In what was a memorable homecoming, Penn squeezes past Yale, 20-13, to remain undefeated

In a largely defensive battle, Penn managed to punch in a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to edge Yale, 20-13, and keep its unblemished record intact on a Homecoming Day full of fireworks.

» READ MORE: Penn students storm Franklin Field at halftime, protesting for climate and community justice

Penn running back Jonathan Mulatu’s 1-yard run with just over five minutes left was the game-winner, snapping a 13-13 tie.

The teams were evenly matched in the first half, trading field goals early to tie up the game, 3-3. Late in the second quarter, Yale (4-2, 2-1 Ivy League) struck first with an explosive 47-yard touchdown run by freshman Joshua Pitsenberger to pull ahead.

With less than a minute left in the first half, Penn linebacker Jake Heimlicher intercepted a ball tipped at the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Aidan Sayin then connected with his favorite target, Malone Howley, deep into Yale territory to set up a fade in the back of the end zone to wide receiver Rory Starkey Jr. for the Quakers (6-0, 3-0). It was one of the highlights in another strong performance from the sophomore quarterback, who finished 28-of-43 for 298 yards and the TD to Starkey.

“We got some depth at [the receiving] position, and we’re using all those players in very unique positions,” said Penn head coach Ray Priore. “We got a quarterback like Aidan and a scheme like [offensive coordinator Dan] Swanstrom’s that distributes the ball to multiple players.”

Following delays at halftime because of a student protest, Penn returned rejuvenated. But it was in the fourth quarter when the game flipped, after a strong defensive stand for over a quarter-and-a-half from Yale went for naught. The Quakers took over on downs with 5 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the game and it took 10 plays and nearly a full five minutes for Penn to secure the win on Mulatu’s 1-yard scamper.

Yale’s ferocious rushing attack entered the game ranked No. 7 in the FCS in that category, averaging 241 yards on the ground per game. Penn’s defense held the group to just 167 yards.

“I thought our defense played really well, played resilient. We put out fires when we needed to,” said Heimlicher. “Our main goal this week was to keep the quarterback in the pocket and not let him use his feet to beat us, and we minimized that. [He had] 47 yards carrying ... last year he had 120 [yards rushing] on us.”

Sayin continued his strong and consistent play for the Quakers, coming just 2 yards shy of eclipsing the 300-yard mark for the third time this season. On the receiving end, Starkey saved his best day of the season for homecoming, recording nine receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown.

On Saturday, Penn travels to Rhode Island to face Brown (12:30 p.m., ESPN+). The Quakers are seeking back-to-back wins against Brown (2-3, 0-2), in what was Penn’s only Ivy win last season.