PROVIDENCE, R.I. – In absolutely abominable conditions at Brown Stadium, the University of Pennsylvania football team showed a pounding run game and pulled out a 13-7 win over Brown Saturday afternoon.
 
With the win, Penn improved to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Ivy League play, putting the Quakers in a tie for third place after Saturday's league action. Brown is 1-6 and 0-4.
 
The scoreline was perhaps predictable. The weather conditions were brutal throughout the contest: driving rain and howling wind. That, combined with a field that more resembled a mud pit than a football field by the end of the game, left players slipping and sliding and struggling to hold on to a slick ball all day long. At times, the game appeared to move in slow motion.
 
That said, Penn's offense was on the field a lot on Saturday. The Quakers ran 75 plays to Brown's 49, and nearly doubled up the Bears in total yardage (370 to 195) and time of possession (38:40 to 21:20). Karekin Brooks had a massive game on the ground, rushing a career-high 34 times for 246 yards -- sixth-most in a single game in program history -- while Steve Farrell had Penn's only touchdown and caught seven passes for 41 yards.
 
Brooks started the day by fumbling on Penn's very first play from scrimmage, Brown recovering near midfield. However, the Quakers' defense held the Bears to a three-and-out, and after a Brown punt pinned Penn on its own 2-yard line Brooks began his atonement. A pair of rushes gained eight yards and, combined with a Brown penalty, gave the Red and Blue a first down outside the shadow of their goalpost. Then Brooks ripped off a 63-yard run that flipped the field. Penn's drive eventually stalled at the Brown 3-yard line, but Jack Soslow booted a 21-yard field goal to make it 3-0.
 
It looked like Penn was headed for more points in the second quarter, again driving inside Brown's 5-yard line thanks to a 47-yard Brooks run. However, on a third-down rush at the 2, Abe Willows was stopped for a loss and fumbled. The Bears recovered. Penn's defense again stuffed their hosts, though, and the Quakers' next drive ended with a touchdown as Nick Robinson found Farrell in the right corner of the end zone to make it 10-0.
 
Penn made it 13-0 just before halftime, again driving inside Brown's 10-yard line to set up Soslow's 23-yard field goal with just 18 seconds left before the break. The Quakers then started the second half with the ball and looked like they might add to their lead, again driving into Brown's red zone. However, the drive stalled at the Bears' 18-yard line, Ryan Glover throwing ahead of Tyler Herrick in the end zone on fourth down.
 
Penn's defense forced turnovers on each of Brown's next two possessions, the second being a fumble deep in Bears territory. Given the ball on Brown's 9-yard line, the Quakers came up completely empty as three plays couldn't get them into the end zone and then Soslow's 22-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
 
Brown looked like it might be driving for an opening score early in the fourth, a Scott Boylan run around right side getting the Bears all the way down to Penn's 20-yard line. However, on the very next play Nick Miller strip-sacked Brown QB Michael McGovern and Taheeb Solekan recovered on the 29, snuffing out the threat.
 
However, Brown made things nervy in the final minute, finally pushing across the goal line when McGovern found Jakob Prall for a 20-yard score with 27 seconds left. However, the Bears' onside kick was covered up by the Quakers' hands team to secure the victory.
 
Penn remains on the road and is back under the Friday Night Lights next weekend, traveling to Cornell to face the Big Red in a game that will kick off at 6 p.m. and air nationally on ESPNU.