In the middle of the first quarter on Saturday at Schoellkopf Stadium in sparkling Ithaca, N.Y., the Harvard football team—ranked No. 18 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)—fell behind Cornell 10-0. Would this be the proverbial “trap game,” an Ivy League staple in which the supposedly superior team goes on the road and falls to an underdog? Not to worry. Forty-one points later, Harvard had put the game away and eased to a 41-29 victory.
While there were many stars, the main actor was quarterback Charlie Smith. Improving exponentially with each start (this was his fourth), the sophomore signal-caller stood behind his protective offensive line and completed 23 of 27 pass attempts for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Smith threw one interception, which was not his fault, coming as it did off a ball that caromed off the hands off his receiver, sophomore Ryan Tattersall, and into those of Cornell defensive back Tyler Gibson.
At that point in the game, however, that pick was concerning. The Big Red led 3-0 on a 43-yard field goal by Alan Zhao, and the interception led to a 76-yard drive culminated by a two-yard run by quarterback Garrett Bass-Sulpizio. When Zhao added the extra point, it was Cornell 10, Harvard 0. At that point the Crimson had run one offensive play. All was ripe for an upset.
HARVARD FOOTBALL
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What, the Crimson worry? Smith commenced carving up the Big Red defense with aplomb. He took Harvard 75 yards in 10 plays, spreading the ball to four receivers. Early in the second quarter the Crimson reached the Cornell one-yard line, where the designated running quarterback, freshman Kise Flannery, was inserted and took the ball over the goal line. Junior Kieran Corr kicked the point. Cornell 10, Harvard 7.
The Crimson next got the ball at their 15. Smith again directed a long drive, competing all five passes he threw. The last one was a 36-yarder, thrown with exquisite touch to sophomore wideout Tafari Moe in the end zone. Though tightly covered, Moe corralled the ball. Corr again booted the conversion. Harvard 14, Cornell 10.
On its next drive the Big Red moved the ball smartly but were forced into a 46-yard field goal attempt by Zhao, which failed. Smith took over and it was more of the same. He completed all five of his pass attempts, the first and last to freshman wideout Henry Shoemaker. On the finale Shoemaker ran a post pattern to the end zone. Corr added the point after. Harvard 21, Cornell 10.
The third quarter brought a continuation of the onslaught. Smith mixed his plays on a textbook 80-yard drive. Senior captain running back Xaviah Bascon did the toting, gaining 28 yards in five carries. On the last one, he bounced to the right and charged into the end zone. Corr banged home the extra point. Harvard 28, Cornell 10.
On the Big Red’s next series, they gambled and went for a first down on fourth-and-one from their own 33. But the snap from center was botched and they did not gain the necessary yard. The Crimson took over. However, this time they did not move the ball. There even was an incomplete pass! So Corr came in and kicked a 51-yard field goal. Harvard 31, Cornell 10.
Two plays after an interception by Crimson defensive back Xaden Benson (see below), Smith faked a screen pass to the right and found Teigan Pelletier running all alone behind the defense. The big freshman tight end rumbled into the end zone. Corr punctuated. Harvard 38, Cornell 10.
In the fourth quarter the Crimson reached the Big Red 10 but stalled. Corr added their final points on a 27-yard field goal. Harvard 41, Cornell 10.
With the game in hand (although in the Ivy League, you never know), the Crimson began inserting some of their subs on defense. The Big Red took advantage and scored three touchdowns to make the final score look respectable. Harvard stayed unbeaten, 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Ivy League. The loss dropped Cornell to 2-2 and 1-1.
One gimmick attempted by the Big Red: After each of its touchdowns, Cornell tried an onside kick aimed at Tattersall, part of Harvard’s “hands team,” those who are deemed most able to glom onto a wildly spinning pigskin. The first time, it worked and Tattersall couldn’t maintain possession; on the next two, it didn’t. If you’re going to make errors, this was the time.
Tidbits
IN COMMAND. With Saturday’s victory, Harvard leads the series over Cornell 54-34-2. The Crimson have won the last seven.
NATION’S BEST. Xaden Benson’s third-quarter interception was the sixth of the season for the junior defensive back, which leads the FCS. And freshman Nate Bailey had a game-high seven receptions on Saturday, giving him 34 on the season for an average of 8.5 per game, second in the FCS to Yale’s Jaxton Santiago (8.75). Bailey was named the Stats Perform National Player of the Week for his 16-catch day the previous Saturday against Colgate, which included his last-play, game-winning touchdown on a Hail Mary pass-and-run.
COMING UP: Next Saturday, Harvard is back at the Stadium to face Holy Cross. Kickoff: 1 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, and broadcast on Bloomberg 92.9 FM and WHRB 95.3 FM. The Crusaders are ancient and honorable in-state rivals: In a series that began in 1904, Harvard leads 48-26-2. The Crimson have won six of the last seven, including 59-24 last year in Worcester, Mass. In 2026, the Crusaders are 2-4, and 2-2 in Patriot League play.
THE SCORE BY QUARTERS
Harvard | 0 | 21 | 17 | 3 | — | 41 | ||
Cornell | 10 | 0 | 0 | 19 | — | 29 |
Attendance: 5,418
WEEKLY ROUNDUP
Brown 28, Bryant 13
Columbia 41, Marist 28
Yale 28, Dartmouth 7
Princeton 28, Wagner 13
Penn 24, Howard 20
THE SEASON SO FAR: follow Dick Friedman’s dispatches.
Preview: Can Harvard’s Football Team Repeat Its Ivy League Success?
Crimson Football: Harvard 31, UNH 7
