TAKE THE KENNELLY

The open field spread out before him unobstructed. The endzone glimmered in the distance, a promise waiting to be kept.

Just beyond the grasping hands of the Lafayette defenders, the crimson figure wearing No. 33 was a flare of speed and agility as he careened 71 yards downfield.

The crowd was on its feet. The Harvard football team was on the way to the fifth straight win of its as-yet-undefeated season.

And running back Clifton Dawson was in his element.

With starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick out with an injury, it was crucial that someone step up as the offensive playmaker. And with the Crimson in the unfamiliar position of a 13-point third quarter deficit, the need was imperative.

Enter Dawson.

The freshman transfer, shouldering a heavier burden with fellow RB Ryan Tyler still recovering from bruised ribs, did more than just handle his offensive responsibility.

He manhandled it.

Scoring four touchdowns and racking up 218 yards on 26 carries for the fifth-highest rushing total in Crimson history, Dawson blasted his way through the Lafayette defensive line and almost single-handedly kept Harvard’s undefeated season alive.

And to think that one year ago he was cooling his heels on the Northwestern sidelines. Dawson did not take the field for a single play in a Wildcat uniform.

Lucky for Harvard. Dawson’s redshirting means that for all intents and purposes, he is a Crimson true freshman.

Four touchdowns Saturday. Four years of lightning neatly packaged in a Harvard uniform and gift-wrapped as a present for the Crimson offense.

“We knew when Clifton came in to the program that he had a lot of ability,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “What we found out today is how dependable and how tough he is and needless to say, he had a big impact on our offense.”

His impact was felt in the first quarter, when junior quarterback Garrett Schires handed off to him time and again until, dodging and weaving and slipping tackles, Dawson darted into the right corner of the end zone to put the Crimson up 7-0.

His impact was felt in the second half, when Harvard, trailing 20-14, recovered a fumble at the Lafayette 16-yard line and gave the ball to Dawson on three of the next four plays until he pummeled his way in for 103 rushing yards through three quarters.

And his impact was felt on his third touchdown of the day, a confident three-yard beeline between blockers that put Harvard up 27-20 and made it abundantly clear that Dawson was not about to allow a loss to mar the Crimson’s sparkling record.

“Clifton got the hot hand,” Murphy said simply.

Newcomer though he may be, Dawson seems right at home on the Crimson turf—his 275 total yards are the second-most ever by a Harvard player at Harvard Stadium.

After giving tantalizing samples of his potential in the previous four games—collecting 170 rushing yards and one TD—he now seems to be completely in his groove. Saturday’s explosion gives him the team lead in rushing yards.

“I knew that, given our quarterback situation, there was going to be a great opportunity to run the football successfully,” Dawson said.

He capped his day with the 71-yard cruise-control touchdown run, his fourth score of the day. It gave the Crimson a 34-20 advantage and effectively crushed Lafayette’s spirit. The challenge had been met. The victory was secured.

“They came out and dared us to run the football basically the whole game,” Murphy said.

Dawson took that dare. And he ran with it.

—Staff writer Lisa J. Kennelly can be reached at kennell@fas.harvard.edu.