Holy Cross wide receiver Ryan Maher is pursued by Brown defenders Eric Brewer, center, and Frank Nuzzo (31) during the second half yesterday’s game in Providence.

AP / Stew Milne

PROVIDENCE — A week after allowing 608 yards and 49 points to the University of Rhode Island, Brown’s defense failed to execute again and gave up 551 yards and 48 points to Holy Cross.

Brown’s offense overcame a slow start and generated 544 yards but fell short in point production, enabling the Crusaders to leave Brown Stadium with a 48-37 victory before 4,805 fans on a hazy, 80-degree afternoon.

Holy Cross (3-2) scored on its first five possessions and on eight of its 12 in the game, had 304 yards and a 31-10 lead at the half, punted only twice and did not turn the ball over. Quarterback Dominic Randolph completed 29 of 37 passes for 404 yards and six touchdowns, one shy of the school record. Ryan Maher caught six passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns, Terrence Gass four for 60 yards and two TDs and Jon Brock five for 63 and a score. Matt Partain kicked two field goals.

When Randolph wasn’t picking apart Brown’s soft secondary, he was pitching the ball to Gass, Maher and Mike Kielt or keeping it himself. HC rushed for 147 yards.

“I don’t know if it’s Brown’s defense when we have No. 9 (Randolph) playing for us,” Holy Cross coach Tom Gilmore said.

“I’m not going to make excuses, but we’re missing our free safety and a couple of down linemen and we were running out of gas out there and we dog tired,” Brown (1-3) coach Phil Estes said. “But we didn’t play the option well, once again, and we were soft in coverage and didn’t get pressure on the quarterback. That’s a deadly combination of things.”

Safety Jose Yearwood (knee) was in uniform but did not play. Defensive end Pat Fisher (knee) was in shorts and probably out for the season.

Brown’s offense ran 94 plays for its 544 yards, 51 for 332 yards in the second half. The Bears tied the score at 34-34 in the first minute of the fourth quarter and would have tied it at 41-41 late in the fourth, but a holding penalty against Buddy Farnham nullified a six-yard touchdown run by Bobby Sewall. Steve Morgan kicked his third field goal instead.

“We didn’t want to settle for three,” Estes said. “The momentum was gone when we got the penalty and didn’t stick it in. That’s the killer.”

Quarterback Michael Dougherty threw 65 passes, breaking the Brown record of 63 held by his position coach, James Perry. He completed 42, tying Perry for second place in the Brown record book. His 422 passing yards tied Eric Webber for 10th place. He threw two touchdown passes and was not intercepted. Most of his throws were slants and underneath passes. He did hit a couple of medium-range sideline passes and went long a couple of times, but to no avail.

Farnham caught 11 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. Paul Raymond caught 10 for 138 yards. Sewall grabbed 9 for 100 yards and a TD. Tight end Colin Cloherty had 5 receptions for 63 yards.

Brown rushed for 122 yards, Jonathan Edwards leading with 60.

Holy Cross took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in six plays, Maher scoring on an 18-yard pass. It looked easy, and it was a preview of coming attractions.

Brown responded with an 80-yard scoring drive, Sewall catching a slant and splitting the defense for a 31-yard TD, but the Crusaders answered with a 37-yard field goal from Matt Partain and a 75-yard, six-play drive that ended with a wide open Brock catching an 11-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the first quarter.

Morgan’s 30-yard field goal made it 17-10 with 10:44 left in the second quarter, but Casey Gough’s 63-yard kickoff return set up Gass’s reception and run through five Brown defenders for a 16-yard touchdown and 24-10 lead. After Brown went three and out, Holy Cross drove 74 yards in six plays, Randolph’s 30-yard TD pass to Maher the clincher.

Brown drove to the HC eight-yard line but turned the ball over on downs with 1:01 left in the half.

The Bears took the second-half kickoff and marched 73 yards in 10 plays, Chris Strickland scoring his first collegiate touchdown on a two-yard run. The Brown defense held for a change, and the offense came back with a 37-yard Morgan field goal, making it 31-20. After Partain kicked a 25-yard field goal for a 34-20 lead, Brown scored on Strickland’s second two-yard run and Farnham’s seven-yard catch and run with 11:02 to play.

Holy Cross never blinked and went 73 yards in six plays, Maher’s 11-yard catch and run capping the drive. After Morgan made it 41-37, the Crusaders put the game on ice with a 79-yard, eight-play drive. Gass left five Brown non-tacklers in his wake on his 25-yard catch and run for the touchdown.

“Give all the credit to Holy Cross,” Estes said, “but we have to get better.”

First Quarter

HC—R.Maher 19 pass from Randolph (Partain kick), 13:10.

Brwn—Sewall 31 pass from Dougherty (Morgan kick), 8:17.

HC—FG Partain 37, 4:48.

HC—Brock 26 pass from Randolph (Partain kick), :00.

Second Quarter

Brwn—FG Morgan 30, 10:44.

HC—Gass 16 pass from Randolph (Partain kick), 10:16.

HC—R.Maher 30 pass from Randolph (Partain kick), 6:23.

Third Quarter

Brwn—Strickland 2 run (Morgan kick), 11:03.

Brwn—FG Morgan 37, 5:42.

HC—FG Morgan 37, 1:42.

Fourth Quarter

Brwn—Strickland 2 run (Morgan kick), 14:11.

Brwn—Farnham 7 pass from Dougherty (Morgan kick), 11:02.

HC—R.Maher 11 pass from Randolph (Partain kick), 8:58.

Brwn—FG Morgan 32, 5:46.

HC—Gass 25 pass from Randolph (Partain kick), 2:18.

A—4,805.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Holy Cross, Kielt 10-51, Gass 7-49, R.Maher 2-27, Randolph 5-19, McDermott 2-3, Brock 1-2, Team 2-(minus 4). Brown, Edwards 8-60, Strickland 7-34, Dougherty 12-25, Sewall 2-3.

PASSING—Holy Cross, Randolph 29-37-0-404. Brown, Dougherty 42-65-0-422.

RECEIVING—Holy Cross, R.Maher 6-110, Brock 5-63, Harrison 4-63, Gass 4-60, McDermott 4-49, Kielt 3-40, Jenkins 1-8, J.Maher 1-7, McGuire 1-4. Brown, Farnham 11-99, Raymond 10-138, Sewall 9-100, Cloherty 5-63, Strickland 3-16, Rowley 2-5, Edwards 1-1, Tull 1-0.

mszostak@projo.com