"We've lost so many of these sort of games over the last year that it really feels good to win one," Harvard Coach Tim Murphy said.

Murphy said the game was a big win for Harvard, and it could have implications on the championship race. The Crimson is a young team that started six sophomores on offense and eight on defense.

Brown, the co-ivy champion with Yale last year, is considered to be one of the top three teams in the Ivy league and would be a favorite to repeat as champions if an off-season recruiting scandal hadn't prohibited Brown from winning the Ivy crown this season.

The game also did a lot to erase doubts about Harvard after a lackluster performance against Holy Cross last week. Harvard lost that game, 27-25, and looked inept on offense, coughing up the ball five times on three interceptions and two fumbles.

Against Brown, Harvard gained 586 yards of total offense, 436 of them through the air and 150 on the ground.

Defensively, Harvard gave up 542 yards to Brown, but, apart from one 73-yard run by Malan, the Crimson was able to keep the Bears from making big plays on offense.

"You're not going to hold this team to 14 points," Murphy said. "They're a very explosive team on offense."