No Fitzpatrick, No Problem

WORCESTER, Mass.-—Ryan Fitzpatrick is not coming back. It seems like Harvard coach Tim Murphy has been reminding himself and his team of that unfortunate fact since the day Fitzpatrick ’05 strode off the field after his final game against Yale last year.

No, the 2004 Ivy Player of the Year will never again wear a big H on his helmet. But for one game at least, his replacements looked perfectly comfortable—and capable of—stepping into his place.

Sophomore Tulane transfer Richard Irvin started the game behind center for the Crimson and, except for one ill-advised throw, appeared in sync with the offense.

On Harvard’s first possession, Irvin opened up the game by throwing four straight completions to four different Crimson receivers. The drive eventually stalled at mid-field, but Irvin looked to be settling in for a big day.

On Harvard’s next possession, Irvin tried to find junior receiver Corey Mazza along the sideline. But Holy Cross cornerback Casey Gough jumped the route, intercepting the ball and returning it for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Irvin never saw the field again and ended his Crimson debut with 43 yards passing.

Still, despite his limited play, Irvin impressed the coaching staff.

“If you take out the interception that Richard had, he played well,” Murphy said. “He made a bad read, but don’t write him off and don’t read too much into it.”

“I think Richard played well today,” Mazza said, “but he just had one bad ball and it really turned out to be bad for him.”

Irvin likely would have seen the field again if it wasn’t for sophomore Liam O’Hagan doing his best Fitzpatrick imitation. Directing the same shotgun offense in which his predecessor thrived, O’Hagan scrambled, darted, and passed his way to 258 yards in the air, 63 on the ground, three touchdowns, and one interception.

“I tried to go out there and be confident in myself,” O’Hagan said. “It’s the biggest stage I’ve played on in my whole life. I’m surrounded by such good players I just wanted to go out there and make good decisions”

After an early interception, O’Hagan’s decision making appeared nearly flawless. He found Mazza for a 22-yard touchdown strike for his first collegiate touchdown pass in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, he added his first rushing touchdown when he took off from the Crusaders’ 22-yard line, raced down the left side of the field, and fearlessly barreled through two defenders at the goal line to get the score.

And after a shaky third quarter that saw Harvard’s lead slip away, O’Hagan even managed to complete the first fourth-quarter comeback of his career when he found senior receiver Ryan Tyler over the middle for a 48-yard touchdown pass.

“When the game was on the line,” Murphy said, “[O’Hagan] made plays. That’s a great intangible to have.”

O’Hagan also wrestled the starting spot away from Irvin—at least for a week—as Murphy said O’Hagan would start in the Crimson’s Ivy opener against Brown next week.

For one day, Murphy didn’t have to remind anybody that Fitzpatrick isn’t coming back. In game one of the post-Fitzpatrick era, Harvard did not miss a beat.

—Staff writer David H. Stearns can be reached at stearns@fas.harvard.edu