Penn looks to get offense on track against winless Lehigh
After two forgettable offensive performances, the Quakers have a chance to get well against 0-5 Lehigh.
The Penn football team is still searching for an answer to its offensive woes after three games, and has an opportunity to get on track on Saturday against Lehigh (0-5).
After beating Bucknell 30-6 in the opener, the Quakers (1-2) last Friday dropped their second straight, 31-7, to Dartmouth (3-0). It was their first game back at Franklin Field in nearly two years after the Ivy League canceled the 2020 season due to COVID-19.
Senior quarterback John Quinnelly, who had not taken a college snap before this season, has been inconsistent and plagued by five interceptions, including two against Dartmouth.
“I have to make better decisions. I have to be more decisive — take care of the ball, obviously,” said Quinnelly, who completed 6-of-15 passes for 106 yards. “I think we all know as an offense that we have to produce and we have to make plays when we have an opportunity to make plays.”
Below Quinnelly on the depth chart is Hugh Brady, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Honolulu. He saw his first collegiate action in the fourth quarter last week, attempting just one pass.
“Hugh has shown real good flashes, real good poise of running the offense,” Penn coach Ray Priore said. “We thought it would be a great opportunity to get him on the field and get him snaps.”
Quinnelly is expected to get the start against Lehigh.
Saturday’s game against Lehigh will give the Penn offense a chance to see what it can do. Upcoming Ivy League opponents Princeton and Yale held Lehigh scoreless, 32-0 and 34-0, respectively. The Mountain Hawks have been outscored 174-9 this season.
“We’ve got to find ways within the system to give better opportunities for [Quinnelly and Brady] and to have production on the field,” Priore said.
Saturday will also be a homecoming for the Mountain Hawks head coach Tom Gilmore, a Penn Athletics Hall of Famer in football. The Ivy League player of the year as a senior, the former defensive lineman graduated in 1986 with four Ivy League titles, and the program record for sacks and tackles for loss.