PHILADELPHIA – Junior quarterback Liam O'Brien led the University of Pennsylvania football team's offense to unprecedented success in Saturday's 67-49 victory at Cornell. For his historic performance, he was named FCS National Offensive Player of the Week by Stats Perform and Ivy League co-Offensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon.
 
Making just his second career start after spending the last two and a half seasons as a backup quarterback, O'Brien set program records in both passing touchdowns in a single game (6) and total touchdowns responsible for in a single game (7), both marks that hadn't been touched in over two decades.
 
The previous record holder for passing TDs was Mike Mitchell, who threw for five scores in a 59-7 rout of Cornell in 2003. And on the total touchdowns side, legendary Penn running back Jim Finn accounted for six in a 58-51 loss at Brown in 1998.
 
O'Brien shared the Ivy honor with Yale QB Grant Jordan, who strangely put up the same stat lines in both the passing and running games in Saturday's win. Jordan had six passing touchdowns for 372 yards in the Bulldogs' victory vs. Brown. He added 10 carries for 21 yards and a score on the ground.
 
Three of O'Brien's six touchdown passes found the hands of Jared Richardson, who became the first wide receiver in program history to have two career games of three touchdowns or more. Richardson and running back Malachi Hosley—who ran for 192 yards with two touchdowns against the Big Red—were both tabbed to the Ivy League's weekly honor roll.
 
O'Brien has had a special last two weeks since taking over under center for Aidan Sayin early against Yale, passing for eight touchdowns—with only one interception—to go along with 588 yards through the air in just two games. He's also rushed for an additional 137 yards and a pair of TDs.
 
Now 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the Ancient Eight, Penn plays its final home game of the season on Saturday against Harvard on Homecoming with a 1 p.m. kickoff. Prior to kickoff, the Quakers will honor their graduating seniors in an on-field ceremony.  
 
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