PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The University of Pennsylvania football team came back with a big third quarter and made up a 17-point deficit to go in front midway through the fourth quarter, but Brown had one final drive and made it count to knock the Quakers from the unbeaten with a 34-31 win Saturday at Brown Stadium.
Penn fell to 6-1 overall and is now 3-1 in Ivy play. Brown improved to 3-4 overall and won its first conference game in 2022.
Quaker Notemeal
*Brown snaps Penn's longest win streak since 2003 at six games as Princeton remains as the Ivy League's lone unbeaten team at 7-0 overall after a 35-9 victory over Cornell Saturday.
*The defeat is also the Quakers' first against the Bears since 2014, snapping a six-game win streak as head coach
Ray Priore is now 5-1 all-time against Brown.
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Jonathan Mulatu had everything working in the running game against Brown, carrying the ball 21 times for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 154 yards are the most by a Penn running back since Isaiah Malcome totaled 201 against Lehigh Oct. 9, 2021.
*Penn excelled on special teams evident by
Julien Stokes' 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, which put the Quakers on the scoreboard for the first time. Stokes is the first Penn player to tally a kickoff return TD since Chris Wynn's 88-yarder at Georgetown on Oct. 11, 2008.
*Stokes' return touchdown was also the Quakers' longest scoring play of the season and longest in a game since Wynn picked up 98 yards on a return against Brown on Oct. 28, 2006, almost 16 years to the date.
*Sayin's leading target was
Joshua Casilli, who finished with nine catches for 85 yards and a TD.
Rory Starkey, Jr. had eight catches for 48 yards while Mulatu finished with five catches out of the backfield.
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Garrett Morris paced the Penn defense with 15 total tackles (including 10 solos), which is a team-best mark this season. His 15 tackles are the most by a Quaker in a single game since Jacob Martin's 18 vs. Dartmouth on Sept. 29, 2018.
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Jack Fairman and
Joey Slackman each registered nine total tackles with eight solos apiece, while
Jake Heimlicher grabbed 2.5 sacks to up his season total to 7.0.
Gallery: (10-29-2022) Football at Brown - 10/29/22
How It Happened
The first half was an absolute disaster if you're a Penn fan.
Brown scored the only points in the first quarter, Jake Willcox finding Hayes Sutton for a 2-yard touchdown pass midway through the period. Willcox was sidelined after that, but the Bears doubled their lead early in the second quarter with backup Aidan Gilman hitting Graham Walker for a 20-yard score.
Penn's offense struggled throughout the half, but the Quakers got on the board on the ensuing kickoff as
Julien Stokes received the kick along the right sideline and veered his way through the crowd for a 97-yard score to make it 14-7.
Brown continued to dominate, however, a Nate Lussier rushing touchdown and—following a Josh Ofili interception of an
Aidan Sayin pass in Bears territory—an Austin Alley 35-yard field goal giving the Bears a 24-7 lead at halftime.
Penn's offense finally found the end zone just past the midway point of the third quarter, when
Aidan Sayin hit
Joshua Casilli for an 11-yard score to make it 24-14. The Quakers defense stiffened, holding Brown to a 3-and-out, and then Penn got a huge break when a bad snap on fourth down gave the offense the ball on Brown's 15-yard line. Three plays,
Graham Gotlieb hit a 29-yard field goal which made it a one-score game.at 24-17.
Brown went three-and-out again, and on a second-down play from Penn's 42-yard line Mulatu shook off a tackle and found daylight, ultimately scampering 58 yards for a touchdown. After the PAT, Penn was all the way back level at 24-24 as the third quarter ended.
Brown was able to once again take the lead, Alley kicking a 27-yard field goal with 12:25 left, but Penn's offense was rolling and kept it going. The Quakers drove down the field for their first lead of the day when Mulatu broke through the left side for a 12-yard score.
Brown went three-and-out again and punted only to its own 40. Penn had a chance to salt it away, but on fourth-and-3 at Brown's 33 Mulatu got only two yards to hand the ball back to the hosts.
After being stumped the entire second half, the Bears woke up from hibernation.
On second down, Gilman hit Wes Rockett for 26 yards which put Brown in Penn territory, then he found Dillon Golden for another 10 yards. A Penn penalty on the next play got the Bears in the red zone, and three plays later a three-yard run by Smith gave Brown first and goal with 1:30 to play After an nice pass breakup by
Shiloh Means on first down, Gilman found Smith on the left side and he ran nearly unimpeded to the left pylon for the touchdown. Brown's lead was 34-31 with 1:19 to play.
Penn had one final chance on offense and drove just past midfield, but on fourth-and-6 Sayin's pass to
Malone Howley was knocked away.
Up Next
Penn is back on the road next Saturday, traveling to Ithaca to face Cornell. The Trustees Cup will be on the line when the Quakers and Big Red kick off at 1 p.m.
#BEGREAT
#FightOnPenn
