For the Brown football team (5-3, 3-2 Ivy), the Yale Bowl has been a house of horrors for the last 15 years. Heading into this past Saturday’s matchup in New Haven, Bruno had not defeated Yale (4-4, 2-3 Ivy) on the road since 2011. In that span, Brown had been outscored 270-105 at the Bowl. The last time the Bears beat Yale at all was in 2016, before Head Coach James Perry ’00 took the reins. But on Saturday, Brown reset the record with a 24-20 win that propelled them up the Ivy League rankings.
With under five minutes remaining, Bruno had a slim 4-point lead. If they successfully nursed their advantage, Brown would take down the reigning Ivy League co-champions. All the Bears had to do was keep Yale out of the end zone.
“We knew they were a really good team, defending champs, and it was going to take all 60,” said Perry in a post-game interview with The Herald.
At the game’s close, the Bulldogs — who entered the matchup ranked first in the Ivy League in total offense — used solid rushes and large passing gains to work their way into Brown territory. But the Bears’ experienced defense maintained their composure.
“When we were out there, I mean, none of us were nervous. We all felt good,” defensive lineman Ike Odimegwu ’27 said after the game. “We saw it as an opportunity just for us to better showcase our abilities.”
Yale quickly found themselves facing fourth and two with the game on the line. Quarterback Dante Reno faked the handoff and darted right — only to be dragged down from behind by Bruno defensive end Jack Middleton ’28.
“Holy mackerel!” Perry said about the play. Yale’s Reno is “a great player, and we knew it, and he’s playing well out there, so luckily we were able to get some pressure on him…that’s a hell of a task.”
Over the course of the afternoon, Brown leaned heavily on the passing game. While Yale led Brown 135 to 53 in total rushing yards, Bruno totaled 273 passing yards to the Bulldogs’ 186. Quarterback James Murphy ’27 tallied three passing touchdowns and completed nearly 80% of his passes.
On defense, linebackers Stefano Montella ’27 and Max Malo ’27 combined for 33 total tackles, and Bruno recorded a season-high six combined sacks.
Though Brown started hot in last week’s victory over Penn, this week, it was the Bears’ opponent who captured the early lead with a 15-play touchdown drive. To make matters worse, Brown went three-and-out on their first possession.
On Brown’s following drive, Murphy completed all five of his passes, including a 16-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Najih Rahman ’27. The score marked the first receiving touchdown of Rahman’s career, and it knotted the game at 7-7.
“All week, coaches just told me, ‘trust your playmakers, throw completions (and) for the rest to take care of itself,’” Murphy said.
Yale punted on their next possession, and six plays later, Brown also sent out the special teams unit to punt the ball back to their opponent.
But the Bulldogs blocked the attempt by punter Malcom Flynn ’28, giving Yale advantageous field position in Brown territory.
Thanks to a sack by linebacker Tommy Dunn ’27 and a pass breakup by defensive back Cap Davis ’27, Yale squandered their opportunity for points and were forced to punt yet again.
Early in Brown’s subsequent possession, Yale intercepted a shot downfield from Murphy and ran the ball all the way back for a pick six. Halfway through the second quarter, the home team led 14-7.
It only took two plays for the Bears to come up with a response. On second down deep in their own territory, Murphy connected underneath with receiver Trevor Foley ’28, who shook his defender, broke a second tackle and outran a third on his way to the end zone. The electric 73-yard touchdown silenced the home crowd, and an extra point by kicker Drew Crabtree ’29 tied the game at 14-14.
After Brown’s defense forced a fourth Yale punt, Foley made his presence felt again. The wideout hauled in a contested catch with one hand along the sideline.
Murphy “puts it where only I can get it,” Foley told The Herald in a post-game interview. “You know, I just have to go out and make a play if he gives me the chance to do it.”
The 41-yard connection set Brown up in Yale territory. Shortly thereafter, Crabtree sent a 35-yard field goal through the uprights to give Bruno its first lead of the day at 17-14.
Back on offense, Yale moved quickly downfield, collecting four first downs on their way to the Brown 29-yard line. Though the Bulldogs looked destined to score before the half, their drive was sunk by Odimegwu, who sacked Reno twice, preserving the Bears’ 17-14 lead at halftime.
“As soon as I was able to get that first sack, I knew that it was going to be a long day for those offensive linemen,” Odimegwu said.
The third quarter belonged to the Bulldogs. Brown opened the second half with a three-and-out, and Yale promptly marched the ball to within two yards of the end zone. But back-to-back offensive holding penalties forced Yale to settle for a field goal attempt. The kick soared true, tying the game.
On the Brown offense’s next possession, they lost eight yards over three plays. Murphy and company finished the third quarter deflated, while Yale made their way into the red zone, and once again, the Bulldogs kicked a field goal to lead by 3.
But Brown’s offense was not entirely out of steam. In the fourth quarter, after a crucial first-down reception on third-and-13 by wide receiver Pearson Hill ’28, Brown had the ball in the red zone. On the next play, Murphy floated the ball to Hill once more. Draped in coverage and falling out of bounds, the junior receiver hauled in the pass for the touchdown.
“Yeah, man, we needed that catch,” Perry said. “James (Murphy) played well all day. Played really well in the fourth, and it’s hard sledding against Yale.”
Following the touchdown, which gave Brown a 24-20 lead, each team punted twice.
While Bruno’s offense struggled to move the ball, the Bears’ defense came away with stops when it mattered most. On their first two drives of the fourth quarter, Yale’s offense gained only five yards. This stronghold Bruno defense effectively ended the game.
Three Brown defenders earned their career highs in tackles on Saturday — Montella racked up 18 tackles, Odimegwu contributed 7 and defensive back Landon Heard ’27 collected 13.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Murphy about beating Yale. “It’s a really good feeling.”
The Bears will ride their three-game winning streak back to Brown Stadium, where they have not lost a game all season. Bruno will host Columbia at noon this coming Saturday.
“We’re a little pissed off because we didn’t start the season the way we wanted to,” Murphy said. “We want to finish (strong), and that’s something that hasn’t been common amongst teams that I’ve been on here.”
Following the win, Brown ranks third in the Ivy League standings. With two games remaining, the Bears must win both to have a fighting chance at the conference title.
“At home, there’ll be no motivation necessary,” said Perry. “Our kids love playing at home.”
