abcnews
In the Ivy League opener on Friday night in Providence, Rhode Island, Harvard secured a 14-10 win over Brown, thanks to two first-half touchdown passes from quarterback Charlie Smith.
Smith, who completed 30 of 37 passes for 205 yards and one interception, guided the Crimson (2-0), ranked 21st in the Stats Perform FCS poll, to an early lead. He connected with Ryan Tattersall on a 5-yard scoring strike to cap a 48-yard drive, putting Harvard up 7-0 after the first quarter.
The Crimson's first possession ended with a Cole Allen fumble recovered by Brown at its own 15-yard line, but Xaden Benson intercepted James Murphy to set up the short touchdown drive.
Smith then orchestrated a 15-play, 86-yard march that ended with a 4-yard touchdown toss to Teigan Pelletier, extending Harvard's advantage to 14-0 at halftime. In the first half alone, Smith completed 21 of 24 passes for 154 yards.
However, Max Malo picked off Smith's third pass of the third quarter, and Brown converted it into a 48-yard field goal by Drew Crabtree to get on the board. Later, Jackson Bennett's 29-yard touchdown run capped a 76-yard drive, cutting the deficit to 14-10 with 8:16 remaining.
Benson came up with another interception of Murphy two plays after the two-minute warning, and Harvard took over at Brown's 39-yard line before running out the clock.
Murphy finished 18 of 24 for 121 yards with three interceptions for the Bears (1-1).
Harvard has now won 10 of the last 11 meetings against Brown and holds a 92-31-2 record in a series that dates back to 1893.
Key Analysis
Harvard's defense forced four turnovers, including two interceptions by Benson, which proved crucial in the narrow victory. Smith's efficient passing in the first half built a lead that the Crimson held onto despite a late Brown surge.
Next up, Harvard will host Colgate on October 3, while Brown will travel to Rhode Island on the same day.
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Originally reported by abcnews.