For the first time in 31 years, Penn and Cornell meet before a season's final week as the Quakers and Big Red do battle on national television. The last time these two teams did not close a season against each other was in 1987 — in fact, they OPENED that season against each other. The Trustees' Cup is on the line Friday night as Penn and Cornell meet for the 125th time! Kickoff for Friday's game is 6 p.m.
The Penn-Cornell Series — 125th Meeting
The all-time series between Penn and Cornell is the fifth-most played rivalry in all of Division I college football, with 124 previous meetings between these two storied rivals. The Quakers have a 73-46-5 record all-time in the series, including a 21-6 record dating back to 1991. The Quakers have won their last five in Ithaca, including a 42-20 win in 2016 which clinched
Ray Priore's second Ivy League title as head coach.
Looking Back On The 2017 Meeting
Last year's game at Franklin Field was a back-and-forth affair that hung in the balance until Penn's
Jacob Martin batted down a Dalton Banks in the end zone on the final play to preserve a 29-22 win for the Red and Blue on Senior Day. The Quakers led, 21-10, at halftime but watched Cornell regain the lead following a Banks rushing TD early in the fourth quarter. Penn was backed up against its own 3yd line with 8:21 to play, but the Red and Blue put together a 13-play, 97-yard drive highlighted by a 34-yard completion to
Justin Watson at the Cornell 3.
Tre Solomon scampered in on the next play, Penn regaining the lead on its way to retaining the Trustees' Cup.
Going For A Drive
The Quakers put together a 12-play, 99-yard scoring drive in Week Six vs. Yale after forcing a Yale fumble at the Penn 1.
Steve Farrell's first career touchdown capped the drive, putting the bow on the longest touchdown drive in program history. The Quakers have become all too familiar with starting drives deep in their own territory — Penn has started 12 drives inside their own 15, 11 inside their own 10, eight inside their own five, and five drives at their own 1yd line. Miraculously, Penn has scored 20 points on those drives. Almost as remarkable is the fact that the Quakers have only conceded one safety on drives started inside their 10 — and that was a bad snap from the 9yd line. Of the five drives Penn has started at its own 1yd line, the Quakers have amassed 341 yards of offense over 45 plays and scored 10 points.
A Look at Cornell
The Big Red have had an up and down 2018, entering this week with a 3-4 record and a 2-2 mark inside the Ivy League. Three of Cornell's loses have come to teams currently ranked inside the Top-25, including a 66-0 loss to No. 17 Princeton last week. Four Dalton Banks interceptions — including three in the first quarter — did not help the Big Red as Princeton capitalized for 21 points off those turnovers. The Big Red rank No. 7 in the Ivy League in both scoring offense (19.9 ppg) and scoring defense (31.1 ppg).
Leading Indicators
Penn has protected leads as well as anyone in the country under
Ray Priore. The Red and Blue are 22-1 when leading at halftime, and 23-1 when leading at the end of the third quarter. Priore had won his first 13 games when leading at the half and first 15 with a lead after three quarters before an overtime loss at Columbia on October 14, 2016. Priore's teams are 11-0 at home when leading at the half and 11-0 at Franklin Field when leading after three quarters.
Party In The Backfield
Penn's defense dialed up 10 sacks in Week One, most since a 10-spot against Yale in 2001. The Quakers followed that up with seven against Lehigh on Week Two. Penn has 26 sacks through seven games, already surpassing Penn's 18 from 2017. 13 different players have at least a half sack, led by
Cooper Gardner and
Nick Miller with 4.0— already more than any Quaker had in 2018. They both rank No.3 in the Ivy League in sacks per game (0.57).
Benji Mowatt (3.5) is also among the Top-10 in the Ivy League in sacks.
Miller Time
Senior linebacker
Nick Miller has 10+ tackles in six of seven games this season and has done so in 14 of his last 17 games dating back to the start of 2017. A first-team All-Ivy linebacker and finalist for Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, Miller has six forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries over his last 17 games.
Protect The Quarterback
The Quakers have allowed just five sacks over seven games in 2018, No. 9 in the nation in sacks allowed per game (0.71). Penn went 67 pass attempts into 2018 before allowing its first sack in Week Three at Dartmouth. Penn's 4.43 TFLs allowed through seven games ranks No. 15 in the country.
Thrown For A Loss (TFL)
The Quakers aren't getting in the backfield only for sacks, Penn's 8.0 TFLs per game rank No. 11 in the country. 16 different players have at least 1.0 TFLS and 12 have more than two.
Third Down Thoughts
The Quakers have converted 30-of-98 (31%) third down attempts, ranking No. 104 in the country. On defense, Penn is getting it done on third down — opponents are 36-of-107 for a conversion rate of 34% — good enough to rank Penn No. 31 in the nation.
Fourth Down Facts
Penn is the only team in FCS football without a fourth down conversion this season, entering this week 0-for-6. The Quakers are winning 4th down on defense, with opponents converting at 30%, going 3-for-10 to rank Penn No. 11 in the nation.
Quakers Go Low To Win Big
As the old saying goes, "They don't ask how, just how many" but for those who may ask "how many" points Penn scored in its last two wins, the answer is 13 — the fewest points scored by Penn in a victory during
Ray Priore's tenure as head coach and the fewest by any Penn team since a 9-0 win over Yale (10/24/09) — a span of 88 games and 53 victories.
Brooks Serving A Purpose
Karekin Brooks has rounded into a dual-threat out of the backfield this season. He ranks No. 1 in the Ivy League and No. 19 in the country in all-purpose yards per game with 136.7 — 43 ypg higher than his 2017 average of 93.7. He had a career-high 65 receiving yards against Columbia in Week Five — he had 61 total receiving yards over his previous four games this season.
