Harvard’s perfect start to the season continued on Saturday with an eight-point victory over Columbia. The Crimson will look to stretch their unbeaten run even further when they take on a resurgent Penn Quakers side in an intriguing clash this coming weekend.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this college football matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between Yale and Princeton.
The Penn Quakers will head to their Ivy League showdown with Harvard with momentum on their side after recording a thrilling 26-23 overtime victory over Princeton on Saturday. Alek Torgersen hit Eric Fiore for the game-winning 11-yard touchdown in overtime to lead the Quakers to their fourth consecutive win. That’s the first time since 2012 that Penn has accomplished such a feat.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]It was a remarkable victory for the Quakers who battled back from a 10-point halftime deficit. Leading the way for Penn in this spectacular win was Alek Torgersen. The junior quarterback completed 21 of 27 passes for 178 yards and added a career-high 96 yards rushing on 13 carries. Justin Watson also stepped up big time for the Quakers, recording 117 yards receiving on a career-best 13 catches.
For the Quakers to extend their winning streak this coming weekend, they will need to continue their excellent play on the offensive end. Penn rolled up 395 total yards in its victory against Princeton on Saturday. They are 35th in the FCS in total offense, averaging 417.4 yards per game this season.
Producing that same kind of offensive brilliance won’t be that easy though for Penn this coming weekend with Harvard possessing one of the league’s best defenses. The Crimson are second in the FCS in scoring defense, allowing a measly 9.5 points per game this season.
Harvard’s title dreams are still very much alive after beating Columbia, 24-16, in an action-packed encounter Saturday. Scott Hosch threw two touchdown passes to lift Harvard to its 22nd straight win. It was a fantastic result for the Crimson who have now won their last 16 Ivy League games.
Hosch finished the game with 324 yards passing, but also threw one interception. He completed 22 of 39 passes in this ballgame with touchdown throws of 53 yards to Ben Braunecker and 26 yards to Justice Shelton-Mosely. Braunecker had seven catches for 130 yards while Shelton-Mosey caught eight passes for 131 yards.
Harvard’s passing game has simply been exceptional this season. They are seventh in the FCS in the passing offense department, averaging 306.1 yards per game this campaign. Hosch will be his licking his chops at the prospect of facing a Penn secondary that’s allowing a whopping 265.4 yards per game through the air this campaign, 111th in the FCS.
Writer’s Prediction
Harvard extends its winning streak to 23 games with a 34-20 victory.
