Brown offense throws all but the kitchen sink at Morey

The Bears' wide receiver has already amassed 116 career catches - just 84 short of the Ivy record. Midway through his junior year, Brown receiver Sean Morey has already rewritten the Bears' record book. The 5'11", 180-pound wide-out captured Brown's single-season touchdown record with 14 last season, and currently stands first all-time in Bears touchdown receptions with 28. In his five 1997 games, the first team All-Ivy receiver has once again amassed impressive numbers -- 36 receptions, seven touchdown catches and a league-best 714 yards. Morey currently stands just eight catches behind Robert Torbert's all-time Bears' mark of 128. He is also rapidly approaching the Ivy League mark of 200, held by former Penn receiver Miles Macik. "They're similar in the they both are the best receivers in the league," said Brown coach Mark Whipple, comparing Morey to Macik. "They both make big plays. I don't think that it's a coincidence that when Penn lost Macik, their offense went down. If we lost Morey to injury, our offense would go down too." Even though Morey is six inches shorter and weighs 20 pounds less than the former Penn standout receiver, his quickness and ability to make dazzling catches cancel out his comparative lack of size and strength. Morey, who ran 100 meters in 10.84 as a high school senior, was former Brown quarterback Jason McCullough's favorite target in '96 and has again emerged as the receiver of choice for Brown's rookie quarterback, James Perry, this season. If the acrobatic McCullough made the deep pass to Morey into an art form, Perry has certainly followed, transforming the deep route to Morey into a Bears' tradition. Perry, who at times has struggled adjusting to the college game -- as shown by his league-high 11 interceptions -- tends to throw the ball with more confidence when it's headed toward Morey. As a result, the young quarterback relies on his star receiver more than a veteran signal caller typically looks upon his No. 1 option. "We are forcing the ball into him so much," Whipple said. "He's made it a lot easier [for Perry] than it was for Jason when he became the starter three years ago." In recent weeks, it's been tougher for Morey to get open downfield, with teams trying to double- and triple-team him -- daring Perry to complete passes to his other targets. It's likely that on Saturday both Penn cornerbacks, Joe Piela and Larrin Robertson, will pay special attention to Morey, challenging the Bears' offense to find other ways to move the ball downfield. But like most elite receivers, Morey wants the ball whether or not he's double-teamed, irrespective of double coverage downfield. "I expect the ball on almost every play," Morey said. "I'd be lying to you, any receiver would be -- or they shouldn't be playing -- if they say that they don't want the ball." Morey continues to get the ball plenty -- not because he calls for it, but rather because that's the design of the offense. Whipple's strategy focuses on airing the ball out. Brown's leading rusher, Mike Wall, is 11th in the Ivies rushing the football, with just 42 carries for 178 yards. But four Bears are in the top 20 in catches -- Morey, Wall, Gordon Nangmenyi and Steven Campbell. Whipple, a former Brown quarterback, deploys an offensive style that exploits the strengths of his quarterback and receivers. In a league dominated by teams that rush the football, the Bears perennially challenge their opponents with an air attack. It is just this strategy that initially attracted Morey to play his collegiate football in Providence, R.I. "Whipple's offense obviously caters to wide receivers," Morey said. "For example, our fullback (Wall) caught 46 passes last season." But going to the air attack doesn't mean that the bombing will succeed, as evident by Whipple's 15 losses in three and a half seasons. The key is having receivers who can get open before the opposition's linebackers get to the quarterback. With linebackers Tim Gage and Darren MacDonald playing big on defense this season, Whipple is counting on quick cuts from Morey downfield to take the burden off Perry. "Penn is the best defense we've played overall," Whipple said. "I think they're better than Princeton, and Princeton did a number on us. We are going to have to find ways to get the ball into him in the end zone."

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