The unstoppable force?

When an opponent looks at Brown's football team, it is easy to focus just on the run game. Unfortunately for these teams, that may be exactly what Brown wants them to do.

In Nick Hartigan, the Bears have perhaps the most talented rusher in the league -- and one of the best in all of Division I-AA football. He leads the league in rushing and touchdowns, both by substantial margins.

But beyond Hartigan, Brown has put together perhaps the most explosive passing attack in the Ivy League. This balance has turned Brown from an also-ran the past few years into a serious contender for the league title.

The presence of Hartigan on the field has forced opponents to dedicate extra attention to stopping the run. This has opened up the field for the passing game, and the Bears have capitalized.

Quarterback Joe DiGiacomo currently leads the league in passing efficiency. Wide receiver Jarret Schreck leads the league in receiving yards, while the other starting wide out, Lonnie Hill, is fourth.

"The success of our pass game is due to the threat that Nick Hartigan provides at running back," DiGiacomo said. "On top of that, we have very talented receivers and tight ends."

That receiving crew, headed by Schreck and Hill, has been putting up impressive numbers for quite a while. Hill led the league with 76 receptions two years ago, before taking last year off. In Hill's absence, Schreck stepped up, leading the league with 1,035 receiving yards.

At tight end, the Bears have David Turner, a second team All-Ivy selection last year. He is currently 11th in the league in receptions, as well as second among tight ends.

With Hill back this year, this trio has helped give Brown too many weapons for opposing defenses to cover. The Bears have scored at least 30 points in each game so far this year. While Hartigan leads the league with 10 touchdowns, Hill and Schreck have found the end zone plenty themselves, combining for 10 scores as well.

All of this adds up to a difficult task for the Penn defense. The Quakers may be leading the league in rush defense by quite a bit, but they are second to last in the league in pass defense, and Penn has yet to face an Ivy League team with Brown's firepower.

"We have a well-balanced offense," DiGiacomo said. "Nick has been able to run the ball effectively. This enables us to open up the pass game."

Should Brown be able to follow this same formula of establishing the run and using it to set up the pass, the Quakers defense -- which has been the stingiest in the league to this point -- could have its hands full.

"They've done a nice job on offense," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said of the Bears. "They've got a bruising running back, they've got balance on their offense throwing the ball, they've got a big play wide receiver."

So while Hartigan may be the best player on Brown's offense, it is the balance that a strong passing attack provides that makes the Bears so hard to contain. If there is any team that could overtake Penn and win the Ivy League this year, this is it.

How to stop Brown's offense:

1 ISOLATE HARTIGAN Penn coach Al Bagnoli said it best: 'As [Hartigan] goes, that offense goes.' If Penn can keep Nick Hartigan from finding open space, the Bears' best weapon will be nullified

2 DON'T FORGET THE PASS GAME It will be important to focus on Hartigan, but not at the expense of ignoring the passing game. Brown has a potent aerial attack, with 234 yards a game -- and it can do damage if ignored

3SUPPRESS THE OTHER BACKS Take Hartigan out, and the Bears are fairly weak on the ground -- only 255 yards for the entire team this year. If Penn can keep both Hartigan and the rest down, half of Brown's offense will be useless

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