Harvard Football Dominates Stetson 59-7 in Season Opener

DELAND, Fla. — The second year of the Andrew Aurich era started off with a bang as Harvard (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) made quick work of Stetson during a 59-7 demolition in the Sunshine State.

A precise and efficient Crimson offense picked apart the Hatters (1-3) while its defense forced several turnovers and dominated the line of scrimmage.

“This game was all about setting a standard for how we are going to perform as a team for the rest of the year,” Aurich said. “It was four hours of intense focus from everybody on the team.”

In a change from the Murphy era, Aurich fully utilized his roster’s depth — though it’s unclear if this tactic will continue in more competitive matchups. Senior quarterback Jaden Craig — who only played the first half — finished 10 for 13 with 208 yards through the air and two touchdowns as seven different players received rushing attempts and seven unique players caught a pass.

“The defense was playing at a high level,” Aurich said. “They were owning the line of scrimmage and the offensive line was doing the same thing.”

Starting its season off several weeks after the majority of programs, Harvard’s units had the opportunity to test its new playbooks against live opponents for the first time before Ivy League competition begins.

After a surprise onside kick attempt from the Hatters to start the game, the Crimson quickly got started on offense. Senior quarterback Jaden Craig’s first pass of the season found fellow senior wide receiver Caydon Coffman’s arms for an 11-yard gain. Two dynamic Xaviah Bascon rushes resulted in Harvard’s first touchdown of the year with 11:56 remaining in the opening frame.

“I’m confident in all the receivers, tight ends, the whole line, running backs, everyone,” Craig said.

The Crimson’s defense also had immediate success, forcing Stetson to punt. On drive number two, Craig’s darts led a march down the field into the red zone. However, senior running back Isaiah Bullock coughed up the football at the 12-yard line, handing the rock back to Stetson.

On the ensuing play, Hatters quarterback Gavin Rupp had trouble with the snap, giving Harvard back the ball — and a second chance. Bullock ended the back-and-forth, redeeming himself and waltzing into the end zone to extend the lead to 14-0.

Craig then flashed his powerful arm, delivering a 69-yard strike to freshman wide receiver Ryan Tattersall for the team’s third touchdown in as many drives. Hoping to fill the void of Cooper Barkate, Tatterson led all players with 81 receiving yards.

On Stetson’s next drive, safety captain Ty Bartrum forced a fumble that was recovered by junior defensive back Damien Henderson — allowing the Harvard offense to put another seven on the board.

Senior captain Ty Bartum forced a fumble during the first quarter against Stetson By Nicholas T. Jacobsson

Much like the first quarter, Harvard’s offense — now up 28-0 — continued to roll in the second. Craig spread the wealth, delivering on-target throws to senior tight end Ryan Osborne and senior wide receiver Dean Boyd as the Crimson offense marched down the field with little opposition. Sophomore running back Maddux Reid punched in a 2-yard carry to extend the lead to 35-0 with 9:30 left in the half.

Henderson then picked off Rupp in Stetson territory, handing Harvard another prime scoring opportunity on a silver platter. The Crimson offense finally stalled in the red zone, but with plenty of room for Fingersh to nail a 38-yard field goal.

In his final drive of the half, Craig led a rapid two-minute drill, capped off with a deep touchdown pass to Boyd that sent the Crimson to the locker room with a commanding 45-0 lead.

The Hatters returned from the locker room with a renewed spirit, scoring a touchdown on a methodical 12-play, 75-yard drive that shaved nearly seven minutes off the clock. Junior Dante Torres — subbing in for Craig — had his first pass picked off. Stetson failed to score on consecutive drives as Harvard blocked a 43-yard field goal attempt.

The special teams unit blocked a Stetson field goal attempt in the third quarter. By Nicholas T. Jacobsson

Torres led two more touchdown drives in the second half to Harvard’s offensive avalanche to 59 points as the defense held strong and kept the Hatters to just 205 yards of total offense in the game.

After shaking off the rust, the Crimson will return home to take on Brown. After last season’s devastating loss, the team will look to open Ivy League play on a stronger note, particularly with a postseason spot on the line. The game will stream on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. on Sep. 27th.

“That game was on our mind all off season,” Craig said. “We’re going to come hungry and we’re fired up.”

– Staff writer Praveen Kumar can be reached at praveen.kumar@thecrimson.com.

– Staff writer Connor Castañeda can be reached at connor.castaneda@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @castanedasports.