Meanwhile, the Quakers have not gone wanting at wideout. Penn’s Dan Castles—a member of the same recruiting class as Edwards—has 780 yards and seven touchdowns this season, averaging nearly 100 yards per game.
But the most important comparison comes in a different category. Since 2001, the Quakers have two Ivy titles. The Crimson has one.
That last statistic is one that Edwards would like to even out before his time at Harvard is over. Regardless of any past connections he may have to Penn, when it comes to Ivy football the fact is that the road to the league championship goes through Franklin Field.
“I’ve had a hard time focusing on Dartmouth and Columbia the past two weeks because I’ve been looking forward to Penn,” Edwards admits. “We’ve been waiting for this opportunity to beat them again.”
On Saturday, the bright lights of Philly that once tempted him should hardly be a distraction. There’s a title on the line.
“Playing Penn, you don’t need much more to get fired up,” Edwards says.
—Staff writer Lisa J. Kennelly can be reached at kennell@fas.harvard.edu.