The RaHooligan

They were subtle asides, but hard to ignore. Following Harvard’s 26-6 drubbing of Cornell, head coach Tim Murphy had the following to say about his defense:

“This may be as good a defensive effort since we’ve been here,” Murphy said. He meant, since he’d been running the Crimson—for the last eight years.

Further pressed about Harvard’s 4-0 record, Murphy offered that the current squad “has more experience than the 1997 team.”

A quick history lesson: in 1997, Harvard went undefeated in the Ivy League, steamrolling opponents in the best Harvard football season ever.

You have to forgive Murphy for talking about the past. Three straight seasons have ended in heartbreak and losses to Yale. Four big wins in four weeks have let the Crimson’s head coach hint that another undefeated season and Ivy championship are on the way.

Is it wishful thinking or an educated guess?

Watching the Crimson defense dismantle the Big Red in Ithaca this weekend was a privilege. Harvard’s stifling run defense clicked with the return of sophomore linebacker Dante Balestracci. His presence seemed to energize the squad, which held Cornell to -3 rushing yards.

In addition to Dante’s ten tackles, senior defensive lineman Marc Laborsky continued to impress, getting two sacks and four tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Even more impressive was the defensive secondary, which has been widely acknowledged around the league as Harvard’s weak point. Crimson cornerbacks Willie Alford and Benny Butler made almost no mistakes.

Alford, who’s been burned by taller wide receivers this year, had five solo tackles. With some of the hits he laid down Saturday, Ivy offenses will think twice before going his way. And even though Butler went down with a neck injury, backup Ryan Dickerson has picked up the slack.

When Murphy talked about experience, he had to be thinking about the offense as well. The Neil Rose-Carl Morris connection is turning into the stuff of legend. Rose hasn’t made one downfield mistake yet, and Morris, despite his punt-returning troubles, is the most explosive player Harvard has had in a while.

Running backs Josh Staph and Nick Palazzo are living a dream behind the Crimson’s most potent weapon, its offensive line. Seniors Danny Kistler, Justin Stark, Jason Hove, Steve Collins and junior Jamil Soriano form the Ivy’s best offensive line.

Staph and Palazzo ran free against the Big Red, gaining five to six yards on every carry. Rose has barely been touched this year, and with more than enough time in the pocket he has tossed six touchdowns and no interceptions.

With all this talent and a 2-0 Ivy record, can Harvard go undefeated and win the league? Probably.

The Crimson overcame big tests in beating Brown and Cornell. The Bears are one of the top three teams in the league, while Cornell has been Murphy’s nemesis in years past. Harvard had lost the last two contests against the Big Red by one point each, and stomping them out Saturday put the entire team on Cloud Nine.

Harvard also has a favorable schedule. This weekend’s home game against Princeton shouldn’t be a problem. Harvard has had Princeton’s number in recent years, and the No. 1 weapon for the Tigers, quarterback Dave Splithoff, will have his hands full.

Harvard hosts Dartmouth the next week. The Big Green has been the Ivy’s most surprising team this year, losing to Penn by one and then defeating Yale. But if anyone’s going to stop Dartmouth’s passing attack, it’s Tim Murphy. He has embarrassed more Dartmouth teams than the Big Green cares to remember.

A week later, Harvard travels to New York for another softie, Columbia.

Where Murphy’s going to really have to earn his salary is in the final two weeks, when Harvard hosts Penn and then finishes off at Yale. The last time the Quakers were at the Stadium, they escaped with a last-second victory in 1999. They repeated the last-second heroics last year.

I predict this pattern will stop. In an offensive shootout, led by Neil Rose for Harvard and Gavin Hoffman for Penn, the Quakers have the advantage. Right now, Penn has the higher-rated defense. But by the time the squad rolls into Cambridge in November, Penn will have faced some of the tougher teams in the league. Barring any new injuries, the Crimson ought to be in better shape. For once, Harvard ought to escape with a last-second victory.

That game will probably decide the Ivy title, because—listen up, seniors—Yale doesn’t stand a chance in The Game if Harvard rolls into town with eight straight victories. For the first time in four years, the Crimson ought to exorcise the Bulldog demon.

Coach Murphy, I completely understood what you were trying to intimate this weekend. Harvard is 4-0 and ready to roll. You don’t want to say it now, but in a month that title ought to be yours. Then you can stop talking about 1997, and start talking about 2001. Probably.