NEW YORK — The Columbia football team suffered its first loss at Robert K. Kraft Field at Wein Stadium, falling to the Penn Quakers, 20-17, on Saturday afternoon on Homecoming. The Lions (2-3, 0-2), playing through the rain for the fourth consecutive contest, held the lead in the fourth quarter but were unable to hold on for their first Ivy League victory as Penn (4-1, 2-0) came from behind to improve to 4-1 on the season. 

Despite allowing a season-high 286 yards of offense, the Lions' defense did a fantastic job of bending but not breaking all afternoon. Jared Richardson secured a game-high 91 receiving yards for Penn but could not find the end zone. Anthony Roussos led the way for Columbia with 12 total tackles, with two for a loss.

"When you come out and play as hard as we did and come up short, it's tough," interim head coach Mark Fabish said. "It's a tough thing to swallow in the moment, but I couldn't be prouder of how our guys go about their business, how hard they play and how much they give to each other. Regardless of the outcome, we have to move on and get ready for the next one. I'm proud of the guys in the locker room for how they compete and what they bring every day."

The Quakers came out firing on the game's first possession, completing their first three passes, all of which were first down. Penn marched into Columbia territory quickly, but the Lions' defense held firm and held the Quakers to a field goal. Those three points were the first that Columbia has allowed at home all season.

The Lions' first drive of the game stalled quickly, but a 48-yard punt from William Hughes pinned the Quakers back deep within their own territory. A few plays later, Rocco Millia came away with his second interception in as many games for the Lions, setting up what would be Columbia's first scoring drive of the game. 

Penn's defense looked like it would limit the Lions to a field goal, but an offsides call on the kick attempt resulted in a free first down for Columbia. Quarterback Caden Bell took advantage of the opportunity, scoring on a designed run the very next play to give the Lions a 7-3 lead. 

After a three-and-out for each team, Penn took over at their 25-yard line near the end of the first quarter. 

The Quakers drove 12 plays and took nearly seven minutes of game time of the clock, but faced a fourth-and-goal from Columbia's one-yard line and called a timeout to mull over their decision. Penn decided to go for it, taking a play right out of their neighbors' playbook, converting the Philadelphia Eagles' patented "brotherly shove" for a one-yard touchdown to re-take a 10-7 lead. 

As the end of the first half neared, Bell connected with JJ Jenkins, the Lions' leading receiver on the afternoon, on a 22-yard pass down the right sideline, which brought Columbia deep into Penn territory. With just 23 seconds remaining, Joey Giorgi found the endzone on a one-yard rush to give the Lions a 14-10 lead heading into the locker room. 

Giorgi led the Lions' offense with 57 yards rushing in the game while also reeling in three catches for 11 yards out of the backfield. His touchdown was his second of the season. 

Both offenses struggled out of the gate to begin the second half. After winning the opening coin toss and deferring, the Lions started with the ball, but their first drive came to an abrupt end after Bell's first pass was intercepted by Penn's Shiloh Means. Columbia's defense would pick up its quarterback, as safety Aaron Brebnor forced a Quaker fumble on the ensuing possession, which Columbia recovered. Ultimately, neither turnover led to points for either team. 

The Lions ended the scoring drought with 13:28 left in the fourth quarter. On third down, Bell found Wills Meyer in the back of the endzone for what looked like six points, but the pass was broken up at the last second by Penn cornerback Grant Parker. Columbia would settle for a field goal, taking a 17-10 lead. 

The Quakers tied things up at 17-17 with 9:44 left in the game after a seven-play 75-yard drive resulted in the first career touchdown for Bisi Owens. 

Graham Gotlieb gave Penn a 20-17 lead, converting a 23-yard field goal with just 3:04 left to play. On the next drive, Columbia went three-and-out deep within its territory and was forced to punt it back to the Quakers. A first-down catch from Owens would seal the deal for Penn. 

The Lions are back in action next Saturday, October 21, when they face Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and NESN.

Tickets for upcoming home games are available and can be purchased by calling 888-LIONS-11, visiting GoColumbiaLions.com/tickets or contacting lionstickets@columbia.edu.

For the latest on the Columbia football team, follow @CULionsFB on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.

POSTGAME NOTES
- Columbia debuted their new white matte helmets for the first time this season and wore Columbia blue uniforms in front of the Homecoming Crowd.
- The Lions suffered their first home loss of the season.
- Columbia fell to 25-56-1 all-time in Homecoming games and dropped its second in a row.
- Penn's victory was the first at Wien Stadium since 2015.