For co-captain Jimmy Develin '10, Saturday's game was a fitting end to four years in Brown Stadium. Dartmouth, trailing 14-7 in overtime, dropped back on fourth-and-one. Develin, a defensive end, rushed into the backfield — unblocked — and sacked the quarterback. The entire Brown team rushed onto the field in celebration.
"I couldn't imagine it any better," Develin said. "I mean, Senior Day, last game, just going out like that, making a play, it's just — it's everything I dreamed for at Brown."
Develin wasn't the only senior who went out on a high note.
On Buddy Farnham's '10 last play on home turf, the standout wide receiver scored the winning touchdown. With the Bears' offense facing a third-and-three in overtime, quarterback Kyle Newahall-Caballero '11 dropped back in the pocket. Farnham ran a flag route, and Dartmouth's safety stayed to the inside, allowing him to break to the sideline a step ahead of the defensive back.
Newhall-Caballero hit Farnham for the touchdown, giving the Bears a 14-7 lead in overtime.
"The game came down to a Buddy Farnham touchdown in overtime and a Jimmy Develin stop on fourth down," said Brown Head Coach Phil Estes. "What a way to end your careers at home. Pretty damn good for two — not just great seniors — but two of probably the best that I've ever coached."
On a sloppy day with rainy skies, the Bears' defense kept the Big Green offense stuck in the mud for most of the game. Other than a lone screen pass that went 77 yards for a touchdown, Dartmouth gained only 144 yards and no additional points on the day.
Brown's defense was anchored by its four senior linemen. Defensive end Brian Neff '10 led the Bears with six tackles, including three tackles-for-loss.
The Big Green managed only 60 rushing yards on 32 carries. Dartmouth quarterback Greg Patton, who had 243 rushing yards last week in his first varsity game, was held to just 35 yards on 19 carries.
The Big Green's offense spent most of the day in a wildcat formation, with Patton under center. Last week against Cornell, Dartmouth ran out of a two-quarterback system, with Patton rushing and Conner Kempe passing.
Dartmouth Head Coach Buddy Teevens said he didn't plan to use Patton as much as he did on Saturday, but given the low-scoring game and the wet field conditions, he decided to keep the rushing quarterback in the game. In addition to his rushing, Patton was 7-of-10 passing for 145 yards and one touchdown.
Kempe had only one pass in the first half, but got more snaps in the third quarter. Patton took a hard hit and needed some time to recover, prompting Teevens to put in Kempe, the coach said.
Brown's quarterback Newhall-Caballero was off target early in the game, completing just one pass in seven attempts for a seven yard gain in the first quarter.
The Bears kept a balanced attack throughout the game, and — after a scoreless first half — the offense found more of a rhythm in the second.
Running back Spiro Theodhosi '12 scored the Bears' lone touchdown in regulation with 5:05 left in the third quarter, capping a 17-play drive of short runs and passes.
"Kyle played better in the second half," Estes said. "It was a little bit dryer in the second half. The rain wasn't coming down nearly as hard, and we tried to make sure that we had dry balls in there. So I thought he threw a better ball in the second half."
The Bears had a chance to win it in regulation, but Drew Plichta's '10 field goal attempt from 33 yards was blocked with just five seconds remaining, and the game went into overtime.
Dartmouth won the coin toss and elected to play defense first.
It took just three plays for Brown to score in overtime. Newhall-Caballero first hit Bobby Sewall '10 — who finished with four catches for 37 yards — and then found Farnham in the end zone.
Estes said he wasn't going to leave the game up to one of his kickers. Plichta is 0-6 on field goals in his career. And Brown's other kicker, Patrick Rooney '11, is a converted wide receiver that kicked in high school.
"We knew we had to get it in the end zone and score seven because we couldn't let it come down to a field goal," Estes said.
The Bears got seven, and the Big Green couldn't match it. After Kempe completed a nine-yard pass, Patton went under center for Dartmouth on a fourth-and-one. Patton dropped back and Develin dropped him, ending the game.
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