Penn’s quarterback plan for Columbia is unsettled going into Friday night. Miles Teodecki was injured in last week’s win over Howard, and the Quakers have not ruled him out for the game scheduled for Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
That matters because Penn is 2-2 overall and still searching for rhythm after opening Ivy League play at 0-1. Teodecki has been central to the offense when healthy, throwing for 607 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 212 rushing yards and one score on 35 carries.
The practical answer in practice has been to split reps between Teodecki and Karson Siquerios-Lasky, which gives Penn a fallback if its starter cannot go. Siquerios-Lasky showed what that option looks like against Hampton, completing 19 of 29 passes for 226 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Penn does not need a perfect quarterback to compete, but it does need clarity, because the offense has not settled into one shape this season.
Columbia brings a different kind of problem. The Lions are 3-1 and have leaned on Chase Goodwin’s passing game, with Goodwin completing 105 of 172 throws for 1,252 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Columbia also has enough balance to punish hesitation, with Griffin Johnson carrying 82 times for 406 yards and two touchdowns and Bryce Coleman, Hutch Crow and Robinson Beckett all producing in the passing game.
The contrast is not subtle. Penn is trying to learn who will take the snaps while Columbia already knows where its production comes from. The Lions’ defense has been sturdier against the pass than the run, but it has still allowed 173 rushing yards per game and opponents have completed 53.8 percent of their passes for an average of 179 yards. If Teodecki cannot answer the week in time, Penn’s first task will be to protect whoever starts and keep the game from turning into a test of which offense is more settled.
The unresolved part is simple: Penn can keep splitting the work in practice, but it has to settle on a quarterback before kickoff or risk asking an uncertain offense to match a Columbia team that already knows its identity.
