Willcox rallies Brown, Smith scores in 2OT to beat Bryant

Updated Sep. 17, 2022 5:00 p.m. ET

Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Allen Smith scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime, Jake Willcox threw three touchdown passes and Brown, which trailed by 14 points in the fourth quarter, defeated Bryant 44-38 on Saturday.

Brown's thrilling season-opener was capped off after the Bears stuffed Ryan Clark on a fourth-and-1 attempt to open the second overtime. The Bears took possession, needing any score to win. Willcox scrambled for 23 yards on a third-and-long play, then Smith scored on a 4-yard run on second down.

Bryant (0-3) led 24-10 after three quarters before Willcox hit Hayes Sutton with a 40-yard scoring pass early in the fourth. A few minutes later, Willcox connected with Graham Walker on a 30-yard TD play, but the Bears trailed 24-23 after missing the PAT.

Clark's 1-yard run gave Bryant a 31-23 lead with 2:35 remaining, then Smith's 1-yard run and a two-point conversion tied it with 38 seconds remaining in regulation.

Willcox and Bryant's Zevi Eckhaus both threw TD passes in the first overtime.

Willcox completed 26 of 39 passes for 356 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions for Brown. Graham Walker caught eight passes for 116 yards with two touchdowns.

For Bryant, Eckhaus was 24-of-42 passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Landon Ruggieri had nine receptions for 119 yards.

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