Dartmouth at Penn: Can Quakers keep momentum going?

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A week after breaking a century-long streak with a memorable win at Villanova, Penn will look to carry that momentum into its home and Ivy League opener. Here’s a look at what’s on tap:

Dartmouth (2-0) at Penn (1-1)
Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pa.
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Scouting Penn
The Quakers are riding high after their best non-conference win in recent memory, having stunned nationally ranked Villanova on the road, 24-13, last Thursday. Savvy quarterback Alek Torgersen led the way in the win, throwing two touchdown passes to Justin Watson. Perhaps even more impressive, though, was Penn’s defensive effort as the Quakers overcame a rocky performance in a season-opening loss to Lehigh by forcing three turnovers, including a victory-clinching 90-yard fumble recovery for a fourth-quarter TD from Don Panciello.

Scouting Dartmouth
The Big Green came in as one of the favorites to win the Ivy League and they’ve thus far backed up those lofty preseason projections with two easy non-conference wins over Georgetown and Sacred Heart. Leading the charge is standout quarterback Dalyn Williams, who’s completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 451 yards and zero interceptions through two games. His top target has been Victor Williams, who set career highs with 11 catches and 178 yards in last week’s 49-7 dismantling of Sacred Heart. On the other side of the ball, Dartmouth ranks second in the FCS in scoring defense, allowing an average of just 8.5 points per game.

History
The Quakers hold a 47-33-2 edge in the series but saw their six-game winning streak vs. Dartmouth snapped last year. The Big Green haven’t prevailed at Franklin Field since 1997.

Storyline to watch
Last week, Watson legitimately looked like the best player on the field, breaking tackles and making great catches against a team with pro prospects. But he hurt his shoulder right before halftime and didn’t play in the second half. It looks like Watson should be able to play this weekend but if he’s not at his best, the Quakers may have a hard time keeping up the pace with Dartmouth’s own high-powered passing game.

What’s at stake?
Aside from all the excitement that comes from this being Ray Priore’s Franklin Field head coaching debut, the Quakers will be looking to show they’re an Ivy League title contender despite being picked sixth in the preseason poll. And they'll want to show that last week’s stunning upset wasn’t a fluke but instead the start of something special.

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