WEST HAVEN, Conn. (Interstat) — James Murphy passed for 343 yards and Brown opened its 2026 season with a 17-10 victory over New Haven in an NCAA Football Championship Division game on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at West Haven, Connecticut. Murphy, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound quarterback from Reading, Massachusetts, completed 26 of 38 passes and directed the Bears to a win in their first game. Brown improved to 1-0. New Haven dropped to 0-1. The Bears built a 17-0 lead and then held off the Chargers, who scored 10 points. The game was played at West Haven, Connecticut, and was a non-conference matchup in the NCAA Football Championship Division.

Murphy was the top star for Brown. His 343 passing yards powered an offense that made enough plays to win. Brown’s M. Childs scored on a pair of 3-yard runs. Drew Crabtree made a 29-yard field goal. The Bears also got receiving contributions from Carson Hill, who had three catches for 41 yards, and Jadon Garza-Pender, who had two catches for 41 yards. Michael Nesbit caught one pass for 24 yards. Levi Linowes had two receptions for 16 yards. Pearson Hill added a 13-yard catch. Xavier Hazard had two catches for 8 yards. Najih Rahman had two catches for 5 yards and returned two punts for 35 yards. Benjamin Taylor caught one pass for 4 yards. Brown’s offense leaned on Murphy to keep drives alive, and the Bears did not need a late score to secure the win.

Brown scored 10 points in the first quarter and built a 17-0 lead before New Haven answered. M. Childs scored on a 3-yard run. Drew Crabtree made a 29-yard field goal. Childs added another 3-yard touchdown run. New Haven got on the board with Quigley’s 25-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Duffy found Grguric for a 5-yard touchdown, and Quigley’s kick made it a 17-10 game.

New Haven’s offense was led by AJ Duffy, a 6-foot-2, 223-pound quarterback from Murrieta, California. Duffy completed 27 of 47 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown. He also ran six times for 3 yards. Dominic Grguric caught six passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, a 5-yard connection from Duffy. Jonathan Lawson had seven receptions for 48 yards. Nate Burleson II caught five passes for 46 yards. Matt Chandler had four receptions for 39 yards. Tommy Troy added one catch for 12 yards. Issac Glaudin had one carry for 1 yard and one catch for 3 yards. Caleb Williams ran twice for 5 yards and caught one pass for 6 yards. Zaon Laney led the New Haven rushing attack with 13 carries for 37 yards and one reception for 1 yard. Liam Quigley made a 25-yard field goal and added an extra point. Joe Fragale punted nine times for 363 yards. LaSalle Rose Jr. returned two kickoffs for 26 yards and one punt for 16 yards. Jaxson Anderson returned two kickoffs for 31 yards.

The New Haven defense had several standout performances. Frederick Borkey made 12 tackles and one quarterback hurry. Dre Kirton and Sir Hezekiah Ragland each finished with six tackles. Ragland also had one sack and one quarterback hurry. Ricky Encarnacion and Lucas Theriaque each recorded five tackles. Encarnacion added half a sack and one quarterback hurry. Mason Taylor had four tackles. Abdoul Bah, Myles Hansford and Chris Hudson each made three tackles. Bah added half a sack. Hansford intercepted a pass. Irv Briggs had two tackles and two sacks. Brodie Williams had two tackles and an interception. Nikkem Reynolds and Nehemiah Johnson each made two tackles. Kenny Seymour, Myles Streckfuss, JT Krivinskas, Chris Martin, Tyler Owens, Joseph Sondah, Tyler Hammel, Mason Kerrigan, Gabe Perez and Israel Bey each recorded one tackle. Tyler Raphino had one quarterback hurry. The Chargers made plays in the backfield but could not keep Brown out of scoring position enough to complete the comeback.

Brown’s defense also made key plays. Max Malo led the Bears with 11 tackles. Stefano Montella added eight tackles. Camryn Williams-Dalton had five tackles and an interception. Alejandro Bello made four tackles. The Bears forced New Haven to settle for a field goal early and came up with an interception later. Brown’s special teams also contributed. Crabtree’s 29-yard field goal gave the Bears points before halftime. Rahman’s punt returns helped Brown with field position. The Bears protected their lead in the second half.

Brown’s win came in a game that featured plenty of defense. The Bears limited New Haven’s rushing attack for much of the afternoon, though Laney managed 37 yards on 13 carries. Duffy threw 47 passes, but New Haven often had to work for yards. Brown’s Max Malo made 11 tackles, and Stefano Montella added eight. Camryn Williams-Dalton intercepted a pass and finished with five tackles. Alejandro Bello made four tackles. The Bears’ defense forced New Haven to kick a field goal in the red zone and later came up with a turnover. New Haven’s defense kept the Chargers within reach. Borkey’s 12 tackles led all defenders. Briggs had two sacks. Ragland added a sack. Encarnacion and Bah combined for a sack. Hansford and Brodie Williams each intercepted a pass. The Chargers’ pressure kept Brown from pulling away, but the Bears’ early lead stood.

New Haven found some rhythm late. Duffy connected with Grguric for a 5-yard touchdown, and Quigley’s extra point cut the deficit. The Chargers had chances to draw closer, but Brown’s defense held. The game was played at West Haven, Connecticut, and was part of the NCAA Football Championship Division schedule. Brown’s victory marked a strong start to the season. New Haven dropped its opener.

Brown will next host Harvard on Friday, Sept. 25. The Bears then visit Rhode Island on Saturday, Oct. 3, host Bryant on Saturday, Oct. 10, visit Princeton on Saturday, Oct. 17, host Cornell on Saturday, Oct. 24, host Penn on Saturday, Oct. 31, visit Yale on Saturday, Nov. 7, host Columbia on Saturday, Nov. 14, and visit Dartmouth on Saturday, Nov. 21. New Haven will visit Austin Peay on Saturday, Oct. 3, visit Robert Morris on Saturday, Oct. 17, host Duquesne on Saturday, Oct. 31, and host Long Island on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Brown 40, New Haven 30. Interstat’s ELO system had projected New Haven with an 86.7 percent probability to win.