Penn at Fordham: Can Quakers slow down another high-powered offense?

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Penn (0-1) at Fordham (1-1)
Jack Coffey Field, Bronx, N.Y.
Saturday, 1 p.m.

Penn got off on the wrong foot in its season opener but will look to bounce back this weekend against another tough non-conference foe. Here’s a look at what’s on tap:

Scouting Penn
The Quakers showed an early glimpse of just how good their offense can be as quarterback Alek Torgersen threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another two as Penn piled up 28 points before halftime. And Torgersen’s connection with All-American receiver Justin Watson was as good as advertised as Watson caught both TD passes and finished with 133 receiving yards. But Penn’s offense cooled off after halftime and the defense struggled throughout in a 49-28 loss to Lehigh. Moving forward, the Quakers will certainly need to solidify a defense that gave up 548 yards to Lehigh if they plan to contend for an Ivy League championship as expected. 

Scouting Fordham
After getting blown out by Navy in its opener, Fordham responded with a blowout of its own, setting program and Patriot League records for scoring in a 83-21 win over Division II Elizabeth City State. Led by All-American Chase Edmonds (155 rushing yards, one TD), the Rams also set a school record with 393 rushing yards while their defense scored on two fumble recoveries and forced eight turnovers. Picked second in the Patriot League, Fordham boasts one of the best players in FCS in Edmonds as well as four other players named to the preseason all-Patriot League first team: tight end Phazahn Odom, offensive lineman Anthony Coyle, linebacker Niko Thorpe and defensive back Jihaad Pretlow. Senior Kevin Anderson is also one of the league’s top quarterbacks, throwing for 3,183 yards last year.

Series history
In seven all-time meetings between the two programs, Penn won the first five but lost the last two — a drubbing in the Bronx in 2014 and a dramatic, down-to-the-wire one last season. After falling behind 28-3, Penn stormed back to tie the game at 45-45 before Fordham kicked a game-winning field goal in the final 10 seconds for a 48-45 win.

Storyline to watch
Considering both teams’ strengths and the final score of last year’s matchup, this one figures to be a high-scoring affair. But can Penn’s defense bounce back from its opening week struggles and slow down Edmonds and the high-powered Rams enough to even give the Quakers a chance?

What’s at stake
Penn will simply want to get better going into its Ivy League opener the following week. 
After losing to an FBS team and trouncing a D-II squad, Fordham will want to show what it can do against a fellow FCS member and pad its non-conference resume for the playoffs. 

Prediction
Penn has enough offensive firepower to keep up with the Rams and possibly avenge last year’s loss. But considering they’ll be on the road and it’s Fordham’s homecoming, it might be too tall of an order.

Fordham 38, Penn 28

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