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Brown football ends its 13-game losing streak against Harvard with a last-minute win

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Brown football ends its 13-game losing streak against Harvard with a last-minute win

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PROVIDENCE – It's hard to imagine that there have been many finishes like this in the 99-year history of Brown football.

Harvard faced a routine field goal that would have added extra sparkle to Saturday's final score. The Crimson had the lead in the final two minutes and were poised to pick up their 13th straight win over Brown.

Then suddenly the improbable happened: catastrophe if you're at Harvard, euphoria if you're with the Bears. A high snap, a missed chance to recover the loose ball and a rumble in Crimson territory gave Brown one final chance. Jake Willcox and Mark Mahoney immediately took advantage of the ideal autumn afternoon.

Willcox's 27-yard touchdown pass to Mahoney with 0:21 remaining capped a thriller and finally gave the Bears a breakthrough. Brown survived a few more attacks from Harvard to record a 31-28 triumph, an Ivy League opener that was followed by the home student group storming onto the turf field.

“I’m kind of at a loss for words right now,” Willcox said. “I had confidence the whole game, but the way it went was great.”

The Crimson held a 28-23 lead until the final minute, sending kicker Kieran Corr for a 27-yard throw. Will Troutman's snap sailed high over holder Sebastian Tasko and the ball bounced toward the Bears' 40. Corr got to it first but couldn't get it back, and Nick Hudson snaked his way to the Harvard 27 after finally picking it up for Brown.

“It may seem magical — and in some ways it was — but I know they put in the hard work,” Brown coach James Perry said. “Good things happen to you. I think sometimes you make your own luck.”

More: Brown football coach James Perry speaks after the Bears' comeback win against Harvard

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The Bears wasted no time getting the win. Mahoney broke down the right sideline and Willcox threw a dime into the back corner of the end zone, his third touchdown pass of the day and second to Mahoney. They also managed the 2-point conversion, and the 10,753 fans in attendance were ecstatic.

“It was a huge energy boost for us,” Mahoney said. “When we got the ball back, I think everyone knew we were going to score.”

Brown was down 21-3 late in the first half and trailed 28-17 heading into the final six minutes. Willcox found Mahoney for a 9-yard score with 5:07 to play, but the Bears appeared to have missed their last chance when they converted on downs within their own 20 yards with 1:42 left. The Crimson could have tied it with a touchdown, increased the lead with a kick, or turned around on downs and left Brown with 90 yards to play – they didn't do any of those three things.

“That’s on me,” Harvard coach Andrew Aurich said. “I didn't do it well. In the end, they never should have had time to get the ball, go down and score.”

The Bears (2-0, 1-0 Ivy) managed just four first downs in the first half and needed a defensive play to get them going. Elias Archie's interception of a deflected pass and return to the Harvard 1 gave Brown a golden opportunity with 2:00 left. La Salle Academy graduate Nate Lussier stormed in with a direct shot up the middle, and the Bears cut their deficit to 21-10 in the locker room.

“It’s always great to end the half with a score,” Mahoney said. “That was huge for us. It built some momentum.”

Willcox heated up after a pedestrian first half, collecting 15 of his 21 completions and throwing for 214 yards. His 75-yard bomb up the middle to Matt Childs with 5:57 left in the third quarter made it a 28-17 game, and Brown stayed within two points the rest of the way. The Crimson (1-1, 0-1) managed just 111 total yards after halftime and remained scoreless after a 2-yarder by Jaden Craig midway through the third quarter.

“It had to be better in the first half, but something we have is resilience,” Willcox said. “I’m happy with the way we played.”

The Bears honored their 1999 league champions and celebrated their student band's 100th anniversary at halftime. Perry was reunited with a number of old classmates – he helped Brown to that title as a senior as a quarterback, the program's second of four titles since 1976. Harvard was the opponent in the first night game on the East Side in 2010, and the Bears scored a 29-14 victory that had become quite lonely over more than a decade.

“A win like this is kind of a validation that we're doing the right things in practice,” Perry said. “These are mature guys.”

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