PHILADELPHIA – Playing under the lights for the second time this season, the University of Pennsylvania football team returns home to Franklin Field to face Brown on Halloween Friday for the third-annual Friday Night Frights game.
 
The Quakers are coming off a tough defeat at Yale last weekend that snapped a three-game win streak and dropped them down to second place in the Ivy standings, while the Bears are still in search of their first conference victory. Brown saw its 11-point fourth-quarter lead quickly evaporate in a double-OT, 30-24 loss at Cornell on Saturday.
 
GAME 7 – PENN (4-2, 2-1 Ivy) vs. BROWN (3-3, 0-3 Ivy)
Friday Night Frights presented by Coca-Cola
Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 | 7 p.m.
Franklin Field | Philadelphia, Pa.
Watch Live on ESPN+ ($) | Listen Live (QAN) | Live Stats | Tickets
Digital Game Program | Penn Game Notes (PDF)  | Brown Game Notes (PDF)
 

The Brown Series
This Friday night will be the 93rd all-time meeting between Penn and Brown with the Quakers dominating the all-time series, 64-26-2.
 
Penn is 7-3 in its last 10 against Brown and won the last matchup between the two programs, last year in Providence, 38-28.
 
Before that, the Bears claimed victory in both 2023 (at Franklin Field on ESPNU) and 2022, which was the first blemish for then-6-0 Penn. Heading into that 2022 battle, Penn had won six consecutive games over Brown dating back to the 2015 season.
 
The George A. Munger Head Coach Ray Priore is 7-2 all-time vs. Brown, while Bears' head coach James Perry is 2-3.
 
Last Time Against Brown
Penn went up big and then held off Brown for a 38-28 victory Saturday in Providence, R.I.
 
The Quakers had a 24-point lead with 10:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Bears comeback ultimately came up short even after 14 unanswered points the rest of the way.
 
Junior QB Liam O'Brien made his first-career start and passed efficiently, completing 75 percent of his passes (18-for-24) with 247 yards and two touchdowns. He added 60 yards rushing with a TD.
 
Malachi Hosley recorded his fourth 100-or-more rushing yard game of the season with 102 yards on 17 carries and two TDs. Jared Richardson caught seven passes for 113 yards and a score.
 
John Lista was a force on defense, totaling 12 tackles (with 11 solos) and a sack, while Jack Fairman, Kadari Machen, and Shiloh Means also had a TFL.
 
Special teams also excelled on the afternoon, as Jacob Cisneros was credited with a punt block—Penn's second of the season—which resulted in six points late in the second quarter.
 
National TV Games
Historically, Penn does have a pretty solid all-time record of 33-22 dating back to its first-ever appearance in 1940, which was the first televised college football game against Maryland on Philco.
 
In Ivy League play, the Quakers have posted a 32-20 record, including 13-9 at Franklin Field.
 
However, Penn has dropped four of its last five national television appearances since 2019 and five consecutive at home. The Quakers have never won a home game on ESPNU, going 0-5 in such games since the first one in 2018.
 
Scouting The Bears
Brown enters this week's matchup with a 3-3 overall record and an 0-3 mark in Ivy League play. The Bears opened the season with three straight non-conference victories—defeating Georgetown (46-0), Rhode Island (28-21), and Bryant (29-19)—before dropping their first three league contests against Harvard (41-7), Princeton (40-21), and most recently Cornell in double overtime (30-24).
 
The Bears average 369.3 yards of total offense per game while allowing 396.5, showing balance between the run and pass, averaging 257.3 yards through the air and 112.0 on the ground. Brown's defense is allowing 396.5 total yards per game, including 250.3 through the air and 146.2 on the ground, ranking near the middle of the Ivy League in each category
 
QB James Murphy has completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,510 yards and eight touchdowns, while RB Matt Childs leads the ground game with 353 yards and six scores. Qwentin Brown has added 179 rushing yards and five TDs. Through the air, Ty Pezza leads the team with 25 catches for 345 yards and four touchdowns, followed by Solomon Miller (262 yds, 1 TD).
 
On defense, LB John Perdue leads the team with 47 tackles, 1.5 TFL, and an interception, while Miles Brophy (38 tackles, 1 INT) and Sam Smith (35 tackles) anchor the middle. Ike Odimegwu paces the pass rush with six sacks, and Elias Archie headlines the secondary with two interceptions and six breakups. The Bears have totaled 16 sacks and six interceptions through six games.
 
Kicker Drew Crabtree has converted 19-of-19 PATs and 2-of-4 field goals with a long of 38 yards, while averaging 49.1 yards per kickoff. Punter Malcolm Flynn has been effective, averaging 39.5 yards per punt with two boots of 50-plus yards and two downed inside the 20.
 
Tough Day in New Haven
Penn couldn't get much of anything going at Yale on Saturday, seeing its three-game win streak snapped and its first Ivy League blemish of the year.
 
The Quakers struck first after the defense forced a fumble and was recovered by Lista, setting up a Mason Walters field goal, but the Bulldogs responded with 28 points before halftime to build a lead they would not relinquish.
 
Richardson continued his strong season by catching six passes for 85 yards and his Ivy League-leading ninth touchdown of the year—the most by a Penn receiver since Justin Watson's single-season record 14 in 2017.
 
Lista led the defense with 11 tackles and a TFL, while Machen and Ty Cortes each added nine stops. Walters provided six points on a pair of 28-yard field goals.
 
Monopolizing Player of the Week
Penn saw its streak of five consecutive weeks with a Player of the Week honor to begin a season snapped on Monday, but it still tied a program record that has stood for 32 years.
 
Four different players earned a total of seven weekly awards over the five-week span with three for Julien Stokes (Special Teams), two for Richardson (Offensive) and one each for O'Brien (Offensive) and Walters (Rookie)
 
Following Week 5, Richardson was named Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row. Richardson and Stokes are the first Penn duo to win a weekly honor in consecutive weeks in the same season.
The senior wideout has now won four career Ivy League weekly awards, tied for third all-time with Chris Flynn '87.
 
Midseason All-America
Late last week, Richardson and Stokes were recognized for their standout performances to begin the campaign and were named Midseason All-America by Phil Steele.
 
Stokes was tabbed to the first team for punt returners, second-team for all-purpose, while Richardson picked up second-team honors at wide receiver.
 
Richardson continues to pace the Ivy in all receiving categories, leading the way in receptions (41), yards (628), touchdowns (8), long reception (76), receptions per game (6.2), and yards per game (125.6). He also ranks first nationally in yards per game, is second in receptions per game, third in receiving TDs, and ninth in total receiving yards.
 
Stokes has cooled off quite a bit, but continues to rank among the NCAA leaders in all-purpose yards per game (third, 156.4), while slotted fifth in combined kick return yards (491). He's still the nation's leader in punt return yards per attempt (22.9) and is second in punt return TDs (1).
 
J-Rich in the Record Books
Richardson became just the sixth player in program history to eclipse the 2,000-career receiving yard milestone after tallying 157 at Columbia, and is currently marching his way up the record book with 2,185 yards. He's now just 180 from passing Miles Macik '95 for fifth in program history.
 
MOST RECEIVING YARDS IN A CAREER
Penn Program History
1. Justin Watson, 3,777 (2014-17)
2. Rob Milanese, 3,405 (1999-02)
3. Dan Castles, 2,444 (2001-04)
4. Don Clune, 2,419 (1971-73)
5. Miles Macik, 2,365 (1993-95)
6. Jared Richardson, 2,185 (2022-pres.)
7. Conner Scott, 1,762 (2010-14)
 
After becoming the fifth member of Penn's 20-touchdown club against Marist three weekends ago, Richardson added three more to his total against the Lions, and another at Yale. He's now ranked fourth in program history.
 
MOST RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS IN A CAREER
Penn Program History
1. Justin Watson, 33 (2014-17)
2. Dan Castles, 27 (2001-04)
3. Miles Macik, 26 (1993-95)
4. Jared Richardson, 24 (2022-pres.)
5. Rob Milanese, 21 (1999-02)
t6. Christian Pearson, 17 (2015-18)
t6. Don Clune, 17 (1971-73)
 
Oh, you wanted receptions? Jared's got the grabs, too.
 
MOST RECEPTIONS IN A CAREER
Penn Program History
1. Justin Watson, 286 (2014-17)
2. Rob Milanese, 259 (1999-02)
3. Miles Macik, 200 (1993-95)
4. Dan Castles, 167 (2000-04)
5. Jared Richardson, 160 (2022-pres.)
6. Conner Scott, 151 (2010-14)
 
In The National Rankings
Penn remains locked and loaded in the punt return defense game, allowing -5.5 yards per game this season, good for first in FCS football. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Quakers rank first in punt returns at 19.22 yards per attempt.
 
As a team, Penn is also ranked ninth in fourth down conversion percentage (33.3), 17th in third down conversion percentage (46.7), 25th in fumbles recovered (6), and are 34th in passing efficiency (145.67).
 
Despite a season-ending injury, Stokes remains the nation's leader in punt return yards per attempt (22.9) and is third in all-purpose yards per game (156.4), fourth in punt return TDs (1).
 
O'Brien ranks eighth nationally in points responsible for per game (18.0) and is 10th in passing yards per game (254.7), 21st in total points responsible for (108). He's also 22nd in passing touchdowns (13).
 
Richardson continues his incredible season by being ranked first in receiving yards per game (118.8), second in receptions per game (7.83), and tied for second in touchdowns (9), and ninth in receiving yards (713).
 
Defensively, Lista ranks 21st in solo tackles per game (5.00) and 17th in total tackles (9.4), and Cole Olsztyn ranks 13th in forced fumbles per game (0.33).

Follow The Action
Friday's game will air to a national audience on ESPNU with Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Jack Ford (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game live on the Quaker Audio Network (QAN) with Matt Leon (play-by-play) and Hench Murray (analyst) doing the honors.
 
For the latest on Penn football, follow @PennFB on X (formerly Twitter), @PennFootball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.