Staunch defense pulls Penn past Lafayette, keeping the Quakers’ undefeated streak intact

In a slow-paced, defensive showdown, Penn topped Lafayette, 12-0, to open its season at 2-0.

Penn entered the game as a favorite over a younger Lafayette (1-3) team which has struggled to keep pace offensively with its opponents this season.

It was a game that featured stagnant offensive play until Penn quarterback Aidan Sayin got things going in the first quarter with a 57-yard completion across the middle to wide receiver Julian Stokes. The Quakers managed to convert the big gain into a touchdown, as Penn head coach Ray Priore opted to go for it on fourth down at the goal line.

Penn added to the score sheet again late in the third quarter when Sayin, on a keeper, punched in a touchdown on a smart QB read. The defense suffocated the Leopards throughout the game, posting the Quakers’ first shutout since a 20-0 win over Lehigh last season.

“Defensively, I felt that we did a very, very good job,” Priore said. “I think our defensive guys did a tremendous job of pacing themselves and keeping it under control.”

Lafayette’s starting quarterback, Ryan Schuster, left the game toward the end of the third quarter with an undisclosed injury.

Sayin delivered another solid performance, going 23-of-39 for 196 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. However, the sophomore QB did have his share of errant and underthrown tosses, which will need to be remedied ahead of the start of Ivy League play next Saturday.

Defensively, senior linebacker Jake Heimlicher and junior linebacker Jack Fairman combined for 16 total tackles, five of which resulted in lost yards for Lafayette.

“Zero points is the goal for any defense,” Heimlicher said. “Everyone trusted one another, and we got after the quarterback, stopped the run, and overall it was a great performance.”

After a relatively speedy two-week non-conference schedule, the Quakers will travel to Dartmouth (2-0) on Saturday to open their Ivy League campaign (7 p.m., ESPNU). Penn will be out to snap a four-game losing streak to the Big Green.