PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – In a defensive battle from start to finish, Penn emerged with a 12-0 win over the Leopards on Saturday afternoon at Franklin Field.
 
Senior DL Malik Hamm chiseled his name into the Lafayette records books in the first quarter, registering the 26^th sack of his career to become the program's all-time leader. The 13-yard play four minutes into the game pushed him out of a first-place tie with Harrison Bailey '95, each with 25 sacks. Hamm added another half sack later in the game to nudge his career total to 26.5
 
Gabe DuBois turned in a career-high nine-tackle performance to help Hamm lead the defensive charge. Marco Olivas and DaRon Gilbert added eight stops apiece.
 
Just before the end of the scoreless first quarter, Penn quarterback Aidan Sayin was drilled by Hamm but managed to complete a pass to Julien Stokes for a 57-yard completion to the 20-yard line. The Leopard D continued to stand tall, forcing a 4^th-and-goal at the 1-yard line after a Saiku White score-saving tackle.
 
On the next play, Sayin (23-of-39 for 196 yards) completed a one-yard pass back across his body for the TD. Hamm blocked the PAT and then proceeded to get out in front with a pancake block on the PAT return which Marco Olivas took 80 yards before being run out of bounds. Penn led 6-0 at with 14 minutes left in the half.
 
On the Leopards' next drive, back-to-back passes from freshman quarterback Ryan Schuster, for 26 yards to Elijah Steward and 40 yards to a leaping Julius Young, set up the offense at the Penn 19-yard line. Lafayette faced 4^th-and-7 at the Penn 18 and Schuster's pass was incomplete. The Leopards turned it over on downs.
 
Lafayette's defensive unit continued to play well, as Hamm's half sack along with classmate Jyaire Stevens forced Penn to punt from its one-yard line. Freshman Jamar Curtis caught the booming punt and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. The officials threw two penalty flags on the play, one on each team, nullifying the score and forcing a re-kick.
 
After the second punt, Lafayette took over near midfield. On the first play of the drive, Schuster looked deep for Steward, but couldn't slip the pass in between a pair of defenders, one of whom picked it off.
 
Just before intermission, Penn forced a three-and-out deep in the Lafayette half. Jakob Trestik's punt traveled 21 yards and the Maroon and White defense was tested again as Penn took over at the Lafayette 47 with 2:04 left in the half. The unit responded with more pressure on the QB, resulting in an interception by Saiku White at the one-yard line, his first of the season and second of his career.
 
The score remained 6-0 at halftime with the teams combining for 305 yards of offense and only 50 on the ground. The second half yielded similar offensive numbers, as the teams netted a combined 207 offensive yards.
 
In the second half, a Penn sack of Schuster forced the Leopards to punt from their own one-yard line with six minutes left in the third quarter. From the back of the end zone, Trestik booted a 34-yard punt and Penn took over at the Lafayette 35-yard line.
 
Penn took advantage, using five plays before scoring on a one-yard run by Sayin. The Leopards stuffed the two-point conversion and Penn led 12-0 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
 
On the ensuing possession, the Leopard offense faced a 4^th-and-9 situation at the Penn 37 and needed to get something going. Schuster (11-of-23 for 167) was sacked on the play and was knocked from the game with injury. The Quakers were penalized for roughing the passer, but the penalty was assessed after Lafayette turned it over on downs.
 
Penn led 12-0 at the end of three quarters and the score held up as the final.
 
Junior QB Rent Montie came in the game in relief of Schuster, completing 8-of-18 for 74 yards. Chris Carasia (62 yards) and Steward (49 yards) each finished the afternoon with five catches for the Leopards.
 
Lafayette opens Patriot League play Oct. 1 at Bucknell, a 3:30 p.m. kick in Lewisburg, Pa.
 
NOTES:
Lafayette used its third offensive line combination in four games and started five freshmen (2 OL, 1 RB, 1 QB) on offense.  
 
Saturday was the first time Lafayette has been shut out since Nov. 16, 2019.
 
It was the first meeting between the two teams in Philadelphia since 2013.