Brown Notes

The Bulldogs fell to 4-4 (2-3 Ivy) after a backbreaking loss to the Brown Bears at home in a 24-20 contest.

Yale mathematically still holds a chance to share the Ivy crown, although it would require an improbable run for Penn to sweep Harvard and Princeton in the next two weeks as well as losses by Brown and Dartmouth along the way. At this point, we’d welcome a 5- or 6-way split, though playoff chances at that point remain grim.

The offensive line’s struggles were very surprising as the Elis surrendered 6 sacks and seemed flustered by any blitz or stunt. HDK ran hard, and run blocking was still decent as he racked up 124 yards for 4.4 yards per carry, but the holding penalty that brought back a rushing touchdown proved to be one of the critical failures in the contest. Reno completed 25 of 39 attempts for 184 yards and a touchdown, although the lack of Anderson limited options. The Bulldogs controlled the clock for over 35 minutes, yet have not learned the painful reality that a team must score points while burning the time. Playcalling was unimaginative, leading to far too many difficult third-down scenarios, in which the Bulldogs converted on just 12 of 23 attempts. There has been limited offensive cohesion all season, as we began as a passing juggernaut, developed a solid rushing attack as the passing game efficiency disappeared, and at this point, we are an above-average rushing team and a below-average passing team that cannot find the end zone. A single touchdown score on 87 offensive plays will not win many football games. Santiago led in receiving with 8 catches for 64 yards and a score, although Reno nearly threw an interception in the second quarter on a short outside pass when Santiago was wide open deep. Wagner, Jones, Kemp, Collyer, Smith, and Tattersall all hauled in passes when targeted. An offensive pass interference call on Jones wiped away another Yale touchdown as Yale traded two touchdowns for two field goals. With the season on the line on a fourth-and-two play, the powers that be decided that a read-option was fitting for the moment and Brown easily snuffed out the play.

The Bulldogs came out ready to play on defense with a dominant first series, but by the conclusion of Brown’s second series, which resulted in a touchdown, it was clear that Brown had identified key vulnerabilities. Cornerback play across the board was an embarrassment in this contest. On the second Brown drive, Barkley-Smith gave up a first-down reception and then was mixed up in coverage with Daniyan, which led to a score. White missed a tackle after a reception, and Eastep couldn’t wrap up the receiver either as Brown went the distance on a catch and run. Webster had a complete meltdown on a series, racking up penalties that allowed Brown to march down the field, and then surrendered a touchdown pass. The running game was largely kept in check with just 53 yards on 27 attempts, but it was the penalties and big plays that doomed Yale. Brown averaged 9.8 yards per passing attempt and 12.4 yards per completion on their way to 3 passing touchdowns. Daniyan and Grant tied with 8 tackles apiece, though Grant missed 2-3 tackles. Eastep had one of the top defensive plays of the season with his pick-six to put the Bulldogs up 14-7, though on the next series, the previously mentioned missed tackles by White and Eastep allowed Brown to even the score immediately. Tate racked up 4 tackles from his defensive tackle spot, while Jackson-Bass and Coleman both notched a sack. Freshman Atticus Snow saw playing time at defensive end with one tackle. Kamara blew up a screen and made a few other solid plays but has not had the game-changing impact of prior seasons. The Bulldogs could have potentially had as much as 30 seconds left if they could have slowed down Brown’s final drive, but Childs easily burst through for a first down to burn the clock out.

The performance of the special teams units was a highlight as Daniyan blocked a punt, Piper nailed two field goals from 41 and 44 yards, and Keeney averaged 42.5 yards per punt. Generating a blocked punt and a pick-six while holding an opponent to 2 of 10 on third-down attempts should never result in a loss. This coaching staff has mastered the formula for losing in an improbable fashion.