University of Pennsylvania Athletics

CAMBRIDGE – The University of Pennsylvania started hot at Harvard, and added a record-breaking touchdown early in the second half from its All-American wide receiver to knock off Harvard in Cambridge, 23-6.
 
With the win, George A. Munger Head Coach of Football Ray Priore improved to 3-0 all-time against Harvard as he guided the Quakers to back-to-back wins at Harvard Stadium for the first time since 1993 and 1995.
 
Penn's defense held Harvard to single digits in points for the first time in 80 games. The last team to hold Harvard under 10? The Quakers who allowed just seven in 2009.
 
Tre Solomon ran for a career-high 181 yards on 15 carries, averaging 12.1 yards per carry.
 
Justin Watson added another record to his legacy, hauling in a 19-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter for his ninth touchdown of the season to set a new Ivy League record for consecutive games with a receiving touchdown. In the process, he tied Penn's single-season record for touchdown receptions with 13.
 
The Quakers dialed up a beauty of a first play, handing the ball off to Tre Solomon who then went 77 yards to the house for a wicked early 7-0 lead just 17 seconds into the game. The touchdown run was the longest by a Quakers since Justin Watson navigated pretty much the same route to a 79-yard touchdown two years ago at Harvard Stadium.
 
The rest of the first quarter belonged to the respective defenses. The Quakers held Harvard to just 35 total yards on 12 plays, while the Crimson conceded just 55 after the opening big play.
 
Harvard's defense stepped up to start the second quarter, picking off Will Fischer-Colbrie just across midfield at the Crimson 46. Facing third and long, Fischer-Colbrie tried to thread a pass between defenders to Watson, but Cole Thompson stepped in front and picked him off.
 
The Red and Blue were stout in the red zone, though, allowing just a Harvard field goal following the turnover. The Crimson had 1st-and-goal from the 5-yard line, but great coverage from the secondary denied Crimson looks to the endzone and a Jacob Martin wrapup of Joe Viviano on third down held Harvard to the field goal.
 
Penn had a long drive of its own, marching to the Harvard five before Jack Soslow was called upon to kick a 22-yard field goal to move Penn's lead to 10-3. Nicholas Bokun had two big first-down catches on the drive for a total of 32 yards.
 
The Quakers had a chance to add to their lead before the end of the first half, driving to the Harvard 21 with 0:08 to play. The Red and Blue took a shot at the end zone, but Fischer-Colbrie was intercepted for the second time – this time by Tanner Lee – to end the first half.
 
Harvard drove deep into the red zone to open the second half, but two miscues doomed the drive. First, on 1st-and-goal from the nine, Harvard was called for a false start. On the next play, Conor O'Brien stepped in front of a Viviano pass at the 9-yard line and picked it off. He brought the ball all the way back to the Penn 48 off his second interception of the season.
 
On first down following the pick, Solomon reversed his field and went 43 yards to give Penn first down at the Harvard nine. A hold brought the Quakers back 10 yards, and on first-and-goal from the 19, Fischer-Colbrie faked to his running back, then fired to Watson for a 19-yard touchdown to give Penn a 17-3 lead.
 
The Red and Blue extended their lead to 20-6 late in the third quarter via a Jack Soslow 40-yard field goal.
 
Penn was looking to add to its lead early in the fourth quarter, but Tre Solomon had the ball knocked loose at the Harvard 34. Three plays later, the defense picked up its running back with a fumble recovery of its own. Jay Cammon, Jr. knocked the ball loose and Brody Graham pounced on it at the Penn 45 to halt Harvard's momentum.
 
The Red and Blue close the 2017 season with Senior Day against Cornell on November 18 at 1:30 p.m. in the annual Trustees Cup game.