The University of Pennsylvania (2-2, 2-0 Ivy) quarterbacks were dropping like flies in the first three games of the season. First, it was starter Keiffer Garton who hurt his elbow in the opening loss against Villanova. Then it was second-string Kyle Olson who separated his shoulder in the third quarter against Dartmouth. But it wasn’t over yet. Third-string quarterback Chad Miller broke his collarbone later in the Dartmouth game.
All that led to fourth-string quarterback John Hurley, who had never taken a varsity snap, starting against Bucknell last weekend. As Columbia’s (2-2, 1-0 Ivy) luck would have it, Garton and Olson should be back when the teams face off in Saturday’s game.
“That’s just the kind of luck we have,” head coach Norries Wilson said. “No one’s hurt when they play us.”
The Lions are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Lafayette last weekend where a touchdown scored in the final 20 seconds of the game put the Leopards ahead 24-21 in what would be the final score.
But Wilson said his kids have put it behind them.
“Something happened last week?” Wilson asked. “That’s how we look at it. We’ve got to go and get ready for this week.”
The Quakers rank second in the league in red zone offense, and they’ve been perfect over the last three weeks in getting points while in the red zone.
However, they will be facing the toughest red zone defense in the league in the Lions.
The Lions shut Princeton out of the red zone completely two weeks ago, and are looking to stay undefeated in the Ivy league. Penn coach Al Bagnoli said the Lions “certainly have our kids’ attention.”
The other thing that has Bagnoli’s attention is the turnover margin that Columbia boasts. The Lions are sitting pretty atop the league with a +8 turnover margin, having surrendered the ball just twice on offense and coming up with seven interceptions and three fumble recoveries on defense in the past four games.
“When you look at their offensive production, it’s been good, but not great, but yet they’ve scored a ton of points,” Bagnoli said. “When you look at their defensive yards allowed, it’s good, but not great, and yet they’ve given up a relatively few amount of points. I think the one key you look to is the turnover ratio.”
Wilson, on the other hand, is concerned about the Penn defense, which leads the league in total defense, scoring defense, and pass defense.
“Penn is always good on defense,” Wilson said. “They’re good, there’s no doubt about it. Up to this point, probably the best team we’re going to play defensively.”
One of those players is Joe Goniprow, who is averaging .75 sacks a game, and another is Penn’s linebacker Jake Lewko. The linebacker is the kind of player, Bagnoli said, “you can build a defense around.” Lewko is leading the Quakers with 38 tackles and “has been the model of consistency.”
The Quakers aren’t the only team struggling with injury. The Lions lost key defensive tackle Owen Fraser the first week against Fordham and the sophomore has not competed since. Last Saturday against Lafayette the defense was dealt another blow, as junior captain Alex Gross injured his knee on the opening kickoff. Gross, Wilson reported, will have surgery on the knee and will be out for the rest of the season.
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