Penn-Columbia Box Score (PDF)
 
NEW YORK, N.Y. – For the second time in as many Ivy League games this season, the University of Pennsylvania football team fell on the game's final play. This time, the Quakers were done in by a 24-yard pass play from Columbia quarterback Anders Hill to Josh Wainwright in overtime, giving the Lions a 34-31 win at Wien Stadium.
 
Penn had taken a 31-28 lead on the OT's opening possession when Jack Soslow connected on a career-long 41-yard field goal, and the Quakers forced Columbia into third-and-9 before Hill found Wainwright straight up the middle. Wainwright caught the ball right at the goal line and fell into the end zone before the Quakers defenders could get there to tackle him.
 
It was Columbia's first win over Penn since 1996, and the Lions improved to 5-0 overall (2-0 Ivy League). Penn fell to 2-3 overall, 0-2 in Ivy play.
 
This was a game in which Penn scored first and held that momentum well into the third quarter—at that point, the Red and Blue led 21-7 and was driving for another score. However, a lost fumble deep in Columbia territory set in motion a complete reversal of fortune that ended with the Lions' Homecoming crowd storming the field in triumph.
 
Penn got good field position early on when Brian O'Neill picked off a Columbia pass near midfield and returned it 16 yards to the Lions 37-yard line. The Quakers took advantage with the game's first score five plays later, when Will Fischer-Colbrie tucked it and took it in from two yards out around the right side. The key play was the previous play, a 20-yard connection from Fischer-Colbrie to All-America candidate Justin Watson on third down.
 
Penn's lead doubled to 14-0 early in the second quarter, the Quakers using seven plays to go 75 yards. Fischer-Colbrie found Steve Farrell for 29 yards, then Logan Sharp for 27 more, to spur the drive that ended with Karekin Brooks scoring just inside the right pylon from five yards out.
 
Columbia was able to get seven of those points back before halftime, using a nine-play, 66-yard drive to get on the board. The scoring play came on fourth down, Josh Bean running it in from the 2-yard line. The score remained 14-7 at halftime.
 
Penn's lead went back up to 14 points early in the third quarter, after Hill lost his helmet and was forced to sit out a play. The Lions' backup QB, Ryan Suitt, came in and threw a pass toward the right sideline that Nick Miller intercepted at the Lions' 25-yard line and returned for a pick-six along the sideline, getting the ball to the pylon just before he was forced out of bounds.
 
Off that score, Penn attempted a pooch kick which was successful, the Quakers taking over when Justin Morrison recovered it at Columbia's 27-yard line. Attempting to put this game away, the Quakers got as close as the Lions' 14-yard line but then fumbled the ball and the Lions recovered to avoid catastrophe.
 
It started a trend. Penn continued to keep the Lions alive as the second half wore on, fumbling a second time and then throwing an interception on consecutive possessions. The Quakers defense held the Lions on downs after the fumble, but the pick led to points as Bean took it around the left side on fourth down from the 1-yard line. That made the score 21-14, Penn, with 10:55 left in the fourth.
 
Penn quickly went three-and-out, and Columbia needed exactly one play to tie the game as Hill found Wainwright behind the Penn defense for 59 yards. That tied the score with 8:35 left.
 
Penn's next possession ended with another INT deep in its own territory—the Quakers' fourth turnover in a 14-minute span—and Columbia took over on the Red and Blue's 19-yard line. The Lions again converted, taking their first lead of the day with 4:11 left as Hill found Rory Schlageter in the end zone for the score.
 
To its credit, Penn's offense responded—specifically, Fischer-Colbrie and Watson. Needing a score to get back level, the duo connected three times along the respective sidelines for a total of 62 yards, the third a touchdown just inside the left sideline that made the score 28-28 with 1:21 left.

Overall, 28 points were scored by the two teams in the final 10:55 of regulation.
 
It nearly was more. Columbia took over on its own 20-yard line after Penn's kick went through the end zone. On third-and-3, Penn went offsides and gave the Lions a first down with 59 seconds left to the 32. Columbia's next play went for a first down to its 43-yard line, and then another pass gave the Lions second-and-4 inside Penn territory with 37 seconds left as they took their second timeout of the half.
 
Hill got the Lions a first down with 22 seconds left at the Quakers' 46-yard line, but his next pass was ill-advised and nearly picked off. However, Penn's Luke Bullock was undercut by a fellow defender just as the ball reached him, and couldn't hang on as he fell to the turf.
 
The Lions got another first down—barely—to Penn's 36-yard line and were forced to take their final timeout with eight seconds left. Columbia then attempted a Hail Mary to win the game, but the ball was batted down and the teams went to overtime.
 
Columbia won the OT coin toss and chose to go on defense first. Penn's first play went for negative yardage and the Quakers were only able to get back to the 23-yard line before Soslow nailed a 41-yard field goal to give Penn the 31-28 lead. Columbia's drive started with a two-yard run by Chris Shroer, then Hill was dumped for a yard loss to set up third-and-9. That set the stage for the winning play.
 
Penn's returns home next Saturday to face Yale; the Quakers and the Bulldogs will kick off from Franklin Field at 1 p.m.