PROVIDENCE, R.I.–This weekend, the Yale football team (4-4, 2-3 Ivy) lost to Brown (4-4, 2-3 Ivy) 24-17 after once again being shut out in the second half. Despite 498 yards of offense, 199 of which came in the third and fourth quarters, the Bulldogs could not turn opportunities into points. Coming out of half-time down 17-14, the Bears managed to win by playing tight red-zone defense and controlling the clock better with tailback Nick Hartigan’s rushing. Hartigan had 135 yards total, including 103 in the second half, as well as two touchdowns.
Despite the loss, it was a record-setting day for the Elis in the air. In the second quarter on fourth and two, quarterback Alvin Cowan ’05 broke the Yale career passing yards record with a six yard toss to wide receiver Ashley Wright ’07. Cowan finished the day with 419 yards on 31-for-57, including two touchdowns and three interceptions. Most of Cowan’s passing yardage came on plays he connected with wide receiver Ralph Plumb ’05, who also had a record-setting afternoon. Plumb’s 258 yards of catches helped him break the career receiving yards record. His personal stats for the game were also significant, as the 258 yards ranks him fourth in Ivy League history for most yards receiving in a game and his 18 catches ranks him third for most catches in a single game. Both Cowan and Plumb, however, said they do not care about the records now because they would have rather won the football game.