Football Pulls Out Win in Triple Overtime

WORCESTER--The game hung in the balance for over three hours. Starting in the fourth quarter, the Harvard football team traded scores with Holy Cross. Each team scored crucial touchdowns in the closing minutes of play.

The trend continued in overtime. On each squad’s first two possessions, the Crusaders and Harvard both managed to push the ball into the end zone. But for Harvard, the third time was the charm.

After the defense forced a Holy Cross missed field goal, the Crimson finally had a chance to put the game away. And sophomore running back Paul Stanton would not be denied. On the Crimson’s third possession of overtime, the sophomore running back took the ball into the end zone from 17 yards out for the game-winning touchdown.

It took three overtimes to get there, but Harvard ended on top, winning 41-35 in Worcester, Mass.

“For much of the game they really outplayed us and outcoached us,” Crimson coach Tim Murphy said. “Our defense was really heroic in keeping us in the game. At the end of the day, our kids showed tremendous resiliency and I’m so proud of the character of our football team.”

The Crimson demonstrated resilience all day long. While Holy Cross outgained Harvard 461 yards to 342, the Crimson made vital plays down the stretch when it needed them most.

With just over three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, it looked as if Harvard was down and out. Holy Cross had marched from its own nine-yard line down the field into Crimson territory. Then, on a second down, Crusaders quarterback Peter Pujals found wide receiver Nate Stanley streaking down the right sideline for a 20-yard touchdown completion. For the first time all game, Holy Cross had seized the lead, 21-14.

But Harvard quarterback junior Conner Hempel did not let that last long. On a crucial third down, Hempel dipped and dodged to evade several Crusaders defenders and pick up the first down. Three plays later, senior tight end Cam Brate found an opening in the back of the end zone. Just like that, the game was tied at 21. Harvard needed just under two and a half minutes to march 84 yards down the field.

“We had a play drawn up for [Brate],” Hempel said. “He beat one guy and was double-covered, but force it to Brate, that’s my motto. For a clutch play, you can throw it to Brate because he’s going to make it.”

In the first overtime, both teams punched the ball in for touchdowns. After Pujals converted a third-and-five pass for a score, Hempel responded with a short touchdown pass to senior tight end Tyler Ott.

The same thing happened in the second period of extra time. Stanton, who finished the game with 158 total yards and two touchdowns, pushed his way through the Crusaders line for the score. Pujals responded in turn with another touchdown pass.

Finally, in the third overtime, the Crimson defense made the crucial stop, and the Harvard offense would capitalize to seal the hard-fought victory.

The win was the team’s first at Holy Cross since 2005.

Nearly forgotten in the dramatic affair was that Hempel left the game midway through the first half with a hyperextended knee. The junior was replaced by senior Michael Pruneau, but Hempel returned to the game in the third quarter and seemed to be at full strength.

The Crusader defense didn’t seem to mind which of the two Crimson quarterbacks was in the game. Despite eventually coming out on top, the Harvard offense struggled to move the ball for much of the game. Holy Cross won the time of possession battle, controlling the ball for 35:21 in regulation, as the Crimson offense struggled to keep its defense off the field. At halftime, Harvard only accumulated 88 total yards. Through the end of the third quarter, Harvard had only thrown for a total of 80 yards.

While the Harvard offense couldn’t get anything going for much of the game, the defense more than picked up the slack, forcing four turnovers, all fumbles by Pujals.

On the first Holy Cross possession of the second half, junior defensive end Zach Hodges continued to make his presence felt up front. Hodges beat his blocker, got to Pujals, and hit him from behind, forcing a fumble that was picked up by sophomore linebacker Eric Medes in the end zone for the score.

The play, which put Harvard up 14-7, gave the Crimson defense a touchdown for the third straight week. Just a few plays later, senior linebacker Matt Martindale broke through the line untouched and forced yet another Pujals fumble.

Although the Crimson failed to take advantage of two fumbles, the team made Holy Cross pay after senior defensive end Nnamdi Obukwelu applied a big hit to force a fumble late in the first quarter. Four plays later, junior running back Andrew Casten capped a 33-yard touchdown drive by bullying his way up the middle through defenders into the end zone for the first score of the game.

Holy Cross responded in turn in the second quarter when Pujals found wide receiver Mike Fess running a fade route in the corner of the end zone to tie the game at seven. Pujals would finish with 345 yards through the air.

“When the play would break down, he just seemed to have it today,” captain Joshua Boyd said. “It’s unbelievable as a freshman to have that kind of poise. He made some great plays today.”

The Harvard special teams unit also made its presence felt early in the game. On the Crusaders’ opening drive, senior defensive back Norman Hayes came flying through the line to block a punt, which bounced back into Holy Cross territory.

But the Crimson didn’t take advantage. Three plays later, Hempel threw an interception after scrambling to his right.

—Staff writer David Steinbach can be reached at david.steinbach@thecrimson.com.