LIVE BLOG: HARVARD VS. COLUMBIA (11/8)

FINAL—HARVARD 42, COLUMBIA 28

0:00: There's the final whistle and with that Harvard crushes Columbia in an offensive onslaught. Also, Yale's still beating Brown 6-3.

0:45: With time winding down, this game is all but over.

1:36: Liam O'Hagan in at QB and Michael Doerner lining up in the backfield. Doerner is managing much with his runs.

2:09: A great onsides kick from Columbia is well received by Matt Luft.

2:11: Austin Knowlin just made one hell of a catch in the back left corner of the end zone. Extra point is good. 11 plays for 75 yards, 2:57 time of possession. HARVARD 42, COLUMBIA 28

2:29: Kelly makes an attempt at the end zone, pass is incomplete, but two flags on the play. One is holding on Andrew Berry and the other is pass interference on Derrick Barker. Berry's is declined, but Barker's stands.

3:30: Zack Kourouma does an amazing job to stay on his feet on the third and 20 pass reception, turning what could have been a mediocre 10-yard run into a first down 22 yard run.

4:08: A Columbia pass attempt is broken up by Derrick Barker.

5:17: Wow. Brenton Bryant just snuck up on Shane Kelly and popped the ball loose into the hands of Peter Ajayi, who then runs the ball for a touchdown. Long's extra point is good. HARVARD 42, COLUMBIA 21

6:50: Harvard just punted it away. Columbia takes over at its own 20.

8:12: Brown just went for it on fourth and six and the pass was incomplete so Yale is taking it over at its 31 yard line. Meanwhile, Harvard is still pounding Columbia.

8:54: Eric Schultz just plucks Olawale's pass out of the air and returns it to the Lion 37 yard line. Matt Curtis flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play.

10:38: Pizzotti is truly unable to throw the ball away when under pressure.

11:34: Harvard's just running the ball to run out the clock and because Pizzotti's already 24-37 for 373 yards...through the third quarter.

12:54: Also, since this game isn't particularly interesting, I'll update you on Yale-Brown. It's tied 3-3 and Yale has third and goal. I never thought I'd ever hear myself saying this, but, go get 'em Yale. A Yale win here is really Harvard's only hope for a repeat Ivy title, even if it's just a shared one.

13:50: Matt Hanson just flagged for pass interference—a terrible call. The ball was way overthrown.

13:57: A weird play that looked like Harvard intercepted the ball is somehow incomplete.

FOURTH QUARTER

0:00: The quarter ends and Harvard will be looking at third and 12 when play resumes.

0:31: This game is getting ridiculous. Columbia has three and out and is forced to punt. The only reason this game is close is because Harvard has basically given the Lions two of the touchdowns.

2:59: Also, an update for those who haven't heard. Women's soccer beat Columbia, making the Crimson women Ivy champs.

5:02: Pizzotti hits Matt Luft for 15 yards.

5:26: On the second play of Harvard's drive, a Columbia defender gets a hold of Pizzotti's leg, but he stays standing and gets a pass off to Ben Jenkins, who gets a yard on the play. James Williams is hurt and writhing after the play and is helped off the field.

5:51: Olawale takes the ball into the end zone quickly. Extra point is good. 1 play for 4 yards, 0:06 time of possession. HARVARD 35, COLUMBIA 21

5:57: A high snap to Thomas Hull on the punt rolls back to Harvard's 3-yard line. Hull picks up the ball and tries to punt it off, but whiffs. Columbia recovers.

7:57: Columbia goes for it on fourth and six and can't complete. Harvard takes over.

9:34: On the opening play, Zack Kourouma runs a monster rush down to the Harvard 34.

9:51: Hand off to Gino Gordon for a touchdown. Long hits the extra point. 6 plays for 61 yards, 2:03 time of possession. HARVARD 35, COLUMBIA 14

9:56: Liam O'Hagan in at quaterback for the red zone attack.

10:59: Matt Luft leaps to rope in the 37-yard pass from Pizzotti.

11:13: Pass up the middle to Lorditch gets broken up, but flagrant pass interference is called and Lorditch is down on the play. Poor form, Columbia.

11:54: Chrissis returns the kick to the 39 yard line.

12:07: Austin Knowlin returns the punt 76 yards for a touchdown. The extra point is good. HARVARD 28, COLUMBIA 14

12:30: Harvard has three and out and sets up to punt.

13:54: Columbia can't do anything and is forced to punt it away.

14:49: Hand off to Jordan Davis goes no where.

15:00: A deep kick from Patrick Long is downed in the end zone. Columbia starts its drive at the 20.

THIRD QUARTER

T-18: The Columbia band is just loving being President-elect Barack Obama's alma mater.

0:00: The half comes to a close and this has all the makings of a blowout.

0:18: Pizzotti hits Luft for a touchdown. Long makes the extra point. 2 plays for 16 yards, 0:16 time of possession. HARVARD 28, COLUMBIA 7

0:34: Kelly telegraphs a pass up the middle and it's picked by Crimson President and former football beat writer Malcom Glenn's Rookie of the Year pick Matt Hanson, who returns it to Columbia's 16.

1:21: Shane Kelly in at quarterback for Columbia.

1:37: Pizzotti hits Richards again for a 40-yard touchdown pass. Long finally makes a kick! 7 plays for 79 yards, 2:23 time of possession. HARVARD 21, COLUMBIA 7

2:01: After a holding call puts Harvard back at first and 20, a Gino Gordon run put the Crimson just 13 yards out. Pizzotti then connects with Richards for 25 yards.

4:00: With fourth and inches, Columbia—a team with a great kicker and a lousy offense—decides to go for it and fails.

5:33: Austin Knowlin finds an opening down the left-hand line for a little over nine yards.

6:47: Pizzotti continues the taking time approach which has not been working all day and continues to just get beat up. Harvard is forced to punt and the Columbia receiver just gets laid out by Nico Amaro.

9:39: Olawale just watches as he gets drilled by Matt Thomas and Sonny McCracken.

12:23: After a couple failed attempts at the end zone, Harvard goes for a field goal and Long misses it. Columbia is now driving up the field, and the internet here is still terrible.

SECOND QUARTER

0:00: In the words of Brad Hinshelwood, "It's plays like these that remind you that Columbia has a long way to go athletically."

1:22: Also, for those who are interested, women's soccer is currently tied 1-1 against Columbia. The winner of that game wins the Ivy title.

1:27: On Columbia's first play, Olawale drops back for a pass and it's picked by Berry.

1:44: On the first play of the drive, Pizzotti hits Chris Lorditch for the first time and Lorditch takes it 76 yards. Then Liam O'Hagan is brought in for the two-point conversion and he hits Chrissis for a successful completion. 1 play for 76 yards, 0:13 time of possession. HARVARD 14, COLUMBIA 7

2:04: As Olawale was about to get sacked, he gets a pass off to Zack Kourouma, who takes it in for a touchdown. 6 plays for 39 yards, 2:50 time of possession. COLUMBIA 7, HARVARD 6

3:14: Internet here is terrible! Meanwhile, M.A. Olawale is putting on a show.

5:10: Crimson just ran its first straight run play.

5:52: Pizzotti, Andrew Berry, and Eric Schultz just got a shout out from the PA for their ESPN the Magazine All-District distinctions.

8:00: Pizzotti is taking way too much time in the pocket and it is not working. He is getting really hurried.

10:01: A quick three and out for Columbia, brings up Harvard's second possession. Maybe the Crimson can control the clock for the second week in a row.

10:56: Pizzotti hits Levi Richards in the end zone for the touchdown—Richards had plenty of room between him and his defender. Patirck Long misses the kick. 12 plays for 93 yards, 4:04 time of possession. HARVARD 6, COLUMBIA 0

11:52: We're having some slow internet access tying us up here—bandwidth must be taken up by the Columbia student radio guys behind us. But Pizzotti is just marching up the field. Luft brought down a great 22-yard pass and Chrissis kept his feet in for an amazing 27-yard completion.

14:40: Chris Pizzotti drops back for a pass and almost gets demolished from his blindside, but gets the pass off to Chrissis.

14:53: Adam Chrissis receives the kick, drops it, picks it up, runs for minimal yardage, gets hit, fumbles it again, and the ball is recovered by Harvard.

15:00: Columbia wins the coin toss but defers. Harvard will receive the opening kick at the open end of the stadium.

T-2: We're here at Harvard Stadium, bringing you live coverage of Saturday's matchup between Harvard and Columbia.