Heroics from a freshman kicker secured Penn’s win in season opener
Quakers' kicker Mason Walters banged in a 45-yard kick with 15 seconds left on the clock to secure a win against Stonehill on the road to open their 2025 campaign.
Penn secured its first win of the season, edging Stonehill in a dramatic finish.
Tied late in the fourth quarter, freshman kicker Mason Walters delivered his first-ever field goal for Penn, a 45-yarder with 15 seconds left, giving the Quakers a 24-21 road win over Stonehill (1-3) Saturday in Easton, Mass.
“You’re forced to hit the ground running at Penn,” Walters said. “It was like that for school and football. This is definitely a boost in confidence, and it’s one step closer to making me feel like I belong here.”
Despite three first-half touchdowns from Penn, Stonehill battled back in the second half, and tied the game with a 99-yard drive late in the fourth. Penn quarterback Liam O’Brien led the game-winning drive, scrambling for 26 yards and passing for 8 more.
» READ MORE: ‘We’re going to be unstoppable:’ Penn has newfound confidence heading into 2025
Early fireworks
Senior wide receiver Jared Richardson, who claimed in the preseason that Penn’s offense would be “unstoppable,” backed up his words on the third play from scrimmage. He caught a pass across the middle and broke three tackles for a 69-yard touchdown.
Despite a strong start, Penn’s offense struggled as Stonehill’s defense repeatedly broke through on O’Brien’s drop backs.
“They did a great job of shutting us down,” Richardson said. “They brought pressure, they got to Liam a little bit, so honestly, we have to focus on the little details, and clean those up.”
After a three-and-out during Penn’s second possession of the game, the Quakers’ defense returned the favor and forced a punt.
Julian Stokes, the 2022 Ivy League special teams Player of the Year, returned it 63 yards for Penn’s first punt-return touchdown since 2019, for an early 14-0 lead. After a Stonehill score, Stokes would provide Penn good field position with a 38-yard kick return, resulting in a 1-yard touchdown from running back Sean Williams.
Unrealized points
Starting on his own 3-yard line with six minutes left in the half, O’Brien led the offense down the field once again — but failed to score.
Reaching the 5-yard line with two seconds left, kicker Sam Smith was wide right on a 23-yard field goal attempt.
“Sam, he’s done a great job for us; his leg has been a little tired for us coming out of camp,” said Penn coach Ray Priore, who opted for Walters for the game-winner as a matter of distance and not performance.
Late game scare
Stonehill, of the Northeast Conference, capitalized on a 26-yard punt from Santiago Sturla at the end of the third quarter, which placed the Skyhawks at the Penn 38-yard line. Stonehill cut the lead to 21-14 on a 5-yard run by Zavion Woodard.
Stonehill capped a 13-minute, 99-yard drive with a 28-yard play-action touchdown on fourth-and-2, tying the game at 21 with 5:32 remaining. But the Skyhawks’ defense couldn’t hold, and Penn claimed the win in a messy first game.
O’Brien finished 16-for-31 for 238 yards and a touchdown.
“Next week we have Lehigh,” Richardson said. “They rank 10th in the country, so it’s going to be a tough one. We’re going to have to be on our P’s and Q’s, and I think it’ll be fun.”
Up next
The Quakers are on the road to face Lehigh on Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+).
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