PHILADELPHIA - For the first time since 2013, Penn heads into Week 2 coming off a win after a 42-24 victory in the opener at Franklin Field last week. The Quakers were slow out of the gate. but piled up 21 points in the third quarter to pull away for head coach Ray Priore's first win in a season opener as head coach of the Red and Blue.
 

Penn scored 35 of its 42 points after the break and was especially effective with the run, gaining 236 yards on just 19 second-half carries (a 12.4 yards-per-rush average). Karekin Brooks had 142 yards on the ground to lead the attack, while Abe Willows had 73 and Isaiah Malcome had 49.

As for the All-America candidate Justin Watson, he caught eight balls for 134 yards and had two TD catches.

The teams traded short possessions to start the game, before Dominican put together a solid drive to draw first blood. Covering 79 yards over seven plays, the Panthers went up 7-0 when Cedric Washington won a jump ball thrown by Grant Russell at the goal line. The scoring play covered 40 yards.

Penn tried to respond, driving to ODU's 22-yard line before the defense held. Jack Soslow then bounced a 39-yard field goal off the right post, and Penn came away empty.

The Penn defense caught a break late in the first quarter when Grant put the ball on the ground and it was recovered by the Quakers' Nick Miller on ODU's 28-yard line. However, just three plays later the Red and Blue gave it right back to the Panthers with a fumble at the 25.

After starting the game with Will Fischer-Colbrie at quarterback, Penn made a scheduled switch to start the second quarter with Nick Robinson under center.

The Panthers still had momentum after they intercepted Fischer-Colbrie near the end of the third quarter on their 27 and drove to the Quakers' 36-yard line. However, the Penn defense stiffened on a fourth-and-1 and took over on downs early in the fourth. On the next play, Brooks broke off right tackle, cut back to the left, and was off to the races for a 64-yard score along the left sideline. That sudden turn in momentum made the score 35-17.

Penn's next drive was Malcome's turn to shine, as the freshman ran three times for a combined 49 yards. Robinson then closed out the drive with a six-yard run to put the Quakers up, 42-17. ODU closed out the game's scoring with 4:44 left as Austin Ernst found David Turner for a 22-yard touchdown pass on the left side of the end zone.

Passing Leaders: Will Fisher-Colbrie: CMP 18, YDS 198, TD 2, INT 1. Nick Robinson: CMP 1, YDS 59, TD 1, INT 0.

Up next, a Keystone State showdown with an old friend and the Lehigh Mountain Hawks.

One of Penn's earliest rivals, Lehigh has won the last two meetings and seven of the last nine dating back to 1990. The Quakers dominated the nascent stages of the series, winning 40 of the first 42 meetings. Since 1975, Penn is just 4-13 against the Mountain Hawks and 1-8 in Bethlehem.

The two head coaches are very familiar with each other, each having served as a coordinator at Penn along the way to a head coaching job. Current Quakers coach Ray Priore was defensive coordinator and Lehigh head coach Andy Coen was offensive coordinator for six seasons together where the Quakers won three Ivy League titles. Coen has had the better of the two meetings since Priore ascended to the head coaching spot at Penn, winning each game by 21 points.

The 2016 season opener for Penn was a tale of two halves. The Quakers played the Mountain Hawks even in the first 30 minutes, entering the break tied at 28-28. The second half was forgettable for the Red and Blue who were held scoreless while Lehigh added 21 points for a comfortable 49-28 win at Franklin Field. The turning point was likely a Lehigh touchdown as time expired in the second quarter to tie the game followed by a Mountain Hawks' score on the first drive of the second half.

Kickoff is tomorrow at 12:30 pm at Lehigh.

Game can be seen on: Service 2 Electric/ Radio: WFIL 50 AM and Live Streamed on the Patriot League Network.

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