Undefeated no more: Penn falls in a 34-31 road loss to Brown
A last minute touchdown from the Bears found the Quakers falling to 6-1 on the season.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Against Brown, Penn football simply took its foot off the gas early.
Despite a three-score rally in the third quarter, the Quakers (6-1, 3-1 Ivy) couldn’t muster enough to come back from a big first-half deficit. They fell 34-31 to the Bears (3-4, 1-3 Ivy).
Brown secured the win with 1 minute, 19 seconds left in the game when backup quarterback Aidan Gilman connected with Allen Smith on a 9-yard touchdown.
What we saw
Brown’s offense, led by quarterback Jake Willcox, was a known threat heading into the game. Defensively, Penn couldn’t rise to the challenge as Brown converted in each of its four possessions in the first half for 24 points.
Even though Willcox went to the locker room at the start of the second quarter with an undisclosed injury, Brown’s offense, featuring backup quarterback Aidan Gilman, continued to confuse the Quakers.
Entering the game, Penn’s defense allowed just 14 first downs and 200 receiving yards per game. In the first half , the Bears gained 19 first downs and 224 receiving yards against the Quakers, adding to a total of 360 receiving yards.
“[During halftime] I just told the kids that we need poise and control,” said Penn head coach Ray Priore. “We knew we weren’t gonna get it back all at once. It was going to have to be step by step, series by series.”
And step by step Penn did close the gap after halftime, mainly fueled by 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to even the score at 24 apiece.
In the fourth, Penn’s defense turned what was originally a first-and-goal opportunity for Brown into a field goal. With Mulatu’s second touchdown of the game, the Quakers secured their first lead with just six minutes remaining. However Brown’s last-minute touchdown gave the Bears their first win over the Quakers since 2014.
Breakthrough play
Penn returner Julien Stokes scored on a 97-yard kickoff return for the Quakers’ first score of the game. It marked Penn’s first kick return for a touchdown on the season and narrowed Brown’s lead to start the second quarter.
Standout performance
Stepping in for injured running back Trey Flowers, Mulatu posted a career performance with 154 rushing yards that included two touchdowns.
Next opponent
Penn heads to Cornell (4-3, 1-3 Ivy) for another Ivy League matchup next Saturday, looking to reclaim the coveted Trustee’s Cup (1 p.m., ESPN+).