Penn earns first Ivy League win of the season behind backup quarterback Liam O’Brien

Behind its backup quarterback, Penn picked up its first conference win of the season.

In his first career start, junior quarterback Liam O’Brien led the Quakers (3-4, 1-3 Ivy) to their highest scoring output this season in a 38-28 road victory over Brown on Saturday.

Senior quarterback Aidan Sayin was out after suffering an elbow injury last week. O’Brien stepped up and recorded 247 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and one on the ground.

Brown (3-4, 2-2 Ivy) was unable to keep up with the Quakers partially because of special teams miscues. The Bears muffed a punt, had a punt blocked that led to a Penn touchdown drive, and missed both of their field goal attempts.

“Getting the first Ivy League win feels really good for the kids,” Quakers coach Ray Priore said. “They work real hard, and before this point, they came up a little short. But we’re very proud, and [we will] enjoy the bus ride home.”

After finding little success last week in relief duty, O’Brien stepped up for the Quakers on Saturday.

In the final moments of the first quarter, Penn struck. O’Brien marched Penn into Brown territory before finding junior wide receiver Jared Richarson in single coverage. On a fade route, the 6-foot-2 wideout climbed the ladder for a 10-yard touchdown.

“I’m so happy for [O’Brien],” Richardson said. “He’s worked his butt off. Last year, he tore his labrum in his throwing arm, so he’s been through rehab and all that. … First career start, first career Ivy League [win].”

Richardson led the Quakers in receptions and receiving yards, with seven receptions for 113 yards and a score.

O’Brien, a threat with his legs, found the end zone with 26 seconds left in the first half on a 10-yard designed rush. Throughout the game, O’Brien was called on to run and finished with 60 rushing yards on 15 carries.

“I like to use my feet, and Coach knows that,” O’Brien said. “I think it adds another element, and it’s hard for the defense to stop.”

The only miscue for the junior quarterback came in the fourth quarter. Up by 18, Penn looked to drain the clock, but O’Brien was sacked in the end zone for a safety with 7 minutes, 37 seconds to go.

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In the last two outings, Penn sophomore running back Malachi Hosley was shut down, rushing for an average of 49 yards.

Following a blocked punt in the second quarter, the Quakers looked to feed their touchdown machine. Hosley found a hole in the line and saw nothing but green in front of him en route to a 25-yard touchdown.

Last year’s Ivy League Rookie of the Year found the end zone again to start the second half, capping a five-play, 72-yard drive with an 11-yard run to put Penn up, 28-7. Hosley ended with 102 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Entering Saturday’s game, Brown’s offense ranked first in the Ivy League and seventh in the FCS in total yardage.

On their first drive in the second quarter, the Bears were fourth-and-4 from Penn’s 36-yard line. Fifth-year quarterback Jake Willcox got Penn senior defensive tackle Bryce Hall to jump on a hard count, which gave the Bears a first down.

Two plays later, Willcox found his favorite target in fifth-year wideout, Mark Mahoney, on a 31-yard go-route to score. Mahoney caught seven passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. Willcox finished with 260 passing yards and two touchdowns.

In the beginning moments of the third quarter, Brown ran a trick play where Willcox leaked out of the backfield on a wheel route for a 33-yard reception. Bears running back Qwentin Brown ended the drive with a 1-yard dive into the end zone.

Brown repeatedly hurried to the line to keep the Quakers on their toes throughout the second half and amassed 21 second-half points — but it was not enough.

“We knew that they were going to come out with a fast tempo. That’s the type of team they are,” said Penn junior linebacker John Lista, who led the team with 12 tackles.

The Quakers head back on the road next week to face Cornell on Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+).

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