Brown Preview

The Yale Bulldogs travel to Providence to take on the Brown Bears on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will air on both ESPN+ and NESN.

Brown enters the contest at 3-4 (0-4 Ivy) with wins over Georgetown, Rhode Island and Bryant. Rhode Island was ranked #8 in the FCS prior to the Brown matchup and the Bears emerged with a 28-21 victory. Interestingly enough, all three of Brown’s wins have occurred in the state of Rhode Island.

Brown’s offense is led by junior QB James Murphy (6’5”, 230 lbs.) who has completed 66.0% of his passes this season for 1,870 yards, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Murphy has prototypical size for the position and is a classic pocket passer with a strong arm. Sophomore RB Matt Childs (6’0”, 200 lbs.) was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and possesses a combination of speed, power and balance. Childs averages 3.8 yards per carry and has scored 6 rushing touchdowns on the season. Brown will often target Childs in the passing game as Childs has an impressive 25 receptions on the year. Senior RB Qwentin Brown (6’0”, 220 lbs.) is utilized as a power rusher and has racked up 5 rushing touchdowns on the season. The Bears’  high-flying offense has traditionally been built around a solid core of receivers and this year is no exception. Senior WR Ty Pezza (6’4”, 225 lbs.) has the length and quickness to be a matchup problem for most defensive backs. Pezza has hauled in 32 receptions for 436 yards and 5 touchdowns on the season. Senior WR Solomon Miller (5’11”, 185 lbs.) is a very fast wideout who has been a key contributor since his freshman season. Junior TE Levi Linowes (6’3”, 240 lbs.) is a rising pass catching threat who is averaging 15.0 yards per reception. Brown’s offensive line averages 285.0 lbs. across the board and is led by sophomore OL Beau Smith (6’5”, 285 lbs.) who was named a Freshman All-American by FCS Football Central in 2024. The Bears have been average in run blocking as they’ve paved the way for 3.0 yards per carry but have struggled to consistently pass block with 17 sacks surrendered on the season. Brown has a varied offensive assault that will stress Yale’s defense in both run support and pass support. The Bears have been very aggressive on the first few offensive drives in each contest as they seek to generate big plays and hurry to the line of scrimmage with a no-huddle strategy. In the ground game, Yale must control the line of scrimmage and wrap up Childs as he can routinely run through arm tackles. In the passing game, getting pressure on Murphy and keeping Pezza and Miller in front of our defensive backs will be crucial. Brown’s offensive staff is likely salivating at the thought of getting Childs loose on screen passes given Yale’s inability to stop a screen to date.

Senior LB John Perdue (6’0”, 230 lbs.) is the leader of Brown’s defense and has played well with 58 tackles, a sack and 2 interceptions. Perdue’s fellow senior LB Sam Smith (6’0”, 230 lbs.) is an Avon, CT product who has been a contributor since his freshman season. Junior DB Miles Brophy (6’1”, 205 lbs.) leads the defensive backfield in tackles with 50 on the season. Senior DB Nevaeh Gattis (6’1”, 210 lbs.) is a returning starter from 2024 who is tied for the team lead in interceptions with 2. Junior DL Ike Odimegwu (6’3”, 235 lbs.) has become a dangerous pass rusher in the Ivy League with 7 sacks on the season. Senior DL John Starman (6’3”, 285 lbs.) is a physical defensive tackle with the quickness to chase down quarterbacks. Sophomore DE Jack Middleton (6’3”, 245 lbs.) is a transfer from Washington University St. Louis where he was a 1^st Team All-CCIW selection as a freshman. Opponents have averaged 404.6 yards of total offense per game on the Bears with 4.2 yards per carry and 7.1 yards per passing attempt. Yale’s offense matches up well against Brown’s defense, but the Bulldogs will need to score early and often to keep pace against a high-octane offense. Pass protection will be crucial as Brown will likely seek to shut down Pitsenberger and force Reno to make plays with his arm. With opponents now keying on Santiago and Nico Brown in the passing game, there could be opportunities to get our tight ends more involved to keep the Bears off balance.

Freshman K Drew Crabtree (6’0”, 185 lbs.) is 2 of 5 on field goal attempts with a long of 38 yards on the season. Sophomore P Malcolm Flynn (6’0”, 190 lbs.) is averaging a respectable 39.3 yards per punt with a long punt of 54 yards.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Bears!