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PHILADELPHIA - The Columbia football team dropped a 31-7 decision on the road at Penn Saturday at Franklin Field. The Lions trailed by just seven at the half, but the Quakers scored 17 unanswered in the second half to go on for the win.

Junior quarterback Trevor McDonagh went 26-of-50 for 266 yards and a six-yard touchdown strike to first-year tight end Zach Dansby.

Columbia started its first drive of the game at its own 19 yard line. McDonagh completed consecutive passes for a gain of 37 yards to take the Lions down to the Penn 44. McDonagh found Garrett DeMuth for a gain of 12 for another first down. Three plays later, on a fourth and six from the Penn 29, McDonagh found Andrew Dobitsch for a gain of eight yards and a first down. Penn got flagged for a pass interference on the next play to make it first and goal from the six for Columbia. McDonagh found Dansby for the score and after Noah Zgrablich tacked on the PAT the Lions led 7-0.

Columbia held the Quakers on their first two drives, but Penn drove 60 yards over two minutes and 15 seconds to tie up the game at 7-7. The game stayed knotted up until late in the second quarter when Penn drove 59 yards in nine plays for a touchodown with 5:35 remaining in the half. The Quakers held a 14-7 lead at the half.  

Penn added two touchdowns in the third quarter and a field goal in the fourth for the final 31-7 margin.

Ryan Flannery and G. DeMuth finished with 54 and 51 yards receiving respectively. Defensively, Travis Reim and Brock Kenyon finished with eight tackles each, while Ray Pesanello and Toba Akinleye each added seven tackles.

Columbia returns to action on Saturday, October 25, for Homecoming, when they host Dartmouth for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.