The Bulldogs hit the road for just the second time this season as they travel to Providence to face the 4-3 (2-2 Ivy) Brown Bears. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on ESPN+.
Brown has improved tremendously from a year ago and has league wins over Princeton and Penn. The Bears lost a narrow contest to Harvard in Week 2 and had a disappointing showing in Ithaca falling to the Big Red by 22 points in Week 5. Aside from the Cornell contest, all of Brown’s games have been extremely tight battles that came down to the wire.
Brown has a potent offense led by senior QB Jake Willcox (6’2”, 195 lbs.) who has completed 64.3% of his passes for 2,216 yards, 16 TDs, and only 7 interceptions. Willcox is coming off a strong showing versus the Quakers as he posted 249 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, 0 interceptions, and 40 rushing yards in the win. Junior RB Stockton Owen (6’1”, 210 lbs.) leads the Bears in rushing touchdowns with 6 and is a physical runner averaging 3.0 yards per carry. Senior RB Ian Franzoni (5’11”, 210 lbs.) and junior RB Jordan DeLucia (5’11”, 215 lbs.) are also utilized heavily averaging 3.8 and 4.0 yards per carry respectively. Brown possesses the deepest wide receiver unit that we have faced this season. Senior WR Wes Rockett (6’0”, 185 lbs.) was a 2nd Team All-Ivy wideout a year ago and seems to be a shoo-in for a 1st Team slot this year with 47 catches for 633 yards and 3 touchdowns. Senior WR Graham Walker (6’3”, 215 lbs.) is a large target with soft hands who had dominating performances versus Harvard and Princeton combining for 15 total receptions and 1 touchdown in those contests. Senior Mark Mahoney (6’5”, 240 lbs.) is listed as a wide receiver but has the size and power of any tight end in the Ivy League. The improved play of Brown’s offensive line has been one of the key factors in the turnaround for the Bears. The line averages 292.0 lbs. across the board and has paved the way for 3.2 yards per carry while allowing only 7 sacks on the season. Creating pressure on Willcox and finding a way to cover the out routes that Brown favors in the passing game will be paramount this week.
While Brown’s defensive performance has not matched its offensive performance, the defense of the Bears has made big plays at key moments to stay alive in contests. Opponents have averaged 405.9 yards of total offense per game with 5.2 yards per carry and 6.8 yards per passing attempt. The Bears have excelled in creating turnovers with 9 interceptions and 3 fumbles recovered. The Bears’ secondary could be one of the most talented in the Ivy League. Junior DB Isaiah Reed (6’0”, 180 lbs.) leads the Bears in tackles with 39 and is tied for the team lead in interceptions with 3. Senior DB Aubrey Parker (5’10”, 185 lbs.) has notched 37 tackles, 3 interceptions and 7 pass breakups. Senior CB Cooper DeVeau (6’0”, 190 lbs.) has been a mainstay on the defense for years and leads the Bears with a whopping 8 pass breakups. The defensive front has struggled at times to control the line of scrimmage but was able to create some pressure on Penn’s QB Sayin last week with 2 sacks. Senior DL Terrence Lane II (6’3”, 240 lbs.) has been the top performer along the defensive line for the Bears with 18 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The linebacker corps for Brown is an average unit among the league led by senior ILB Ethan Royer (6’2”, 240 lbs.) who has 36 tackles and 2.5 tackles on the season along with an interception versus Harvard. The key to this contest will be controlling the clock and converting on 3rd downs to keep the Brown offense on the sidelines for as long as possible. The Bulldogs matchup well with the Bears in the running game and Grooms should have opportunities to exploit in the passing game with the right strategy of attack.
Junior K Christopher Maron (5’10”, 175 lbs.) has made 7 of 9 field goals with a long of 47 yards. Senior P Austin Alley (5’10”, 165 lbs.) is averaging 39.4 yards per punt and has placed 8 punts inside the red zone. Wes Rockett is a dangerous punt returner averaging 11.2 yards per return.
Go Bulldogs! Beat the Bears!
24 replies on “Brown Preview”
The game is also on NESN at noon
Dartmouth beats Princeton 23-21. Princeton had four turnovers and had a FG attempt blocked in the fourth quarter which led to Dartmouth’s winning FG.
Harvard now the only team with one loss.
I already have a bad feeling. Lucky break, then nothing on offense.
Someday we will have a pass defense.
One offense on the field today is dynamic. The other is a cure for insomnia.
Tipton is moving into the Klubnik, Shohfi, stratosphere. Yale will have to win a shootout. It’s all on the offense today.
Cannot be settling for field goals against a very good offensive team.
Yale will regret the missed opportunities
Yale needs to come out for the second half like the season is on the line. Because it is.
Yale gets the ball to start the second half and really needs to score a TD. So far in Ivy games they have been shutout in the 3rd quarter.
This team sucks. 22-17 when it should be 38-10.
Whatever. A win is a win. Especially that this team , is playing with a lot of underclassmen. Get a grip
Nolan needs to stop telegraphing his passes, stop throwing into double an triple coverage.
Three interceptions have kept Brown in the game with a great chance to win.
The defense has stepped up. Now we need the offense to do the same.
Defense is stifling today, well done
Cannot give up an easy TD. Make them earn it.
Best defensive performance since last years Harvard game.
Brown came out blazing on offense, but the Yale defense adjusted and controlled the game. Against a dynamic QB and some playmaking WR’s, that was great to see. Still in control of their destiny.
The defense pitched a shutout for the last 3 quarters.
It was nice to see Yale on that last drive control the ball for 7 minutes to put the game away. All on the ground.
Good win today
The defense played great!
Two more to go!
Very happy with the effort and result. Good job. Let’s get ready for Princeton. Beat them like a Red headed step child.
congratulations to the bulldogs today , they earned it. great defensive showing