In its game against Merrimack last Saturday at the Stadium, the Harvard football team’s offense kept moving down the field but struggling to score touchdowns. That’s when D.J. Gordon took the ball into his own hands. Two scintillating scoring runs later, Gordon had broken the game open and the Crimson eased to a 31-7 victory over the Warriors.
Harvard—which entered the game ranked No. 18 in the Stats Performance Football Championship Series poll and rose to No. 14 with the win—remains undefeated, moving to 5-0 overall (and 2-0 in Ivy play). The Warriors, who are an independent, dropped to 3-5.
Gordon, a sophomore, is listed on the roster as a quarterback. But on this day, he did a convincing imitation of a running back, particularly on his 24-yard and 19-yard touchdown rambles. Overall, Gordon gained a game-high 104 yards with an eye-popping 13.0-yard average. Perhaps he will be used as a Swiss army knife the way quarterback Charles DePrima ’25 was last season, a role that earned DePrima All-Ivy honors.
As usual, Andrew Aurich, the Stephenson family coach for Harvard football, was not totally satisfied. “Happy with the effort, not happy with the execution,” he said. Aurich did laud Merrimack: “That defense was very good.”
HARVARD FOOTBALL
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On a gorgeous fall day with the Head of the Charles Regatta taking place across Storrow Drive, Harvard started out in its usual fashion: jumping out to an early lead. Senior quarterback Jaden Craig looked sharp on a 10-play, 88-yard drive, completing all four of his pass attempts. The big plays were a 20-yard flanker-around by senior speedster Cam Henry, a 16-yard pass from Craig to junior tight end Seamus Gilmartin, and the capper, a 14-yarder from Craig to a wide-open senior tight end Ryan Osborne in the end zone. Sophomore Kieran Corr kicked the extra point. Harvard 7, Merrimack 0. That’s the way the first quarter ended.
Thus commenced a long stretch during which the Crimson moved the ball at will but could not cash in with touchdowns. In the middle of the second quarter, a 39-yard bomb from Craig to sophomore wideout Brady Blackburn, which dropped right in the bucket, brought the ball to the Merrimack 41. (“NFL throw,” said former Harvard coach Tim Murphy, doing commentary for ESPN+.) The Crimson got as far as the Warriors’ six before stalling and settling for a 27-yard Corr field goal. Harvard 10, Merrimack 0.
Then the Warriors got on the board. Their elusive quarterback, Ayden Pereira, led them on an 11-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 20-yard run by Galamama Mulbah. Carlton Thai booted the extra point. Harvard 10, Merrimack 7.
Only 2:35 remained in the half, but that was enough time for Craig to take the Crimson from its 25 to the Warriors’ three. The key play was a 42-yard pass from Craig to Henry. But again, Harvard could not score a touchdown. In trotted Corr, who kicked a 22-yard field goal. Harvard 13, Merrimack 7. At the half the Warriors had to feel very good about themselves.
The start of the third quarter brought more of the same—almost. The Crimson reached the Merrimack three. On third down, Craig flipped toward Gilmartin in the back of the end zone. The ball was deflected into the hands of Warriors defensive back RJ Chapman. At first it appeared that Chapman was out of bounds when he caught the ball, but a video review showed he was in bounds. Interception—only Craig’s second all season.
But Merrimack’s ensuing drive ended with a punt that landed at the Warriors’ 38. Gordon’s hour had rung. First, he gained 14 yards. On the next play, he took the ball and burst up the middle. Near the end zone, Warrior Nate Palanica Jr. got a hold of Gordon’s facemask. No matter—Gordon dragged Palanica over the goal line. For the conversion, Aurich elected to go for two, but with a gimmick. He lined several men way over to the left, leaving Craig behind the snapper and a coterie of backs and ends behind Craig. Craig took the snap and flipped to Blackburn in the end zone. Two points! Harvard 21, Merrimack 7.
That score gave the Crimson some breathing room, and they got some more when another drive yielded a 21-yard Corr field goal. Harvard 24, Merrimack 7.
In the fourth period, Gordon administered the coup de grace. An 81-yard Crimson drive featured two Craig-to-Osborne hookups, the first for 15 yards and the second for 36. From the Warriors’ 30, Gordon slashed to the 19. Two plays later, he took a handoff from Craig, then sliced and slalomed his way into the end zone. Corr punctuated. Harvard 31, Merrimack 7.
After the game, Gordon was humble. “The [other] running backs have really taken me under their wing,” he said. “The guys who deserve the credit are the O-line.” As for what his real position is: “At the end of the day, I am a football player.”
Craig finished with a routine (for him) day, completing 17 out of 29 attempts for 305 yards and one touchdown. His numbers would have been even better had some intended receivers not dropped on-target passes. The defense mostly contained Pereira, with senior safety and captain Ty Bartrum making a game-high 11 tackles. Sophomore linebacker Dorsey Benefield was next with nine, but near the end of the game he came off the field with an injured arm that could impact the Crimson going forward. Sophomore defensive back Xaden Benson had five tackles, two pass breakups, and an interception to end the first half.
Next week begins the All-Ivy phase of Harvard’s schedule—five games to the finish. It commences with Harvard visiting Aurich’s alma mater, Princeton, also unbeaten in league play. The coach wouldn’t admit that his return to Old Nassau is any more special than any other contest. “I’m super-excited because it’s our next game,” he said.
Tidbits
OUT OF THEIR LEAGUE: With the victory over Merrimack, Harvard went undefeated against non-conference opponents for the third straight season. The Crimson’s last loss to a non-Ivy foe came in 2022 against Holy Cross, 30-21.
PERSONAL BESTS: Two Harvard tight ends set career highs on Saturday. Ryan Osborne amassed 91 yards receiving, surpassing his previous top of 58, while Seamus Gilmartin caught seven passes, three more than his previous best.
BARKATE UPDATE: Cooper Barkate ’25, the former Harvard All-Ivy wide receiver now playing at Duke, is having another banner season. In seven games, Barkate leads the Blue Devils with 39 catches and is averaging a stellar 92.43 yards per game.
COMING UP: Next Saturday, the Crimson travel to New Jersey for a showdown with Ivy rival Princeton. Kickoff: noon. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on the radio on WBOS 92.9 FM and Bloomberg 1330 AM and 1450 AM. This season, the Tigers are 3-2 overall and 2-0 in Ivy play. In a series that began in 1877, Princeton leads 60-49-7. At home last season, the Crimson snapped a six-game losing streak with a 45-13 victory.
THE SCORE BY QUARTERS
Merrimack | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | ||
Harvard | 7 | 6 | 11 | 7 | — | 31 |
Attendance: 5,661
WEEKLY ROUNDUP
Cornell 30, Bucknell 20
Dartmouth 30, Fordham 13
Penn 35, Columbia 21
Princeton 40, Brown 21
Yale 47, Stonehill 7
THE SEASON SO FAR: follow Dick Friedman’s dispatches.
Football: Harvard 34, Cornell 10
Football: Harvard 59, Holy Cross 24
Football: Harvard 59, Stetson 7
Preview: Harvard Football Team Starts Off an Ivy League Favorite
