Rose From The Dead: Senior relieves Fitzpatrick, leads Football in sloppy 24-17 win

PRINCETON, N.J.—It took a chronic back condition and a sophomore overachiever to loosen senior Neil Rose’s hold on Harvard’s starting quarterback role.

Against Princeton, it took one typically efficient drive for Rose to reclaim it. Or, at the very least, to reopen the issue.

After coming off the bench for sophomore starter Ryan Fitzpatrick in the second quarter Saturday, the Crimson’s captain-turned-clipboard-holder overcame an unremarkable opening series to direct a crisp 43-yard scoring drive that snapped a 7-7 tie in the first half. Harvard was never behind again and, as far as the depth chart was concerned, neither was Rose.

With its elder statesman back in charge, the Crimson (4-2, 3-0 Ivy) held on for the 24-17 win at Princeton Stadium to stay undefeated in Ivy play.

The victory dismissed the Crimson’s most imposing challenger yet in its bid for an Ivy title repeat. Penn now looms as the most formidable remaining obstacle for the Crimson, who won Saturday despite racking up its fewest total yards of offense in over a year.

What offense Harvard did muster was a credit to Rose, who set the school mark for career completions Saturday despite not knowing whether he’d see more than a single series going into the day.

“I didn’t really think about that,” Rose said after the game. “I just wanted to go out there and try to execute. I knew that we were going up against a really good defense and I found myself back in the pocket with maybe one guy open at most. I’m really just fighting to get back to where I was.”

Fitzpatrick—who earned the starting nod last week after Rose struggled in his first game back from sciatica against Northeastern—was held in check by Princeton (4-2, 2-1) Saturday. Despite presiding over the Crimson’s first touchdown—a 6-yard scamper by senior Nick Palazzo—the sophomore rushed for just seven yards and completed only four passes.

The Tigers’ defense eventually solved Rose, too—the Crimson failed to advance the ball more than 23 yards on any of its last five possessions. Still, Harvard had amassed 24 points by then and gaining victory was just a matter of hanging on.

With under two minutes left and Princeton holding out for one last possession, Murphy inserted Fitzpatrick back into the game, only to see him get hit for a loss on the next two plays. Harvard was forced to punt and Princeton took over at its own 25 with 1:05 left to play.

But Princeton quarterback Matt Verbit, who had replaced injured starter David Splithoff, fired a second-down pass straight into the arms of junior defensive end Brian Garcia. The pick was the exclamation point on an emphatic statement by the Harvard defense, which choked the Tigers’ option offense and clamped down on Princeton’s aerial efforts Saturday.

Harvard’s athletic secondary was critical on both of those fronts, joining in blitzes off the edge to contain the running game and neutralizing Princeton’s big-play potential. Junior cornerback Chris Raftery and senior safety Juano Queen led the team in tackles with 12 and 11, respectively. Both also had interceptions.

“We’ve had growing pains,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said of his defense. “[But] the last ten quarters we’ve played have been very good defensive football. … The defense deserves the lion’s share of the credit for getting us out of here with a [win].”

“We’ve given up a few big plays earlier this season,” added junior linebacker Dante Balestracci. “It’s been a focus of our defense to try to not give up the big plays and make them earn it.”

In all, the Harvard defense generated five turnovers against the Tigers, setting the offense up with solid field position all day. The Crimson converted three of those for points, even though it did not score a passing touchdown for the first time since Sept. 18, 2000 against Holy Cross.

Coincidentally—or perhaps not so coincidentally—that game also marked the last time a healthy Rose wasn’t given the starting nod. Senior Barry Wahlberg, now a pitcher on the Harvard baseball team, started the game two years ago, but Rose came off the bench and completed 7-of-9 passes. That earned him the job outright and he’s owned it ever since.

Until, that is, last week. But Saturday might prove to be the day Rose regained it.

Princeton’s defense didn’t allow much, but Rose spotted what open receivers there were to be found, including old friend and senior Carl Morris six times for 106 yards and another favorite target, junior tight end Matt Fratto, four times for 46 yards.

Rose completed 13-of-19 passes for 170 yards overall. Still, Murphy refused Saturday to name his starter for next week’s game at Dartmouth.

“I’ll answer that the same way I answered it last week,” Murphy said in response to questions about the revived controversy. “It’s something we’ll have to evaluate.”

Rose’s entrance Saturday came as scheduled in the second quarter. The Crimson only moved the ball 20 yards on that series, but Harvard did gain its first first down in three possessions. That was enough to earn Rose another chance under center after Princeton went three-and-out.

“We just felt it was the right time to put him in,” Murphy said. “He gave us a spark. He just played a very smart, gutsy football game. … Neil did a good job of getting the ball to the few people that were open today.”

Rose made the most of his extended playing time, managing the clock during a 37-yard march that produced a 29-yard field goal by freshman Jim Morocco right before the half.

Morocco, who was named the starting placekicker in place of maligned senior Anders Blewett last week, was also perfect on three PAT attempts.

In the third-quarter, Rose orchestrated a drive that produced what proved to be the game-winning score. Unlike other games this year that have featured youngsters like Fitzpatrick and Rodney Byrnes as the stars, this march was vintage Harvard circa 2001. It incorporated two pretty passes to Morris—one for 14 yards, one for 37—and culminated in a one-yard scamper by Palazzo, his third short-yardage score of the day.

That’s when Princeton started chipping away, scoring 10 unanswered points over the next two quarters.

Late in the third, on Princeton’s first play from scrimmage on the Harvard 30, Splithoff lofted a made-to-order interception. Queen was poised to haul it in, but Raftery collided with him and the ball fell to the ground, incomplete.

It was the one time in the game when Raftery’s aggressiveness cost Harvard. Princeton gained a first down two plays later on an 8-yard scamper by Splithoff. Kicker Derek Javarone eventually nailed a 30-yard field goal to move Princeton within two scores.

The Tigers closed in again midway through the fourth quarter. A 16-yard touchdown pass by Verbit to wide receiver Chisom Opara capped a 89-yard drive and narrowed the Tigers’ deficit to 24-17.

Princeton tried an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but junior linebacker Dante Balestracci smothered the squibber at the Tigers’ 49-yard line. Harvard managed just eight yards from scrimmage on that next possession and had to punt yet again.

But by that point, giving the ball back to Princeton wasn’t the significant risk for Murphy that it might have been three weeks ago. Not with the way the Harvard defense has been playing of late.

Two plays later, of course, Garcia justified Murphy’s faith and t1he win was clinched.

—Staff writer Brian E. Fallon can be reached at bfallon@fas.harvard.edu.