The Yale Bulldogs host the Brown Bears on Saturday at the Bowl. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+ and NESN.
The Bears enter the contest with a 3-4 record following a shocking upset of Penn in Providence last week. Brown dominated the first half versus Penn to go up 24-7 before Penn clawed back into the contest and took a 4-point lead with 6 minutes left. Brown answered with a touchdown pass with just 1:19 remaining to secure a 34-31 win over the previously unbeaten Quakers. Junior QB Jake Willcox (6’2”, 195 lbs.) started the Penn contest for Brown but left the game with an injured finger. Senior QB Aidan Gilman (6’3”, 220 lbs.) took control of the offense and performed very well completing 22 of 38 passes for 245 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. Brown features an explosive offense with various attack strategies from traditional runs, wildcat QB runs, quick passes to the outside, passes to the running backs, and deeper slants and post routes. Senior RB Allen Smith (5’11”, 205 lbs.) leads the Bears in rushing with 222 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. Sophomore RB Jordan DeLucia (5’11”, 215 lbs.) is a tough back to bring down and leads Brown in yards per carry at 4.6. Brown likely has the third best receiving corps in the Ivy League behind Princeton and Yale. Senior WR Wes Rocket (6’0”, 185 lbs.) was a 2nd Team All-Ivy performer last season and has hauled in 31 receptions for 396 yards and 2 touchdowns. Senior WR Hayes Sutton (6’1”, 200 lbs.) led the Bears in receptions last season and remains Brown’s favorite target this season with 39 receptions for 363 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rounding out the receiving corps is junior Graham Walker (6’3”, 215 lbs.) who was named a Sophomore All-American last season by HERO Sports. The Brown offensive line averages 291 lbs. across the board and has improved tremendously from previous seasons. The Bears’ line is an experienced unit with 4 starters seeing action in 2021. Penn was able to sack Brown quarterbacks 4 times and limited the rushing attack to just 1.9 yards per carry, however, the quick passes that Brown utilizes effectively neutralized the pass rush in most cases. This will be the toughest challenge for our secondary since Week 1 at Holy Cross.
Coach Perry has upgraded the Brown defense, but the Bears have not been consistent enough to shut down offenses for two halves. Penn was limited to just 7 first half points a week ago before posting 24 points in the second half to turn the potential rout into a thriller. The strength of the Bears’ defense lies in the secondary. Senior DB Cooper DeVeau (6’0”, 190 lbs.) and sophomore DB Isaiah Reed (6’0”, 180 lbs.) lead the Ivy League in passes defended with 1.17 per game and 1.14 per game respectively. Reed also leads the team in tackles with 36 total tackles and 2 tackles for loss. Junior LB Isaiah Gamble (6’2”, 230 lbs.) leads the linebackers with 32 tackles but did not participate in the Penn contest. Senior LB Malcom Brunson (6’1”, 225 lbs.) and sophomore LB Kaleb Ross (6’0”, 225 lbs.) have played well combining for 38 total tackles. Senior OLB Junior Gafa (5’10”, 220 lbs.) was a 2nd Team All-Ivy performer in 2021 who returned from an injury last week to rack up 4 tackles and a sack versus Penn. Brown’s defensive line could be the weakest unit of the team allowing 5.3 yards per rush and only sacking opposing quarterbacks 9 times. Controlling the clock and creating holes for Peterson and Pitsenberger will be crucial to success this week.
Sophomore K Austin Alley (5’10”, 165 lbs.) saw his first collegiate action versus Penn and connected on both field goal attempts of 35 and 27 yards. Senior P Michael Walsh (6’2”, 215 lbs.) is averaging just 32.8 yards per punt on the season yet boomed one punt against Penn for 52 yards. Felton and Lindley should have opportunities for big returns as Penn returned a kickoff for a 97-yard touchdown.
Go Bulldogs! Beat the Bears!
32 replies on “Brown Preview”
It was interesting (!) that early in the 3rd quarter of Brown-Penn, Brown had a 4th and about 4 from their own 38, with a 24-7 lead. They opted to go for it, failed, and that led to a Penn TD, making it 24-14.
It would be nice to get off to a quick start tomorrow. Only against Cornell did Yale score first this season. I always worry when a team can pass the ball well like Brown did against Penn. We need a big day from the d-line and linebackers to pressure the QB and stuff the run. Make them one dimensional but have to hurry their passes.
Easy for me to say.
There you go!
Protect the ball, make The Bears Fall. Sic’em Bulldogs, make them crawl. Win this game and all shall be made clear. That the Bulldogs ,are not be taken lightly.
Go Bulldogs
There a few plays against Dartmouth where the Yale offensive line just crushed the defensive line. Despite all the passing this will be a line of scrimmage game and Yale should have an advantage there.
Exploit it.
We should have a field day running the ball, but will need to finish drives and put points on the board as the Providence eleven can put points up.
Sorry about my scatalogical joke last week. Nice Bears, NICE Bears!
A little disappointing not to get another TD with the field position, but it was important to get points.
Unbelievable
I wonder how long it has been since Yale scored 52+ points in the first half.
Even with Dowling or Rawlings I don’t remember Yale putting up 50. Even 40 is rare.
Highest scoring first half for Dowling was 35-2 versus Dartmouth in 1967, on towards a 56-15 win. I was in the Bowl that day — great fun. As I recall, the safety was when Dowling scrambled and scrambled and was finally caught.
If Yale has put up more than 50 points in a half since 1900, I’m guessing it came against Vermont in 1929, a game the Elis won 89-0.
Yale “only” scored 6 first half TDs in that game..
How about 35 pints in a quarter?
Don’t mind if I do , Cheers! Do what you did today against Princeton. Remember when Surace , ran up the score on Yale.?
Let’s get 63 by the half. I hate Princeton. Go Bulldogs!
Yale gets the ball to start the 2nd half. Let the first team have one shot at it, then get Grooms out of there
I guess Tony decided not to take any chances with Grooms
Usually I’m a step on their necks until they cry kind of guy, but you have to feel for the Brown kids.
Not a Reno fan but one thing you can say is his teams always improve as the season progresses
Is there anyway to take a knee and run out the clock. This is not fun anymore. And you can’t blame Yale. Brown isn’t even putting up token resistance
Wtf is Reno doing kicking a fg??? Talk about classless
Options at that point:
FG
Take a knee
Try to convert on 4th down-likely a run.
Which of those says “we don’t respect you as an opponent”?
Take a friggin knee. If you have any class
Yale threw one pass in the 2nd half. They ran the ball at will.
They should have been taking a knee starting the fourth quarter
I think that would be humiliating to a team and their coach.
Teevens, Surace, Murphy and Bagnoli would never have kicked a fg at that point in the game. I am happy for the boys but disappointed in Reno. Unfortunately that is his M.O.
Any precedent for taking a knee on every offensive play for a quarter or more in a game? Ivy, NCAA, midget football? Actually, it’s also insulting to the team with the lead.
Great total game by Yale, Reno , gets a lot of heat. HIS TEAM did and all around effort from each group. Do again against Princeton next Saturday.
No you don’t take a knee. He emptied the bench. It’s not Yales fault Brown , couldn’t hang with Yale. WTF!! Bill, really.
Have you been drinking again?
No , 3 Dollar Bill , are smoking crack again
Totally agree. Taking a knee would have been far more insulting. There were 7 minutes left. Reno emptied the bench and threw 1 pass entire second half. Did nothing wrong. This was on Brown, not Yale.
I hope we have the same argument after the Princeton and Harvard games