added 18.