Redemption on the Charles

Victory formation at Harvard Stadium

Columbia 21 Harvard 20

Why Columbia Won

The Lions defense and special teams had a stellar performance, giving the offense enough time to correct its mistakes and eke out a victory. A number of good coaching calls made the difference as well.

Why Harvard Lost

The Crimson left bunches of points on the table, with three failed FG attempts and a few red zone flame outs. Its defense played the run well as usual, but allowed Columbia time to pass mostly at will. 

Key Turning Points

-With Harvard leading 7-0 and just over a minute left in the 1st quarter, the Lions offense got a major shot in the arm with a strong throw and catch from QB Caden Bell to WR Bryson Canty down the sideline for a 43-yard gain. Four plays later, PK Alex Felkins made a 44-yard FG and Columbia was in the game. 

-The following sequence was the first of two times in the game where the special teams, defense, and offensive put together consecutive strong efforts to lead to a score: Still trailing 7-3 and with just over 10 minutes left in the half, Columbia was forced to punt from its own 45. Punter William Hughes nailed the Crimson with a kick that bounced to the Harvard 8. The Lion defense put together a three-and-out, sealed by a nice pass breakup by DB Aaron Brebnor. Harvard then punted it back to Columbia, and the Lions started at their own 45. The ensuing drive included a 29-yard pass to Canty in the middle of the field, and then a 19-yard rush by RB Joey Giorgi to set CU up with a 1st and goal at the Harvard 2. Two plays later, Bell found Canty again for one of the WR's patented tough catches with a man all over him on the edge of the end zone for a 10-7 Lion lead. 

-With about two minutes left in the half and Harvard back ahead by 14-10, the Crimson had a 2nd and 8 at the CU 13 and were looking to take a commanding two-score lead. But two pass breakups in a row by DBs Bryan Bell-Anderson and then Fara'ad McCombs forced Harvard to kick a FG instead and the Lions were still in healthy striking distance down 17-10 at halftime.

-Columbia's first two possessions of the 2nd half ended in interceptions, the first when a Bell pass was tipped high in the air, and the second when Bell forced a pass to WR J.J Jenkins. But that second INT pinned the Crimson at their own 3, and when the Lion defense forced a three-and-out, the ensuing Harvard punt was returned by Carter McFadden 28 yards to the Crimson 12. Columbia was unable to get closer than than the Harvard 7, but they did end up with a FG and trimmed the HU lead to 17-13. 

-With 3:39 left in the 3rd quarter and the Lions now down 20-13, Columbia suffered a bizarre interception when a reception by TE Luke Painton (who had fumbled a ball away earlier in the game). was ripped out of his hands by Harvard's Kobe Joseph and returned to the CU 37. But the Lions special teams saved the day when Harvard's eventual short FG attempt as a result of the turnover was blocked by Brebnor. 

-The result of the blocked FG attempt left the Lions at their own 5 to start the 4th quarter. On 3rd and 7 from the 8, Bell's long pass to WR Marcus Libman was just a bit out of his reach, but there was no call for pass interference despite Libman being tackled by the Harvard defender. CU WR Coach Jerry Taylor rightfully pleaded his case angrily to the ref, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (which amounted to a harmless few yards because of how close the Lions were to their own end zone). 

The Lions proceeded to respond strongly to the officiating snub. The ensuing punt and return left the Crimson with a 1st down at the CU 33. A Harvard holding penalty killed the Crimson's chances at momentum and set up a questionable Crimson decision to go for a 49-yard field goal attempt against the wind. The kick was then blocked by Scott Valentas, picked up by Seth Parker and returned all the way to the HU 40. 

On the ensuing drive, the Lions overcame a 4th and 4 at the Crimson 34 with a good roll out pass from Bell to Canty to keep the drive alive. Three plays later on a 3rd and 6 from the Harvard 25, Bell had enough protection and time to cycle through his otherwise covered receivers and heave a TD pass to a Painton to make it 20-19. After the Lions made the PAT, an offsides penalty gave Columbia the option to go for a 2-point conversion from the 1 1/2 yard line. Despite Lion 2-point conversion attempts failing miserably all year, this one worked when Bell's pass to RB Ryan Young ended with Young slamming down just across the goal line for the 21-20 lead. 

-Harvard's ensuing drive ended with no points scored thanks a great deal to the efforts of LB Anthony Roussos. First on 2nd down and 7 from the CU 38, Roussos stopped superstar Crimson RB Aidan Borguet for just a three yard gain on a pass from Harvard QB Charlie Dean. Then on 3rd down and 4, Roussos nailed Borguet for a two-yard loss. Dean was hurried out of bounds on the ensuing 4th and 6 play by DL Mitch Moyer from behind and backup LB Jack Smiechowski coming up in front of him for only a five yard gain and the Lions got the ball back. 

-After Columbia went three-and-out on its ensuing possession, Hughes booted a strong 64 yard punt for a touchback and the Crimson had 4:17 left in the game to get into FG range. It only took three plays for Harvard to get all the way to the CU 34, all on Dean passes to open receivers. But two plays later on 2nd and 9 from the Columbia 33, Roussos broke up a pass down the middle. On the next play, Smiechowski and fellow backup LB Ryan Hamilton combined to stop a scrambling Dean just a yard shy of a 1st down and forced a 42-yard FG attempt. The kick was partially tipped by DL Patrick Passalaqua and clanged off the left upright. All the Lions had to do after that was kneel down for three plays and the 21-20 win was secured. 

Columbia Positives

-The sloppiness and unimaginative play calling of the last few weeks didn't show up to Harvard Stadium for the Lions. This was team-wide redemption for the players and coaches, who had rightfully been called out for the above issues since the Penn game. 

-Individually, there was an amazing redemption for Painton during the course of the game. After two turnovers he made personally in the contest, he came up with the biggest TD reception of the year for the Lions when it mattered most. 

-99% of fans and most coaches would NOT have had the guts to go for the 2-point conversion that won the Lions the game. It was the gutsy and correct call to make. 

-Punts and punt returns were especially effective and crisp; making a difference in the game.

-The Lion offensive line couldn't push the All-World Harvard D-line around, but it was able to give Bell time to throw on all but one or two occasions. 

-Some stats are more accurate depictions of a game than others. The stats showing strong overall rushing and offensive yardage for Harvard were misleading. The more accurate stats were Harvard's 2 for 13 3rd down conversion rate and its 0-1 on 4th down performance. In other words, the CU defense really stepped up when it counted.  

Columbia Negatives

-Columbia's only consistent defensive weakness - allowing receivers to get wide open on essential downs - continues to rear its ugly head. 

-The Lions were unable to get much of a pass rush going. 

Columbia MVP

-Despite that breakout performance from Roussos, LB and co-captain Scott Valentas was the MVP with 13 tackles, a blocked FG, and an interception. It was an incredible individual effort in the midst of what was very much a team win.