When Andy Aurich was introduced last winter as the new Thomas Stephenson family head coach for Harvard football, there was an undercurrent of grumbling, not only that he had never been a head coach before, but perhaps even more about his pedigree: Aurich is a former Princeton player and assistant coach. In Cambridge, my good man, that just wouldn’t do.
Now, after Harvard’s thrashing of Princeton on Saturday at the Stadium, all we can say to the grumps is: We can’t HEAR you!!!
The Crimson’s 45-13 beatdown of the Tigers accomplished a couple of objectives. It moved Harvard to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in Ivy League play, tied for second place with Brown and Columbia, and just behind 3-0 Dartmouth. Princeton dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in Ivy play. The Crimson and the Big Green will have a showdown in Hanover next Saturday which probably will have championship implications. But just as important, especially for purposes of morale, the thumping got the Tiger off of Harvard’s back by snapping a six-game losing streak to Princeton and went a long way toward establishing Aurich as a Harvard man. If on November 23 the Crimson can defeat the other member of the Big Three, Yale, then Aurich might well be in line for an honorary degree. (If he loses, of course, expect the grumblers to return in force. Such is Harvard!)
The victory was achieved by a now-familiar formula: Harvard junior quarterback Jaden Craig throwing to a flotilla of talented receivers, and a defense that rarely let Princeton’s inexperienced quarterback, Blaine Hipa, up for air, sacking him five times. As the game wore on, the Crimson offensive and defensive lines wore down their Tiger counterparts. In fourth quarter Harvard put the game away with 21 unanswered points. Overall the Crimson outgained the Tigers 492 yards to 223.
But for three quarters it was a ballgame. As has been its penchant, Harvard started fast, scoring the first two touchdowns. On its opening series, the Crimson went 80 yards for a touchdown. Craig completed his first four passes and used the runs of sophomore Xaviah Bascon to reach the Princeton 19. (Once again, senior captain running back Shane McLaughlin was sidelined by an injury.) There, on third-and-seven, Craig tossed one to the left back corner of the end zone. Senior wideout Kaedyn Odermann went up high for the ball, snagged it, then somehow managed to come down with a foot or some part of it within the boundary. Touchdown! Or was it? Yes—replay apparently confirmed it. Freshman Kieran Corr kicked the point after touchdown. Harvard 7, Princeton 0.
On the next series Craig was back at it. A Tiger defensive back dropped an almost certain pick-six. On the next play Craig nimbly danced away from the rush, then fired long to sophomore tight end Seamus Gilmartin. The result was a 50-yard gain to the Princeton 10. After a holding penalty on junior wideout Cooper Barkate negated a touchdown and brought the ball back to the 14, Craig found Barkate on the right side of the end zone for a score. Corr booted the point. Harvard 14, Princeton 0.
As so often has happened this season, the foe battled back. Hipa took the Tigers 75 yards in six plays, completing a 27-yard pass to Luke Colella and on the final play of the quarter crashing over the goal himself from three yards out. Sam Massick kicked the point. Harvard 14, Princeton 7.
Early in the second period the Crimson went 80 yards in six plays. Again Craig hit Gilmartin for a long gainer, this one of 30 yards. After a 15-yard jaunt up the middle to the Tiger 21 by freshman Maddux Reid, Craig again connected with Gilmartin, this time in the left side of the end zone. Corr kicked the point. Harvard 21, Princeton 7.
From there until the end of the half the teams exchanged field goals. The first, by Harvard, came after an interception by Crimson junior defensive back Ty Bartrum, who picked off a Hipa pass at the Harvard 30 and returned it to the Tiger 31. The Crimson drive eventually stalled on the 16, whereupon Corr was called on for a 33-yard field goal attempt. The day was blustery and Corr has been shaky, but this time he delivered. Harvard 24, Princeton 7.
Princeton kept the ball for the final 4:38 of the half. On a 15-yard pass completion the feisty Bartrum was called for targeting Tiger receiver Jalen Geer; the call was reversed on replay. Bartrum is too valuable to lose, which was proven moments later when on third-and-four at the Crimson seven, Bartrum flew in from his safety spot and sacked Hipa for a 15-yard loss. On the final play of the half the Tigers’ Jeffrey Sexton kicked a 38-yard field goal. Harvard 24, Princeton 10.
In the third quarter the lead, and maybe a few Crimson throats, tightened when Sexton drilled a 50-yard field goal. Harvard 24, Princeton 13. Recent history beckoned. Now a Tiger touchdown and two-point conversion, plus a field goal, would tie it up.
But as Henry Ford once said, “History is bunk.” Another, more apropos declaration comes from Tim Murphy, Aurich’s predecessor, who was in the house on Saturday being honored along with Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05, plus the championship teams of 1974, 2004, and 2014. Murph (who performed the opening coin toss, which Harvard won) is fond of saying “It’s what’s up front that counts.” And from there on in, the Crimson front lines took over the game.
Late in the third quarter Harvard mounted a 16-play drive. The biggest play came on fourth-and-five from the Princeton 23. Normally we are critical of Aurich’s predilection for going for it on fourth down rather than kicking (in this case, a field goal), but being deep in Tiger territory there was little risk and a successful field goal would still leave the Tigers only two scores behind. So…why not? It helps if you have Jaden Craig. He took the snap, danced around evading the Princeton rush, and fired a laser to Odermann, who caught it amid four Tiger defenders at the 12. Three plays later, from the three, senior quarterback/running back Charles DePrima faked to Bascon, then ran it over the goal line. Corr kicked the point. Harvard 31, Princeton 13. How sweet it is when a gamble pays off.
HARVARD FOOTBALL
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After the Tigers went three and out, swervy 5-foot-8 senior Scott Woods II took a punt return 20 yards back to the Princeton 39. On first down, Craig dropped a pass right into the hands of Barkate, who had beaten his man down the middle. Touchdown. Corr booted. Harvard 38, Princeton 13.
On the next series Hipa was sacked twice, first by senior tackle Jacob Psyk and then by his running mate Tyler Heunemann. After a punt the Crimson got the ball back at its 28. DePrima was now in at quarterback. His brother Landon is a Princeton freshman wide receiver. Their parents, Donna and Charles, must be fast and smart! Charles DePrima the younger bolted first for 31 yards, then for 18. On the eighth play of the drive—all rushes—senior Malik Frederik blasted over the goal from the one. Corr punctuated the win. Harvard 45, Princeton 13.
Craig finished with 25 completions in 32 attempts for 306 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. He is second in passing yards per completion (15.17) in the NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Woods was the reception leader, catching 10 passes, followed by Barkate (six), Gilmartin (four) and Odermann (three). On defense Bartrum led in tackles with nine, trailed by Psyk (six) and sophomore defensive back Damien Henderson (five).
Aurich tried to deflect any attention. “I’ve been so happy for our guys because they really, really wanted this one,” he said. “The focus, the energy, the hard work they put in this week, I’m not surprised by the outcome. I fully expected it.” But he did acknowledge a bit of self-satisfaction. “Now that it’s over, I have buddies from college that were here and I’m excited to go see [them] and rub it in their face that we beat them,” he said.
Attaboy, Coach! You’re already acting like a Harvard man!
TIDBITS: With Harvard’s win, Princeton now leads the all-time series 60-49-7. In the Ivy League era (since 1956), each team has won 33 games and there have been two ties….Harvard has won ten consecutive home games.
THE FIRST-EVER TOUCHDOWN WAS SCORED BY…HARVARD! This past week, a significant football anniversary passed by, little noticed: the 150th anniversary of the first touchdown. According to the website Football Archeology, it was tallied on October 23, 1877, by Gorham P. Faucon, A.B. 1875, C.E. ’77, in a game against McGill that the Crimson won 1-0. By the way, Football Archeology (subscription required) is well worth a look for fans of the old-time game.
Weekly Roundup
Yale 31, Penn 10
Brown 23, Cornell 21
Dartmouth 24, Columbia 21
Coming up: Harvard ventures to Hanover, New Hampshire to battle longtime Ivy rival Dartmouth. Kickoff: 1:30 P.M. TV: ESPN+ (subscription required). Radio: 92.9 FM WBOS, 1330 AM, 1450 AM. The Big Green is 6-0 overall and 3-0 in league play. In a series that began in 1882, Harvard leads 73-48-5 and has won the last two, including 17-9 last season in Cambridge.
THE SCORE BY QUARTERS
Princeton | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 13 | ||
Harvard | 14 | 10 | 0 | 21 | — | 45 |
Attendance: 12, 244
THE SEASON SO FAR: follow Dick Friedman’s dispatches.
Football: Harvard 35-Holy Cross 34
Football: Harvard 38-Cornell 20
Football: Harvard 28-New Hampshire 23
Football: Harvard 35-Stetson 0
Pre-season:
