Football Relies on Old Formula for Success: Tough Defense

Every football aficionado will tell you that the key ingredient to a team's success is its defense.

Saturday afternoon at Harvard Stadium, this adage held true in the Crimson's first victory of the season, a 19-12 win over Cornell.

The Big Red (2-2, 0-2 Ivy) came into the game very confident, following a 34-31 victory over Buffalo in which senior quarterback Mike Hood completed 21 of 27 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns.

These impressive statistics were of little help, however, against the Crimson (1-3, 1-1 Ivy). Hood was just 9 of 22 for a measly 64 yards, far below his standard numbers.

Although Cornell's two-headed backfield of senior Deon Harris and junior Justin Bush was solid--Harris gained 82 yards on 22 carries and Bush managed 95 on nine--inside the 20-yard line the pair could not gain yardage and Cornell was held to field goals on both red zone possessions.

Credit an energized, aggressive defense for containing Cornell's dangerous attack. In a bend-but-don't-break style, Harvard gave up substantial yardage on the ground but stiffened when the end zone approached.

"Playing tough defense inside the 10-yard line is how you win games," captain Brendan Bibro said.

It was in the third and fourth quarters, in particular, when Harvard's defense showed the Ivy League just how good it can be.

On three straight possessions in the third quarter, the Crimson took the ball away, first forcing a fumble by Harris which was recovered by senior Artie Jones. Following Harvard's next possession, in which the offense could muster only a yard, the defense came through again. Junior linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski, who finished with a game-high 11 tackles, made an acrobatic interception off a tipped pass at Cornell's 28-yard line.

After junior John Patton missed a 25-yard field goal try, the defense came up with yet another turnover. This time, however, senior cornerback Glenn Jackson made sure Harvard would capitalize. He intercepted an errant Hood pass and raced 41 yards to the end zone, giving the Crimson a 16-6 lead.

Even after three consecutive takeaways, a Harvard win was not ensured. Bush returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown, and Harvard's offense managed just one field goal more, leaving only a touchdown as the cushion in a 19-12 lead late in the fourth quarter.

Sure enough, the defense was up to the task. A Cornell drive deep into Harvard territory was halted when Kacyvenski took over the game. With the Big Red threatening at Harvard's 30-yard line, the linebacker made two tackles on first and second down and broke up a fourth down pass play, giving the Crimson the ball with 5:12 remaining in the game.

"It came down to their defense making the plays when they had to," Cornell Coach Pete Mangurian said.

Harvard's offense could not maintain possession after the turnover on downs, and once again the defense bailed them out. Cornell moved just 15 yards, as the Crimson forced two straight incompletions on third and fourth down to regain possession and, ultimately, that winning feeling.

"We challenged our defense this week," Harvard Coach Tim Murphy said. "And they really came through."

With five of its remaining six games against Ivy League opponents, Harvard's defense is peaking at the right time. All season, there has never been a question about desire or heart on this team. Saturday, the defense made the plays when it had to and proved that there should be no questions about talent either.