Football Evades Columbia, Vaults into First

This Saturday at Harvard Stadium, there was no heartbreak for Harvard football. Only a heart attack.

After riding a wild third quarter to a 28-14 lead over Columbia (2-6, 1-4 Ivy), the Crimson conceded a late score and had to hang on for the final four minutes. But hang on Harvard did.

The result was only final when junior safety Tanner Lee corralled a Hail Mary toss. At that point, the Crimson (7-1, 5-0 Ivy) escaped with a 28-21 win and, thanks to a Penn loss to Princeton, moved into sole ownership of first in the Ivy League.

“I told them in the third quarter as soon as we got the score [of Penn-Princeton],” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “I went up and down the sideline and told as many guys as I could tell.”

The Lions came within seven with 4:02 left. Subbed in to replace fumble-prone starter Anders Hill, quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg marched his team 84 yards down the field and tossed a four-yard score to freshman receiver Josh Wainwright.

A three-and-out for the Harvard offense brought Mornhinweg back onto the field with a chance to tie the topsy-turvy contest. But on three of four plays, the Crimson pressured the quarterback into incompletions.

“We know they have to get the ball downfield,” said Lee, who blitzed twice in that series. “With our defensive linemen, our speed off the edge, that’s pretty tough to do.”

After another brief Harvard possession, the Lions offense had one final opportunity—in this case to go 93 yards in under a minute. The task proved too tall, as Mornhinweg failed to cross midfield before throwing the game-ending pick.

On the day, the Crimson outgained Columbia 385 to 259, with Viviano leading the way with 260 passing yards. Over 100 of those yards went to sophomore wide receiver Adam Scott, who has emerged as a real athletic threat in recent weeks.

Meanwhile the defense held the visitors to 66 total yards rushing. Noticeably absent was captain and shutdown corner Sean Ahern, who suited up but stayed on the sidelines due to an upper-body injury.

Columbia led 14-7 after two quarters, but the game took several rollercoaster turns at the start of the third.

On the opening kickoff, Harvard defensive back Cole Thompson popped the ball loose from the rookie Wainwright at the 13. When Viviano rumbled forward to set up a first-and-goal from the one, a score seemed certain.

It was not. After a false-start penalty, Viviano floated a pass into the chest of Lions standout Brock Kenyon. A late flag kept the Stadium in suspense, but eventually, with Murphy protesting on the sidelines, Columbia snapped the ball from the one.

Three plays later, Columbia coach Al Bagnoli was the one complaining. Sophomore defensive end D.J. Bailey—who has dominated competition all season—wrapped up Hill and stripped the ball at the 27.

So ended a stretch of 3:32 with three turnovers. A few plays later, sophomore running back Charlie Booker bounced to the outside and streaked untouched for a 15-yard score. Game tied at 14.

“Energy—that’s what changed at halftime,” Lee said. “On offense, Joe Viviano [was] getting everybody fired up, so I think that’s what sparked our third quarter.”

The go-ahead touchdown came five minutes later. First the Crimson had to overcome a third-and-10 from the Lions 38. Brazenly Columbia lined up for an all-out blitz, leaving only three defensive backs for single coverage.

In playground fashion, Viviano lobbed the ball to Scott, who hauled in the 32-yard gain. Soon after, senior halfback Anthony Firkser grabbed a wide-open touchdown—his seventh of the year. The Lions never led again.

Harvard’s 28 points belied the talent of the Columbia defense. In the first 30 minutes, the Lions recorded five quarterback takedowns and forced five punts.

Yet it was special teams more than defense that gave the Lions an early lead. Two Harvard miscues in particular shaped the opening half.

Punt returner Alex LaPolice committed the first mistake. In position to return a high floating punt, the sophomore let the ball slip through his hands. Free safety Ryan Gilbert recovered, and six plays later, Hill slung a back-shoulder touchdown to freshman Ronald Smith II.

The second miscue had a more immediate impact. Four minutes into the second quarter, junior Zach Schmid lined up for a punt. The Lions, who had previously focused on return blocking, decided to bring heavy pressure.

Linebacker Michael Murphy got to Schmid first. The Tampa, Fla. native blocked the kick, and teammate Hunter Lunsford scooped up the ball and rumbled to the end zone.

Harvard hadn’t trailed in regulation since Oct. 15. But on this Saturday afternoon, the team faced a 14-7 deficit at the half.

“It was a little bit frustrating,” Viviano said. “The way we played in the first half, we all knew that’s not the way we were supposed to be playing.”

The Crimson seemed ready to even the score midway through the second quarter, when the team moved 85 yards to the Columbia one. Then Murphy faced a key decision: to kick a field goal or try for a touchdown.

He chose the more aggressive route. Viviano faked pistol formation before snapping under center—something the Crimson offense rarely does. The lack of practice showed, as Viviano mishandled the ball and crumpled to the turf. Roars from the Lions sideline.

The third-quarter flood of turnovers and points erased the pain of that mishap. The Harvard surge was complete when senior defensive tackle Doug Webb stripped Hill at the Lions' 22.

On the next play, a delayed screen left Scott wide open on the sideline. Like a track sprinter, he dashed straight into the end zone.

That score was the sophomore’s second of the game. He recorded his first on Harvard’s fourth drive of the game.

Facing a third-and-one from the Columbia 29, Murphy gambled for a big gain, sending Scott on a deep go route. Viviano—who has struggled at times with long passes—nailed this one, lofting the ball over cornerback Cameron Roane and into Scott’s hands.

Little could anyone know at the time, but those seven points proved crucial on an afternoon when the Lions refused to go away.

“Our kids know that there’s so much parity in our league,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “They know that a lot of games are going to come down to the wire, so you’ve got to be a good fourth quarter team.”

—Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached at sam.danello@thecrimson.com.