Penn Hosts Dartmouth Saturday In Ivy Opener

By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The Penn Quakers begin Ivy League action and play their home opener on Saturday as they welcome the Dartmouth Big Green to Franklin Field.

The Quakers are 1-1 this season and the "1" in the win column is a big one. Last week Penn beat a Villanova Wildcats team that was ranked as high as 4th in the country in FCS at the time. 24-13 was the final on the Main Line. It was Penn's first win over the Wildcats since 1911. The Quakers had lost 14 straight games to Villanova prior to Thursday.

"It was a special day, really for our kids," Penn head coach Ray Priore tells KYW Newsradio. "It's the culmination of months of work and preparation, off-season, preseason. To improve the way we did from week one (41-21 loss to Lehigh) to week two is very special."

Listen to the entire interview with Penn's Ray Priore

 
The victory was also the first as Penn head coach for Priore. As special as the win over the Wildcats was, Priore says it is definitely in the rear view mirror for his team now.

"Our kids enjoyed the Villanova victory until Friday at 5:00pm and then we really turned the page at that point and time," Priore says. "All eyes on Dartmouth."

The Quakers this coming Saturday will be facing a very good Big Green team which has started the season 2-0. Last week, Dartmouth beat Sacred Heart, 49-7.

"Very well coached team, very deep team," Priore says. "They return starting quarterback Dalyn Williams. Very, very talented young man. Most teams go as well as their quarterback does and he is a very, very good player. Last year, he single-handedly took it to us in our loss up in Hanover."

Williams rushed for three scores in that game last year, which the Big Green won, 31-13.

Saturday's game at Franklin Field will kickoff at 3:30pm.

You can follow Matt on Twitter @mattleonkyw.