Penn football loses QB Aidan Sayin to injury and drops third straight Ivy League game to rival Yale

On Friday night, Penn football lost, 31-10, to rival Yale at Franklin Field, giving the Quakers their worst loss of the season.

Penn (2-4, 0-3) lost its third consecutive conference game, and senior quarterback Aidan Sayin was injured early in the first quarter.

It was all Yale (4-2, 1-2), which picked up its first Ivy win and recorded 497 yards of offense. Bulldogs senior quarterback Grant Jordan threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns.

“I mean, almost 500 yards on offense, that can’t happen,” said junior linebacker John Lista, who recorded a game-high 10 total tackles. “It’s the little things that add up, and that’s been the story the entire season.”

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Here are some notable takeaways from Friday night:

Sayin was strip-sacked from behind by Bulldogs defensive back Abu Kamara on the first play of Penn’s second drive. Following the sack, Sayin did not return.

Coach Ray Priore confirmed that the quarterback suffered an elbow injury.

“At halftime, they tried to get [Sayin] into the training room to see what his capability was to throw the ball,” Priore said. “Just didn’t feel comfortable with it, so, obviously, his health and welfare is more important than the game.”

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Sayin entered Friday’s game with 1,108 yards and six touchdowns. He is 366 yards away from becoming Penn’s all time passing leader.

Backup quarterback Liam O’Brien replaced Sayin. O’Brien, a threat with his legs, offered a different look for the Quakers offense.

Penn’s lone touchdown came on a 5-yard rush by O’Brien late in the second quarter. The junior finished with 91 passing yards, an interception, and 61 yards on the ground.

“The opportunity was fun. I enjoyed my time on the field, but I’m disappointed,” O’Brien said. “I feel like I didn’t do enough, and, at the end of the day, we want to win. We didn’t get that.”

The final nail in the coffin for the Quakers came late in the third. Down by 18, sophomore running back Malachi Hosley attempted to hurdle Yale’s defensive front on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line but was thrown down from the back. Franklin Field fell silent — and stayed that way for the duration of the game.

Midway through the fourth, Priore subbed in freshman quarterback Karson Siqueiros-Lasky.

Hosley rushed for 48 yards on 13 attempts. Junior wide receiver Jared Richardson, who’s the team’s receiving leader, was held to one catch for 11 yards.

The stands behind Yale’s sideline had speckles of black and gold as Kamara, an Interboro grad, made his return home.

At Interboro, Kamara played running back and strong safety and set school records for both. On offense, he rushed for 2,832 yards and scored 40 touchdowns as a senior. Defensively, he recorded 70 tackles, 11 interceptions, and added two pick-sixes.

Kamara tormented the Quakers on Friday night and forced two turnovers. Along with the Sayin strip sack, Kamara picked off O’Brien on a fourth-and-1 pass attempt in the second quarter.

“It was a good feeling. Brings me back to my high school days, playing in front of fans, playing in front of family,” Kamara said. “The Yale Bulldogs were able to put on a show for the people that I love in my life. I feel like that was a great moment.”

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He finished with seven tackles, a sack, and two turnovers.

Penn looks to pick up its first Ivy win on the road against Brown next Saturday (noon, ESPN+).