College football action in the Ivy League is set for its second week of competition with some rivalries ready to begin anew.
The Harvard Crimson kept their phenomenal play from 2014 going with a convincing win this past Saturday. Meanwhile, the Brown Bears failed to pounce on the Bryant Bulldogs. Can the Bears get themselves back in the hunt for their first ‘W’ of the season, or will the Crimson continue to annihilate their competition?
Read on as we get into further detail on this upcoming bout. Afterwards, check out our other preview for another Ivy League matchup this coming Saturday in Cornell vs. Yale.
A late, valiant comeback did not materialize for the Brown Bears, who failed to dig out of a 20-16 hole late in the fourth quarter against the Bryant Bulldogs this past Saturday.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]An interception thrown by Brown quarterback Marcus Fuller with 1:09 left in the fourth quarter sealed the win for the Bulldogs. Fuller caved in when his team needed it the most, having thrown two completions before the crucial pick just when the Bears were on their own 2-yard line.
At least the senior QB still had a pretty solid day overall by going 32-of-52 for 403 yards in the air and a touchdown, albeit with two picks as well. His favorite target in the game, Troy Doles, got it going too. Doles finished with six receptions for 147 yards and hauled in Fuller’s lone TD pass.
However, Brown has got to take care of the ball much better this coming Saturday, especially since it’ll be squaring off with Harvard’s stifling defense. In the game against Bryant, five turnovers proved to be one too many for the team to overcome. To boot, four of those gimmes to Bryant were surrendered in the Bears’ own red zone – none more crucial that the late pick on Fuller to prevent the go-ahead score.
Also, the Bears’ ground game has got to take off for Brown sooner than later. The team mustered up just 83 yards on 30 carries versus the Bulldogs this past weekend, giving Fuller no room to breathe and properly execute a solid passing game.
Betting on the Harvard Crimson
There’s still no stopping the defending Ivy League champs, as the Harvard Crimson dismantled the Rhode Island Rams this past week, 41-10, for the team’s 15th-consecutive victory dating back to 2013.
After throwing for a total of seven interceptions to just eight touchdowns last season, quarterback Scott Hosch broke out in his first game of 2015, racking up career-highs of 336 yards and three TDs on 18-of-27 passing against the Rams last Saturday. He dished out his scores to three different receivers in that game, which means that Harvard’s aerial attack could very well be a major threat for the rest of the teams in the Ivy this season.
And what better time for the Crimson’s passing game to get it going. Prolific senior back Paul Stanton Jr. only got to rush for 72 yards on 19 carries (for a mere 3.8 yards per carry clip) against Rhode Island’s frontline. Although, Stanton did manage to find the end zone in that game, and he could very well get his season back on track against Brown, who he torched for 120 yards and a TD in last year’s encounter. That previous meeting with the Bears also happened to be Harvard’s second game of last season, same as in this campaign.
As for the Crimson’s defense? How does giving up less than half of the completions for just 175 passing yards to Rhode Island sound? Yep, Harvard’s D seems to still be in order, one that allowed an FCS-best 12.3 points per game all of 2014. Looks like Brown’s Fuller will be in for a long afternoon this coming Saturday.
Writer’s Prediction
Harvard takes care of business with a routine 34-13 win.
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