It’s Officially A Controversy At QB

As the Harvard football team trotted out onto the field for its first series against Northeastern Saturday, it seemed like 2001 again with No. 16 comfortably situated at the helm of the Crimson’s offensive attack.

The sight was fleeting.

Harvard captain Neil Rose’s stay on the field was brief, lasting only midway through the second quarter. In what has become a familiar spectacle this season, he was replaced by sophomore Ryan Fitzpatrick, who promptly led the Crimson on an 11-play, 72-yard touchdown scoring drive.

Unlike Fitzpatrick’s previous appearances, however, a Rose injury was not the cause of his entrance. While a nerve condition had kept Rose completely out of the previous two games, on Saturday he was declared healthy enough to start. Yet once again it was Fitzpatrick who closed out the game for the Crimson.

“The plan was ... the guy with the most rhythm and tempo would keep going,” said Harvard coach Tim Murphy.

Since the beginning of the season— even before Rose’s injury flared up—Murphy had made it a point to give Fitzpatrick the opportunity to lead one drive in the second quarter.

Save for the sophomore’s involvement on a single play in the first quarter—a trick reverse to senior Carl Morris that resulted in a loss of five yards—Saturday’s game was no exception. This time, though, Fitzpatrick used the opportunity to state emphatically his claim as the team’s No. 1 QB.

Fitzpatrick accounted for all of Harvard’s scoring, going 15-of-34 for 155 yards passing and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a team-leading 81 yards and nearly pulled out a game-winning drive in the last two minutes, converting on two crucial fourth-down passes.

Rose’s numbers were unimpressive—6-of-19 for 54 yards with no touchdowns—and his two weeks spent on the sidelines were plainly evident. He had little help, as his offensive line provided scant protection and the Crimson receivers struggled to get open

Though Rose remains an excellent orchestrator of the Harvard offense, Saturday’s performance raised doubts as to who is currently the most effective man for the job. Murphy has previously stated that “Fitzy’s job is in the future,” but recent events indicate that the future is happening sooner than expected.

Still, the decision regarding the starting quarterback will still be made on a week-to-week basis. As Rose continues to re-adjust and Fitzpatrick persists in putting up impressive numbers, it is up to Murphy to determine what will be best for the team as a whole.

“We’ll reevaluate, sleep on it, watch the video and decide on Monday for Princeton,” said Murphy.