AROUND THE IVIES: Talented Offense To Top Big Red

Four receptions for 50 yards.

Last season, that line would sum up a pretty average half for Matt Luft. After the senior wideout served as a talented understudy for star Harvard receiver and fellow Thousand Oaks High School grad Corey Mazza ’07-’08 for two years, Luft broke out on his own last season with a stellar junior campaign.

He hauled in 54 catches for 914 yards in 2008, making the All-Ivy First Team and helping the Crimson to its second-consecutive Ancient Eight championship.

But this season, Luft has been all but invisible, those four receptions and 50 yards accounting for his total statistical output. His only real highlight came in the night game against Brown two weeks ago, when he made a twinkle-toes touchdown catch in the back of the endzone.

So why has Luft suddenly fallen from prominence? A big part of it is that opposing defenses know all about him now, and they’ve been sticking their top corners on him while hounding him with double coverage.

Another factor could be the absence of graduated quarterback Chris Pizzotti ’08-’09. While junior Collier Winters has done a fine job behind center, his game revolves around short passes and long runs. Pizzotti had more of a tendency to air the ball out, and at 6’6, Luft is a prime deep-ball target.

Not to mention that Luft has been somewhat banged up—Harvard coach Tim Murphy chose to sit his No. 1 receiver last week in an essentially meaningless non-conference game against Lehigh.

But tomorrow at Cornell, Luft returns to the field, and don’t be surprised if he turns in a vintage performance. Junior Chris Lorditch has proven himself a viable option at receiver, and has been Winters’ favorite target this season. In addition, senior Mike Cook, junior Marco Ianuzzi, and sophomore Adam Chrissis—among others—have provided solid depth at the wideout position. What all this means is that the Big Red defense won’t be able to sit on Luft, and the well-rested big man should have some room to run.

Let’s make some picks for Week 4.

COLGATE (5-0) AT PRINCETON (1-2, 0-1 IVY)

These two teams faced off last night, after this column was written. Judging by how awful Princeton has been (the Tigers lost 38-0 to Columbia last week) and how Colgate has made its bones this season by destroying bad teams, you can give me the benefit of the doubt when I say that my prediction remained unchanged following the end of the game.

Prediction: Colgate 35, Princeton 20

DARTMOUTH (0-3, 0-1 IVY) AT YALE (1-2, 0-1 IVY)

In The Crimson’s football season preview issue, I picked Yale to finish second-to-last in the Ivy League this season. At the time, I was half joking, half trying to be different than everyone else. I didn’t actually think that Bulldogs were the worst team in the Ivy League (non-Dartmouth division), and I’ve picked them to win every week.

Well, maybe I should’ve stuck to my guns. Besides a guaranteed W over lowly Georgetown, Yale has been an utter disappointment. Lucky for the Bulldogs, they get the Big Green in Week 4. Dartmouth did show some life last week, losing by just six to Penn. But this is still Dartmouth we’re talking about. The last time the Big Green won a game, “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and you thought knowing the whole dance was a skill that would always come in handy.

Prediction: Yale 30, Dartmouth 17

NO. 20 HOLY CROSS (4-0) AT BROWN (1-2, 0-1 IVY)

Patriot League titan Holy Cross already dispatched its toughest Ivy League opponent when it beat Harvard in Week 1, and now the Crusaders can expect an easy conquest of their remaining Ancient Eight foes, Brown and Dartmouth.

While the Bears still have a chance to pick themselves up in the Ivy title race, Brown has not looked good thus far. Its 24-21 loss to the Crimson was not as close as the final score indicates, and the Bears’ only win came last week against the remarkably brutal Rhode Island.

That win doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that Brown can stop Crusader field general Dominic Randolph and company as they march into Providence tomorrow.

Prediction: Holy Cross 28, Brown 21

BUCKNELL (3-2) AT PENN (1-2, 1-0 IVY)

Don’t pay attention to Bucknell’s record. The Bisons have been feasting on weak opponents like Marist and Georgetown to get over .500, but any half-decent Ivy team should have no problem taking them down (See Bucknell’s 33-9 loss to Cornell).

As for Penn, I’ve been touting this team all season, but I’m starting to get a little worried after the Quakers only managed to beat Dartmouth by six last week. Let’s see if they can win more convincingly this time around.

Also, I highly recommend that anyone reading this online heads over to the Penn Athletic Department’s website immediately to watch the “Al Bagnoli Show,” featuring the Quakers’ head coach. It’s thoroughly unentertaining, but a great idea. I’d like to lobby the Harvard Athletic Department right now to begin developing the “Joe Walsh Show.” I give it three weeks before a major network decides to give the Harvard baseball coach a multi-year contract.

Prediction: Penn 24, Bucknell 20

COLUMBIA (2-1, 1-0 IVY) AT LAFAYETTE (3-1)

I know I already mentioned this above, but, 38-0. Columbia beat Princeton last week, 38-0. This team has been a dark-horse favorite of many for a while, and now might be the Lions’ time to come into the light. I’m not saying they’re going to take the Ivy title, or even finish in second or third place. But the days where an Ancient Eight team could preemptively mark its game against Columbia down in the win column are long gone.

Prediction: Columbia 17, Lafayette 13

HARVARD (2-1, 1-0 IVY) AT CORNELL (1-2, 1-0 IVY)

If you want a preview of this game, there’s one to the left of this column, or—for those of you in the 21st Century— a few clicks away. I’m going to use this space to issue a few mea culpas.

First, I wrote in last week’s column that after the night game against Brown, Harvard “might not see their audience hit four digits at a home game for the rest of the season.”

That’s completely untrue. In 2007 (when The Game was last at Yale), the Crimson had an average home attendance of 12,405. My bad.

Also, two weeks ago I began my column with a “sonnet.” Actually, no. A sonnet has 14 lines. The mediocre attempt at poetry I churned out had 10. So much for my Harvard education.

Prediction: Harvard 30, Cornell 20

—Staff writer Loren Amor can be reached at lamor@fas.harvard.edu.