Penn Puts the Game Away Late in 35 – 21 Win
October 18, 2025 –
Playing in the Ivy League the objective is to get close to the top and try to stay there. The University of Pennsylvania is now 2 – 0 and is tied with two teams for the top spot. To do so the Quakers needed a strong second half and got it defeating the Columbia Lions in New York.
Penn broke a 14 – 14 tie in the second half with a touchdown, but Columbia answered. The Quakers combo of quarterback Liam O’Brien and Jared Richardson had a huge rest of the game giving the Red and Blue the win.
Richardson hauled in a 31-yard scoring reception from O’Brien at the end of the third quarter. They teamed up again with 10:18 as O’Brien hit Richardson with a 76-yard scoring strike, his career-longest reception. The defense took over from there.
Columbia paid strict attention to Richardson. In the first half the senior wide receiver had 3 catches for 31 yards and a one-yard touchdown reception. In the second half he and O’Brien found the right routes. Richardson totaled 6 catches for 157 yards and 3 scores. He becomes the sixth player in program history to reach the 2,000-yard receiving plateau. It is his fourth 100-yard game this season, three consecutive games.
What the Numbers Say
O’Brien led the team in rushing gaining 81 yards crossing the goal line once. Julien Stokes, who lead the offense in the first half, ran for 63-yards. The Quakers had 186 yards rushing while getting 272 through the air. Bisi Owens caught 7 passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. O’Brien completed 17 passes for 272 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Columbia gained 55 rushing yards as Michael Walters. Quarterback Caleb Sanchez went 27 of 47 in the air for 311 yards and 2 scores. Those went to Hutch Crow and Beckett Robinson. Titus Evans led the team with 7 catches for 75 yards.
Carter Janki led the Quakers in tackles with 7 total.
Caleb Solomon and Terrell Battle recorded interceptions for the Lions. Charlie Newton had a game-best 10 total tackles.
Up Next
Penn is 2 – 0 in the Ivy League that includes a win over defending champion Dartmouth. The team stays on the road going to Yale (1-1). It is the first time the Red and Blue started with this conference record since 2022, the last time the Quakers were champions of the Ancient Eight. They share the early lead with Princeton and Harvard.
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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