Penn is poised to pin down another nonconference opponent in Lafayette

After a come-from-behind 25-14 win over Colgate last weekend, Penn finds itself up against another Patriot League opponent in Lafayette on Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+, NBC Sports Philadelphia).

It’s a return to Philly for Lafayette (1-2) which suffered its first loss of the season, 30-14, to Temple in Week 2 action at Lincoln Financial Field. With the Leopards entering Franklin Field after another loss to William & Mary last weekend, momentum appears to be on Penn’s (1-0) side.

After a dominant second half last week, Penn’s biggest obstacle might just be itself. The team knows how well it can perform, and especially against a struggling team like Lafayette, it’s easy to play down to the opponent’s level.

» READ MORE: Check out our photos from Penn's season-opening comeback win over Colgate

Lafayette has underperformed on offense all season. Penn has more passing yards in one game (289) than Lafayette (284) through its first three games. Ironically, the Leopards scored the most points in a game this season (14) against Temple two weeks ago. Fellow FCS schools have kept Lafayette to single digits.

Perhaps Lafayette’s key player actually is senior defensive lineman Marco Olivas, who leads the team with 29 tackles on the season.

Penn sophomore quarterback Aidan Sayin. Five receivers recorded at least 30 yards last week against Colgate, so it would appear Sayin doesn’t have a favorite target. The last time the receiving corps had that kind of depth was in a 42-20 win over Cornell in 2016. That victory was enough for the Quakers to secure the conference championship — the last time they captured that title.

With 16 passing first downs and 24 total, the Quakers are ranked No. 3 and No. 13 in these stats per game among FCS programs, respectively.

For nonconference opponents, these two teams sure play a lot. Penn currently leads the series 29-15 since their first matchup in 1938. At Franklin Field, the Quakers have a 20-5 record over the Leopards. They shouldn’t get too comfortable, though. Lafayette overtook Penn 24-14 last season.

After Lafayette, Penn will make the seven-hour drive north to meet Dartmouth on Sept. 30. (1 p.m., ESPNU). The Big Green are back-to-back defending Ivy League champions and arguably are the Quakers’ toughest opponent all season.