PHILADELPHIA – Just two games remain in the 2025 regular season, as the University of Pennsylvania football team travels to New England Saturday in its final road game at No. 11/7 Harvard in Cambridge, Mass.
 
The Crimson, one of just four remaining unbeaten teams in FCS football, head into Saturday's matchup with a perfect 8-0 record, while the Quakers will look to avoid falling to 5-4. Harvard will wrap up a share of its third consecutive Ivy League title with a victory.
 
GAME 9 – PENN (5-3, 3-2 Ivy) at #11/7 HARVARD (8-0, 5-0 Ivy)
Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 | Noon
Tim Murphy Field at Harvard Stadium | Cambridge, Mass.
Watch Live on ESPN+ ($) | Listen Live (QAN) | Live Stats | Tickets
Penn Game Notes (PDF)  | Harvard Game Notes (PDF)
 
The Harvard Series
Saturday marks the 95th all-time meeting between Penn and Harvard in a rivalry that dates back to 1881. Harvard has the advantage in the all-time series, 53-39-2, with six of the last ten contests—including the last four—going the way of the Crimson.
 
The last meeting between the Penn and Harvard saw the Crimson top the Quakers at Franklin Field. Under head coach Ray Priore, Penn is 4–5 against Harvard, while Harvard's Andrew Aurich is 1-0 versus the Quakers.
 
Last Time Against Harvard
A hotly contested battle, Penn jumped out to a 21-7 lead early in the third quarter. Harvard would not be deterred as running back Xaviah Bascon picked up two scores before the quarter's end to level the score. The Quakers and Crimson traded touchdowns before Harvard sank a game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Crimson their fourth-consecutive victory over the Red and Blue.
 
Quarterback Liam O'Brien tossed three scores while adding in another on the ground, with Bisi Owens going recording 107 yards on three catches and two TDs on the day. Running back Malachi Hosley gained 143 yards on the ground for his sixth 100-yard game of the year. Defensively, Jack Fairman, Max Matolcsy, and Carter Janki all registered a sack.
 
On special teams, punter Albert Jang booted a 71-yard punt, marking the first time the Quakers had a 70+ yard punt since Hunter Kelley's 73-yarder against #13 Fordham on Oct. 10, 2015.
 
Last Time in Cambridge
The last meeting in Cambridge came in 2023, when Penn fell to Harvard, 25-23, in an 3OT thriller. In a tight game that was never more than a 10-point affair, both teams settled for field goals in the first overtime before trading defensive stands in the second. Harvard then dialed up the "Philly Special" in the third overtime to take down the Quakers.
 
Quarterback Aidan Sayin threw for 215 yards in a game that was highlighted by the ground game for Penn. Freshman running back Malachi Hosley ran for 109 yards and two scores on 22 attempts. Senior Bryce Myers secured eight passes for 66 yards, leading the team in both categories.
 
Penn racked up six sacks in this one, with Logan Nash leading the way with 1.5 takedowns. Nash also secured Penn's lone interception of the day, making for an all-around outstanding defensive performance.
 
Scouting The Crimson
Harvard enters this meeting with a perfect 8-0 record, with five of those wins coming in Ivy League play. Ranked 11th nationally by the coaches and seventh by the media, the Crimson have not missed a beat this season, opening the year with a 59-7 victory over Stetson before rattling off three conference victories over Brown (41-7), Cornell (34-10), and Princeton (35-14) and two non-conference victories over Holy Cross (59-24) and Merrimack (31-7).
 
The Crimson's offense has been a buzzsaw, averaging 40 points per game thus far. QB Jaden Craig commands the passing attack, having thrown for 2,066 yards and 18 touchdowns. Xaviah Bascon heads the rushing room with 468 yards and five scores, while DJ Gordon (350-5 TDs) and Jordan Harris (295-1) work as complimentary backs. Through the air, WR Brady Blackburn leads the way with 26 catches for 561 yards and three scores, followed by TE Seamus Gilmartin (29-383-5) and WR Cam Henry (22-312-2). As a whole, the offense averages 457.9 yards per game and has won every game this year by at least three scores.
 
The Crimson's defense is equally as stout, allowing a mere 11.6 points per game. LB Sean Line leads the defense with 57 tackles, chipping in four TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. DE Alex DeGrieck leads in sacks (6.0), while defensive backs Damien Henderson and Jack Donahoe lead the way in interceptions (2). As a unit, the Crimson have 20 sacks and 12 interceptions on the season, allowing just 264.9 yard per game.
 
Kicker Kieran Corr is 10-for-12 on field goal attempts this year with a long of 38, while averaging 60 yard per kickoff and 46 touchbacks. Punter Dylan Fingersh has accrued 685 yards on 17 punts this year, averaging 40.3 yards per punt with four punts downed inside the 20.
 
Couldn't Overcome Cornell
Penn couldn't overcome a tough third quarter as Cornell seized control after halftime and never looked back in a 39-17 win Saturday at Franklin Field, taking the Trustees' Cup back to Ithaca for the first time since 2021.
 
The Quakers led 10-6 late in the first half, but the Big Red took a 13-10 advantage into the break and then scored on their first three possessions of the second half to pull away for their fourth consecutive victory. Donte West led the Penn offense with 15 carries for 125 yards and a 75-yard touchdown—the program's longest run since 2023—marking his third score in the last two games.
 
O'Brien added 63 rushing yards and went 15-for-22 through the air for 112 yards, spreading passes to seven different receivers.
 
Defensively, John Lista tallied a team-high 10 tackles—including nine solo stops—while Kadari Machen and Ty Cortes each added seven.
 
Got The Run Game Going
Penn has relied on its passing game for most of this season and for the most part, it has paid dividends.
 
But it was time for the Quakers to get going in the run game, especially after netting just 92 yards on the ground in a loss to Yale on Oct. 25.
 
Since the defeat up in New Haven, Penn has reeled off consecutive games of nearly 200 yards rushing, picking up 231 against Brown two weekends ago and 192 vs. Cornell on Saturday.
 
In the loss to the Big Red, West ran 15 times for 125 yards—Penn's first 100-yard rushing game of the year by an individual—and a touchdown, while O'Brien picked up 63 yards on 15 carries and a TD.
 
Another Player of the Week
No weekly awards for the Quakers this week after falling to Cornell on Saturday, but Jayden Drayton's weekly award after Brown made it eight honors over the first seven weeks of the season.
 
Five different players earned a total of eight weekly awards over the seven-week span with three for Julien Stokes (Special Teams), two for Richardson (Offensive) and one each for O'Brien (Offensive), Walters (Rookie), and Drayton.
 
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 won four career Ivy League weekly awards, tied for third all-time with Chris Flynn '87.
 
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 2,331 yards. He's now just 35 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, 2,331 (2022-pres.)
7. Conner Scott, 1,762 (2010-14)
 
After becoming the fifth member of Penn's 20-touchdown club against Marist four 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. Jared Richardson, 171 (2022-pres.)
5. Dan Castles, 167 (2000-04)
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 sixth in punt returns at 16.45 yards per attempt.
 
As a team, Penn ranks fourth in third down conversion percentage (.510), and 20th in tackles for loss allowed (4.38).
 
O'Brien ranks 17th nationally in passing yards per game (232.8) amd 15th in completions per game (19.6).
 
Richardson remains one of the FCS' best receivers, leading the nation in both receiving yards per game (107.4) and receptions per game (7.25). He's fourth in touchdowns (9), and seventh in total receiving yards (859).
 
Defensively, Lista ranks sixth in solo tackles per game (5.86).
 
Follow The Action
Saturday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Alex Vispoli on the play-by-play call, joined by former Harvard head coach Tim Murphy (analyst). Matt Leon (play-by-play) and Hench Murray (analyst) will do the honors for Penn on the Quaker Audio Network (QAN).
 
For the latest on Penn football, follow @PennFB on X (formerly Twitter), @PennFootball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.
 
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