Penn tops Brown in OT to stay in a tie for Ivy lead

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - For the 1,300th game in the Penn football program's history, coach Al Bagnoli gave a nod to the team's past.

The Quakers' 14-7 overtime win at Brown yesterday featured an offense that recalled Bagnoli's pass-heavy attack from earlier this decade, and a defense that made the final score look like something from many decades earlier.

That combination produced a result of some consequence for the present. It was the Quakers' first win over the Bears since 2004 and their first overtime win since that same season. It also kept Penn tied with Harvard atop the Ivy League standings.

"Every senior on the team was echoing the same thing - enough is enough," cornerback Chris Wynn said of finally winning in overtime.

The Quakers (5-2 overall, 4-0 Ivy League) got on the scoreboard first late in the first quarter when fullback Luke DeLuca recovered a fumble by running back Lyle Marsh in the end zone.

The Bears (4-3, 2-2) tied it early in the second half when AJ Cruz intercepted a Kyle Olson pass and took it back 42 yards for a touchdown. It was the first of four picks thrown by Olson in the half, but he completed 27 of 47 attempts in the game for a career high 313 yards.

The last of those completions was a 6-yard pass to Kyle Derham that produced the winning touchdown in overtime.

"We've got to have confidence in [Olson] right now," Bagnoli said. "He's the guy that we're going to win with or lose with."

Brown's league-best offense was held scoreless, and converted only one of 13 third downs. Penn's defense has not allowed a point since the second quarter at Columbia two weeks ago.

That was due in part to the Quakers' stinginess, but also in part to Brown kicker Patrick Rooney. He was 0 for 3 on field-goal attempts, including a kick from 44 yards that came up short in the final seconds of regulation.