Penn Football Survives Quarterback Injury in Fourth Quarter Comeback

The University of Pennsylvania football team trailed for the first 29 minutes of the second half on Saturday, Oct. 10 after freshman quarterback Miles Teodecki went down with an early injury… but backup Karson Siqueiros-Lasky and receiver Isaac Lee managed to link up on a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns as the Quakers stormed back to claim a 24-20 home victory over Howard.

Despite the heroics, Penn’s (2-2, 0-1 Ivy League) offense played a far from complete game. Two missed field goals, a fumble and an interception gave the Bison a series of lucky breaks, but Siqueiros-Lasky warmed up as the game went on.

Howard reeled off a 14-play, 88 yard touchdown drive on their opening possession; Teodecki led the Quakers into the Bison red zone in response before they stalled out at Howard’s 4-yard line, leading to a chip shot field goal. Penn’s next drive saw another standout play from Teodecki, who picked up 41 rushing yards on third-and-10 to set the Quakers up in field goal range. Teodecki left two snaps later, however, and Siqueiros-Lasky took a third down sack that led to Penn’s first missed field goal.

Up-and-Down Offense

Siqueiros-Lasky engineered a touchdown drive on his second possession, putting Penn in front 10-7 on a 12-yard toss to Jack Donnelly. The Quakers’ next two drives ended in one play apiece: a Tommy Lafayette fumble and a Siqueiros-Lasky interception that let Howard surge in front 17-10. The Bison continued to dominate the time of possession in the second half, opening the third quarter with a 14-play field goal drive. Penn couldn’t convert a fourth-and-1 in their own territory in response, but the Quakers’ defense stonewalled Howard with a three-and-out that ended with a sack and kept the Bison out of field goal range.

Although Siqueiros-Lasky promptly returned to form, it was Lee who notched the Quakers’ next touchdown pass, finding Siqueiros-Lasky on the ‘Philly Special’ trick play. Mason Walters missed a game-tying field goal try, but another Bison three-and-out gave Penn another shot. Siqueiros-Lasky made it count, finding Lee for a 13-yard go-ahead touchdown pass.

Joey Holliday sacked Howard quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins to start the ensuing drive, stripping the ball away… but a Bison recovery gave them another breath of life; Ezra Fearon picked off Scroggins on the following play to end the game.

Up next, Penn will host Columbia at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16.