Brown 28 - Harvard 8

Brown finished a brutal bout with a much deserved win over Harvard on a cloudy Providence fall day, ending with a strong 28-8 score. Both teams were 1-1 before the match, each with a win over UPenn and a loss to Dartmouth. The matched lived up to its expectation as a highly contested and potentially crucial game for Brown.

Bruno started the match strong and never turned back, scoring within the first minute and holding the lead from there onward. A Harvard penalty immediately after kickoff allowed Brown to set up a beautiful lineout, which would promptly be mauled into the try zone for a John Landers try. Harvard thereafter attempted to disengage mauls, with limited success.

The other try of the first half came off of a sweeping run by wing Nick Hoynes, who ran across from his side of the field to recover the ball off a botched backs play and dive in for the try. The half was played predominantly on Harvard’s side of the field, in large part thanks to an abundance of colossal kicks from Hoynes and fullback Michael Ball. Both Alex Ogilvy and Harvard put 3 on the board with kicks after penalties, of which there were seemingly endless amounts.

Halftime: Brown 13 - Harvard 3

Ogilvy slotted another kick for 3 early in the second half, but the play of the game came when Michael Ball, on a break down the sidelines, chipped an incredible kick directly to Trevor Anesi, who scored beneath the uprights to the cheers of an ecstatic fan club. Not to be outdone, John Landers would later snatch up the ball following another Anesi break to score again for Brown.

While the conduct was certainly less than ideal, with Brown collecting three yellow cards to Harvard’s one and the penalties coming in droves for both teams, the structure of the team and talent of individual players were both absolutely apparent. Offensive set pieces were consistently successful, and both the tackling and ruck management were some of the best Bruno has showcased all season.

Brown is now tied for second in the Ivy League with the 2-0 Princeton, both trailing behind the undefeated Dartmouth. Brown will travel to Columbia for a late-night city game next weekend.

Final: Brown 28 - Harvard 8

Brown Scoring

1 min:    Brown Try (John Landers) - 5                                                                  
27 min:  Brown Try (Nick Hoynes) - 5
42 min:  Brown Penalty Kick (Alex Ogilvy) - 3
52 min:  Brown Penalty Kick (Alex Ogilvy) - 3   
60 min:  Brown Try (Trevor Anesi) - 5
              Conversion (Alex Ogilvy) - 2         
71 min:  Brown Try (John Landers) - 5

Harvard Scoring

40 min:  Harvard Penalty Kick - 3                                         
76 min:  Harvard Try -  5

Pregame

The table is stocked after 2 matches with both Brown and Harvard at 1-1. Besides Dartmouth there's a logjam in the Ivies. Both the Pilgrams and the Bears fell to the Big Green in weeks one and two respectfully. Both will be looking for a win.