Brown routs Columbia in 38-16 defeat on Saturday

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The Lions won the coin toss on Saturday, but that was about the last thing that went right for Columbia on the field in its 38-16 blowout defeat at Brown Stadium. The offense, defense, and special teams units all looked overmatched for most of the game by a dominating Bears team that led 28-0 at halftime. With the loss, the Lions wrapped up their 2010 football season with a 4-6 overall record. They were 2-5 in the Ivy League.

Sophomore quarterback Sean Brackett—who started the game as a sideline spectator due to a leg injury sustained against Cornell last week—made a discernible impact after entering late in the second quarter. Jerry Bell, a junior who got the start, never seemed comfortable in the pocket. He finished 5-16 on the day with 11 passing yards and two costly interceptions early in the game. Although Brackett was limping upon his entrance, he grew more comfortable with each passing offensive set.

“Sean did a lot of good things given the limited physical nature that he was today,” head coach Norries Wilson said in the post-game press conference. “He got us down inside the goal line a couple times and got a touchdown and got a field goal. We had a turnover down there so he did some good things and they made some plays, but we didn’t make enough plays and Brown made enough plays to win the football game.”

First-half action was lopsided in every sense of the word. The Bears outgained the Lions 279 yards to 34 in the first 30 minutes. The Lions missed a field goal, their quarterbacks were a combined 7-21, penalty flags flew at just the wrong moments, and the defense was missing tackles all over the field.

The onslaught began with Brown’s opening drive, which featured a 26-yard pass by quarterback Joe Springer to wide receiver Alexander Tounkara, a 16-yard gain on a reverse to Tounkara, and a 14-yard rush by running back Zachary Tronti. Running back Mark Kachmer capped the 69-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run to put his team up 7-0 after just 3:23.

Bell threw his first pick on Columbia’s second play from scrimmage, but the Bears turned it over on downs deep in Light Blue territory. A three-and-out for Columbia gave Brown another chance to build on its lead, and a reverse to wide receiver Jimmy Saros from eight yards out put Columbia in an early 14-0 hole.

“It was just missing tackles,” senior linebacker and captain Alex Gross said. “They had some guys that would wiggle a little bit in space. Kind of the same thing we struggled with all year, it was just settling down, and we’re always so anxious to start fast and get on the field and for that first defensive series and sometimes you’re a little too anxious and you play a little bit outside of yourself.”

Two more three-and-outs for Bell and the Lions brought a humiliating first quarter to a close, but the agony continued with the quarterback’s second interception, coming off a third-down blitz early in the second. A seven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tellef Lundevall put the Bears up 21-0, and the rout was on.

The Lions kept their next drive alive with a successful fake punt, but a third-down sack brought up fourth and 19. Sophomore kicker Greg Guttas punted it deep, but Gross was called for catching interference on the return, spotting the Bears 15 free yards. The Lions hit a low point when Springer stepped back to pass on first down from the Columbia 48 and found tight end Alex Prestley deep down the right side. Senior defensive backs Calvin Otis and Adam Mehrer were both in the neighborhood, but they collided with one another in their attempts to take down Prestley, who emerged unscathed and free to dash into the end zone and put his team up by 28.

Another third-down sack brought up fourth and long for Columbia on its ensuing possession, but the Bears fumbled the return and the Lions had favorable field position and a chance to eat into their deficit with time winding down in the half. Brackett had entered the game on the drive, but freshman kicker Luke Eddy’s 40-yard line-drive field goal attempt sailed wide left, and the Lions had a goose egg heading into the locker room.

Columbia finally broke through on the opening possession of the third quarter, driving 65 yards and scoring on a two-yard touchdown run by senior running back Leon Ivery. Brown responded with a field goal, but Brackett put together another touchdown drive, finishing it with a seven-yard pass to senior tight end and captain Andrew Kennedy. The Lions survived a fourth-and-eight en route to the end zone with a completion to junior wide receiver Kurt Williams. The Light Blue could not convert on the extra point and trailed 31-13 late in the third.

A well-executed, on-side kick briefly made things interesting, but Columbia’s drive ended when sophomore running back Nick Gerst could not handle a pitch from Brackett at the Brown three-yard line, fumbling it and denying the Lions a chance to gain any further ground. Though Eddy would hit a 21-yard field goal with 9:27 to go, the Bears would also score another touchdown before the final whistle.

Brackett finished 13-22 on the day with a touchdown. Senior wide receiver Nico Gutierrez had a strong day for the offense, compiling 66 yards on four receptions. Gross led the defense with 14 tackles.

For Brown, Springer was 15-27 at quarterback with 197 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Del Thomas led the Bears on the ground with 89 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

“Our goal this week was to be 1-0 this week,” Brackett said. “We didn’t come out, we didn’t play enough, and obviously we have a lot of work to do in the offseason. So I think if we take any positives now, we have a little bit more motivation for the offseason to work harder.”

The Lions now head into the long break on a particularly sour note. After a promising 3-1 start, they dropped five of their last six down the stretch. Their overall record remained the same from a year ago, but their 2-5 finish in the Ivy League is a step back from last year’s 3-4 mark.