SPARKILL, N.Y. – The University of Pennsylvania sprint football team took a 10-7 lead into the locker room at halftime and led by three points heading into the fourth quarter, but Saint Thomas Aquinas used a seven-minute drive in the final stanza to come away with a 21-17 victory Saturday in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Saint Thomas Aquinas officially takes a 1-0 lead in the all-time series, emerging victorious in the first-ever matchup between the two squads.
 
*With his pair of touchdowns, QB Andrew Paolini now has six total touchdowns (four passing, two rushing) with zero interceptions through the first two games of the 2022 season.
 
*After capturing CSFL Rookie of the Week honors for his season-opening showing, freshman wideout Brandon Graves now has a touchdown grab in two consecutive games to kick off the year.
 
*Sophomore WR Jake Wang finished with five receptions for 89 yards in the loss, catching Paolini's second-longest pass attempt of the contest of 30 yards.
 
*Freshman tailback Levi Gans had a spectacular showing on the ground for the Quakers, totaling 15 carries for 76 yards.
 
*Improving upon his first appearance last weekend, 2021 First Team All-CSFL selection Jake Inserra made 14 total tackles with a sack for the Quakers on Saturday. It marked the sixth time in his career in which Inserra made 10 or more tackles, finishing just two shy of his career-high 16 against Mansfield last season.
 
*Freshman linebacker Charles Tauckus is showing why he might be one of the players to watch on the defensive side of the ball for the Quakers this season, making 13 total tackles against the Spartans and forcing his first career turnover, an 11-yard interception.
 
*Penn gained 177 yards through the air and 67 yards on the ground for total of 244 on 53 plays, converting 15 first downs. However, the Quakers were 3-of-10 on third down conversions and 0-for-2 on fourth down.
 
How It Happened
You couldn't have asked for a more fruitful opening drive from the Penn offense, driving down the field and scoring on the first possession, as senior QB Andrew Paolini threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to freshman Brandon Graves (with Adrian Montemayor on the PAT) for the early 7-0 lead with 11:20 to go.
 
After back-and-forth possessions between both the Quakers and Spartans, freshman linebacker Charles Tauckus had a hand in the first turnover of the game, picking off STAC QB Ryan Kenny at the Spartan 26 yard line to give Penn good field position.
 
With 2:29 left in the first quarter, Montemayor booted a try from 29, converting to give the Quakers a 10-0 lead.
 
Kenny led a nine-play, 75-yard drive bridging the first and second quarters to put the Spartans on the board with a 14-yard TD pass to Phillip Meikle to cut the Quaker lead to 10-7 with 12:36 to go in the half.
 
Starting at its own 42-yard line, Penn's defense had its first stand of the contest despite the Spartans scampering all the way down to their own four. The Quakers stopped Saint Thomas Aquinas short by four yards with a seven-yard loss and a turnover on downs.
 
Transitioning over to the third quarter, Kenny led another strong drive for the Spartans, a nine-play, 64-yard drive that resulted in a 15-yard touchdown to Luke McKenna give the 14-10 lead to Saint Thomas Aquinas.
 
With time expiring in the third, Paolini took the ball himself for one-yard (after a 45-yard sprint from Levi Gans) and gave the Quakers back the lead, 17-14.
 
The Spartans took a nice chunk out of the clock to begin the fourth quarter, rolling 65 yards for the ensuing touchdown, a 14-yard throw from Kenny to Hassan Blakney to get a 21-17 lead.
 
Late turnovers doomed Penn as Paolini lost the ball via a forced fumble with under two minutes to go in the contest. The Quaker defense held the Spartans to a 3-and-out in just 30 seconds to get the ball one last time to end the game.
 
Getting the ball at its own 45-yard line with just 50 seconds on the clock, Paolini attempted to drive the ball down the field, completing short passes to Jake Wang, Danny Coale and Levi Gans before the clock expired and gave the Spartans their first victory of the 2022 season.
 
Up Next
Penn hosts Army West Point Friday night at 7 p.m. on Captains Night at Franklin Field.