Chapple Explodes In Win Over Cornell

For Harvard junior quarterback Colton Chapple, stepping into the spotlight has become second nature.

“I’m just helping out the team,” Chapple said. “[Senior quarterback] Collier [Winters] went down in Week 1, and I wanted to pick up right where he left off. It’s great to be able to go out there and play.”

In his first three starts of the season, Chapple has done more than just fill the role of his injured teammate, leading Harvard to three consecutive victories.

But it was Chapple’s most recent outing that permanently etched his name into the record books.

“Cornell is a defense that you have to throw over to beat,” Chapple said.

And throw he did.

Chapple completed 28 of 38 passes for 414 yards and four touchdowns in the Crimson’s 41-31 victory at Cornell on Saturday.

The performance ranks as the second-highest single-game yardage total in Harvard football history.

Chapple’s offensive onslaught shattered his previous career high of 207 yards, which he set in a home game against Brown earlier this season.

In a performance blemished only by a single interception, Chapple torched the Big Red defense, passing for more than 20 yards nine times and averaging just under 11 yards per completion.

The quarterback commanded an offensive attack that accounted for 14 of its 24 first downs through the air.

But it took about two quarters for the quarterback to get comfortable in the pocket.

“Personally, I feel like I struggled in the first half,” Chapple said. “[After that] I really just settled down, took what the defense gave me, and got the ball to our playmakers out on the edge. They made me look good.”

The signal-caller rose to the occasion after halftime, mixing several electrifying plays into his successful orchestration of the Crimson offense.

Chapple kept the entire offense involved, completing at least one pass of more than 25 yards to five different receivers and throwing all three of his second-half touchdown passes from outside the red zone.

But it was his first touchdown pass of the second half, a 42-yard strike to senior wide receiver Alex Sarkisian with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter, that ignited the Crimson offense.

“After the defense got a turnover on downs, we came out and scored that touchdown and really started to get the momentum going,” Chapple said. “That’s what helped us go on to win the game.”

Chapple found an opening in a Cornell defense that allowed just 130 yards on the ground.

“The defense was a little bit different than what we had anticipated,” Sarkisian said. “But Colton did a great job adjusting and just put the ball out there and gave me a shot to make a play. It was a great pass.”

The Crimson struck again on its next possession, as Chapple connected with sophomore tight end Cameron Brate for a 27-yard score to open the fourth quarter.

All game, Chapple was able to complete long passes down field to set the Crimson up for scoring chances.

His 41-yard completion to senior wide receiver Chris Lorditch with just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter set up an 11-yard touchdown pass to senior wide-receiver Adam Chrissis just three plays later.

“Colton’s been playing great,” Lorditch said. “He’s done a great job for us. We’re sitting here at 3-1, and Colton’s a big part of the reason why.”

Chapple found Lorditch again in the fourth quarter, this time for a 29-yard pass that led to his 26-yard touchdown toss to junior tight end Kyle Juszczyk on the next play.

Chapple earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors after out-dueling Cornell sophomore quarterback Jeff Mathews, who threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns.

But for Chapple, improving the Crimson’s Ivy League record mattered most.

“Cornell is a really great team,” Chapple said. “It’s good to start the league season at 2-0.”

He didn’t know that he amassed over 400 passing yards until Harvard coach Tim Murphy told him after the game. Chapple didn’t even recognize the magnitude of his accomplishment until he looked at the previous records in the team’s media guide.

“That’s when I realized how big of a deal it was,” Chapple said.