Charlie Smith throws 2 touchdown passes to help Harvard hold off Brown 14-10 in Ivy League opener

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Charlie Smith threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and Harvard held off Brown 14-10 on Friday night in an Ivy League opener.

Smith completed 30 of 37 passes for 205 yards with an interception for the Crimson (2-0), ranked 21st in the Stats Perform poll for the Championship Subdivision.

Smith had a 5-yard touchdown toss to Ryan Tattersall at the end of a 48-yard drive and Harvard led 7-0 after one quarter. Xaden Benson intercepted James Murphy to set up the short drive after Brown (1-1) recovered a Cole Allen fumble at its own 15 to end the Crimson's first possession.

Smith directed a 15-play 86-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard scoring toss to Teigan Pelletier and Harvard took a 14-0 lead into halftime.

Smith completed 21 of 24 for 154 yards in the first half, but Max Malo picked off his third pass of the third quarter and the Bears turned it into a 48-yard field goal by Drew Crabtree to get on the scoreboard.

Jackson Bennett had a 29-yard touchdown run to finish a 76-yard drive and cut it to 14-10 with 8:16 remaining.

Benson intercepted Murphy again two plays after the two-minute warning and Harvard took over at the Bears' 39 before running out the clock.

Murphy threw three interceptions and finished 18 for 24 for 121 yards for the Bears (1-1).

Harvard has won 10 of the last 11 against Brown and has a 92-31-2 record in a series that began in 1893.

Up next

Harvard: Hosts Colgate on Oct. 3.

Brown: At Rhode Island on Oct. 3.

___

Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.