After leading for nearly the entire game, the football team was unable to stop the potent University of Pennsylvania offense, falling 20-16 to the Quakers in the waning moments of the game.
The loss drops the Bears to a tie for sixth place in the Ivy League with a 1-3 conference mark, but the Bears maintain an overall winning record at 4-3.
"I guess it comes down to making plays when you have the opportunity to make them," said Head Coach Phil Estes. "We played hard and we played every down, but we did not have enough time to finish it out."
To make things worse, starting quarterback Anthony Vita '07 severely sprained his wrist on his throwing arm after contact with a helmet; his status for Saturday's game against Yale University is uncertain.
With the Bears holding on to a slim 16-13 lead late in the third quarter, Bruno had the ball with second and goal to go from the Penn 2-yard line. As Bruno was poised to punch the ball in for six points, Penn's 18-game Ivy League winning streak was looking almost as bleak as the Philadelphia skyline, which lay shrouded in a thick fog above Franklin Field.
Estes called a handoff to Nick Hartigan '06, who broke out after two sub-100 yard games, running 39 times for 176 yards on the day. Having already scored 10 touchdowns on the season, it seemed doubtful that Hartigan would be denied.
The Quakers got the play they desperately needed as the ball was jarred out of Hartigan's grasp. Penn defensive lineman Bobby Fallon recovered the fumble at the Penn 1-yard line.
"I thought I was down," a quiet and reserved Hartigan said after the game. "But you never are supposed to let the ref make a call."
Estes was quick to point out that Hartigan was not the only one at fault.
"These things happen," Estes said of the fumble. "(A score for us) could have changed the complexion of the game ... but this is a team effort - no individual lost this game."
The Brown defense continued to play as aggressively and physically as they had all game, with Zak DeOssie '07 and Dan Doublin '05 both sacking Penn quarterback Pat McDermott on the ensuing Penn drive. Doublin, who also had an interception, had a particularly nice hit on the quarterback as he blitzed around the end, leapt at McDermott and leveled a rough blow. DeOssie, meanwhile, was an intimidating presence on the field, recording 12 tackles and helping to limit the Quakers to a mere 75 yards on the ground.
But the game slowly slipped out of Bruno's grasp as kicker Steve Morgan '08 missed his first kick in four games, a 46-yard attempt with 8:45 left in the fourth. Morgan had nailed his previous three kicks from 40, 31 and 35 yards.
Vita completed 11 of 25 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown and was replaced by Joe DiGiacomo '07, who was unable to lead Bruno into the end zone despite completing five of eight attempts for 38 yards.
With the Brown defense still holding strong and Penn starting with the ball on their 12 with three minutes left, a sense of anxiety could be felt throughout the cavernous stadium.
Unfortunately for Bruno, the Penn players responded and McDermott awoke from a game-long slump and completed six passes for 10 or more yards, moving the ball to the Brown one. Running back Sam Matthews punched it in on first and goal to give Penn their biggest lead of the game, 20-16.
With 40 seconds left on the clock, DiGiacomo led the Bears to the Penn 31; but with only nine seconds remaining, Brown was left with no options other than a Hail Mary pass; Penn intercepted it in the end zone.
Both coaches said that while Penn might have the better record, the better team did not come out on top.
"I give Brown a lot of credit," said Penn Head Coach Al Bagnoli. "We were very fortunate to get out of here with a win."
"I though we should have walked away with the win," Estes said.
This was a game that the Bears seemingly had in control from their very first drive, in which they scored on a 30-yard diving catch by Jarret Schreck '06.
"I like how we established the run and then threw over the top," Estes said. "It helped to loosen them up so we could move the ball."
Brown's defense proved that it had McDermott's number for most of the day, as Pat Curran '06 recovered a fumbled snap in the first half and James Gasparella '06 nabbed one of McDermott's first passes in the second - his first of two picks. Both turnovers led to eventual field goals by Morgan.
It also helped Bruno that Penn's kicking game was poor, as Penn missed an extra point and a 36-yard attempt from backup kicker Peter Stine.
With the Yale Bulldogs coming into Providence this Saturday, Bruno must win the rest of their games in order to equal last year's Ivy record.
"Every time you lose one you put yourself in a hole," Estes said. "For us to have a winning season, we must beat Yale."
