Penn squanders 24-point second quarter, goes scoreless in second half in loss to Harvard
The Quakers lost all their momentum in the second half. Penn quarterback Karson Siqueiros-Lasky was sidelined following a fourth-quarter sack and Harvard held Penn scoreless the rest of the way.
Penn’s 24-point second quarter wasn’t enough to beat Harvard.
After a dominant first half, it looked like the Quakers could pull off an upset against the Ivy League’s top-seeded team. But Penn went scoreless in the second half as Harvard rallied to hand the Quakers a 38-24 loss on Saturday in their final home game of the season.
Penn remains winless against Harvard since 2019. Harvard, meanwhile, secured a berth to the FCS playoffs and will at least share a part of the Ivy League championship.
“The message to the guys after [the game] is that’s what it looks and feels like if you want to compete and win championships,” said head coach Rick Santos.
21 points in three minutes
Penn finally found some momentum in the final 3 minutes of the first half, as it scored 21 points.
Penn has struggled on third downs all season, sitting last in the league with a 35.6 conversion rate. The team finished 1 of 9 on Saturday, but its only 3rd down conversion came late in the second quarter.
Junior quarterback Karson Siqueiros-Lasky threw an 18-yard pass to wide receiver Ronan Johannson on third-and-4. With four Crimson defenders chasing him, Johannsson ran 69 yards to the endzone for Penn’s first touchdown.
After Mason Walters’ field goal was good, the sophomore made an onside kick for 17 yards that was recovered by Penn defensive back Ezra Fearon, whom Santos highlighted for his “high-level” play.
» READ MORE: Penn’s final home game of the season hits differently for Rick Santos and the seniors
With Penn back in possession near midfield, the offense made quick work to the endzone. Freshman receiver Mason Page caught a 28-yard pass to bring the line of scrimmage to the Harvard 20-yard line. Junior tight end Jack Donnelly caught a 13-yard pass to get first-and-goal. Then a fumbled snap and Harvard recovery seemed to halt Penn’s momentum, until the defense came in.
Penn’s defense kept Harvard from advancing the ball. The Crimson were forced to punt the ball at its 17-yard line, but Penn blocked the punt, recovered the ball, and brought it back for a touchdown.
On Harvard’s next possession, senior linebacker Zach Darche intercepted the ball for a 37-yard return, pushing Penn’s lead to 24-17.
“I have been on my feet most of the game,” said Ricki Lasky, Siqueiros-Lasky’s mother during the game. “I love the way Karson’s taking what the defense is giving him.”
The energy was high heading into halftime, but the sequence would be Penn’s final scoring drive.
Penn goes scoreless
Siqueiros-Lasky, after an uneventful third quarter, was sacked at the beginning of the fourth and took his time getting up. He eventually walked off the field on his own, but did not return to action. He finished with 210 yards and one touchdown.
Santos said after the loss that he had no updates as of now on Siqueiros-Lasky or Johannson, who left the field after a hard tackle in the second half.
Freshman quarterback Miles Teodecki, who started seven games this season, stepped in, but he couldn’t break through Harvard’s defense. He completed 4 of 8 passes for 29 yards.
The Crimson scored three touchdowns and kept Penn scoreless in the second half. Harvard freshman wide receiver Nathan Bailey scored two of Harvard’s total touchdowns and was the star of the Crimson passing game. He finished with 113 yards.
“Harvard wore us down a little bit in the second half,” Santos said, “You could feel the emotion at the end there slipping away in real time, but [Penn] continued to compete.”
Up next
Penn (4-5) will end its season on the road against Princeton next Saturday (12 p.m., ESPN+).
