PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Big contributions in all three phases of the game earned Team 150 a very important Ivy League victory. The defense forced four turnovers and held a high-powered Brown offense in check, the special teams blocked a punt which led to a score and the offense racked up 410 yards. The result was a 36-17 victory over the Bears on a beautiful fall afternoon at Brown Stadium.
 
The Bulldogs (5-3, 3-2 Ivy) have won five of their last six games and remain in a tie for second place with Dartmouth, Penn and Princeton. All four teams are one-game behind Harvard with two weeks remaining.
 
BIG PLAYS
 
There were many. Jermaine Baker recovered a fumble on Brown's 10-yard line on the opening series of the game. Two plays later, Joshua Pitsenberger scored on a 4-yard run. The first of three Mason Tipton touchdown receptions was a 41-yard catch early in the second quarter that gave Yale the lead for good. Safety Osize Daniyan forced a fumble later in the second that the Bulldogs turned into a Jack Bosman 21-yard field goal. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Tre Peterson caught a 45-yard touchdown pass that increased Yale's advantage to 22-10. Phoenix Grant's blocked punt midway through the third quarter set up another Tipton touchdown.
 
DYNAMIC DUO
 
Tipton and quarterback Nolan Grooms connected for three touchdown passes. Tipton, who had 123 receiving yards, now has 10 TD receptions on the season which leads the Ivy League and is among the national leaders. Grooms, who threw for 220 yards and rushed for 102 yards, finished with four TD passes on the day, matching his career high, and now has 19 on the year.
 
"I came in to Yale with Mason," Grooms said. "Any time he is one-on-one with a defensive back I feel like he's going to win. He has great skills when the ball is in the air."
 
QUOTING RENO
 
"I'm really proud of the team. They made the decision that they wanted to be better than we were a few weeks ago. It's a result of the work they are putting in day in and day out. We still have a long way to go. There were a lot of mistakes out there today, but the guys battled and that's the trademark of who we are as a team. This team is starting to build the ability to handle adversity and keep playing. We talk all the time about being ready to win a rock fight."
 
Notes
 
• Joey Felton had a big day in the return game for the Bulldogs, finishing with 129 yards on three returns, including a season-best 47-yard return.
 
• Tipton's three touchdown receptions were a career high. His 10 receiving TDs on the season are tied for the fourth most in a season in Yale history.
 
• Grooms, who was 15-of-27, matched his career high with four TD passes. His 19 touchdown passes are tied for the fifth most in a season in school history.
 
• On offense, the Bulldogs were 10-of-19 in third down conversions, while the defense limited Brown to just 5-of-17 on third down conversions.
 
• The Bulldogs scored on all three of their trips into the red zone.
 
• Joseph Vaughn led the defense with eight tackles, including four solo stops. Daniyan added six tackles to go along with his forced fumble.
 
• Abu Kamara recorded his first career interception. Baker also picked off a pass.
 
• Yale had six pass break ups on the afternoon.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
 
Yale plays its second straight road game, and only the third on the season, next Saturday at Princeton. Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU. The Bulldogs then host Harvard in the 139th edition of The Game on Nov. 18 at noon.