Harvard's Ivy Title Hopes Evaporate in Loss to Princeton

Mistakes on special teams and questionable decisions on the field led Harvard to a 27-24 loss to Princeton at Harvard Stadium on Saturday. The defeat was the first to the Tigers since 1995.

Trailing 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, the Crimson drove to the Princeton five-yard line, where they faced fourth-and-two. Instead of kicking the game-tying field goal, Harvard coach Tim Murphy elected to go for the first down. On the 13th consecutive running play of the drive, junior running back Clifton Dawson was stopped for no gain, and the Tigers took over.

While Princeton stopped Dawson on that play, he generally ran roughshod over the Tigers defense, amassing 203 yards on 35 carries and adding two touchdowns. The Harvard passing game was similarly effective, with sophomore quarterback Liam O’Hagan going 11-for-16 with 183 yards and one touchdown. Another touchdown pass was negated by a holding penalty.

A major reason that effort did not result in a Crimson victory was the big plays allowed on defense and special teams. On the opening play of the game, Princeton wide receiver Derek Davis took a reverse around the right end 72 yards for a touchdown.

Later, after a 52 yard touchdown strike from O’Hagan to senior wide receiver Ryan Tyler gave Harvard the lead with 7:21 to play, Tigers standout cornerback Jay McCareins fielded the kickoff on the nine-yard line and returned it 91 yards up the right side for a touchdown.

Other special teams miscues included a failed fake punt, an offsides penalty on the opening kickoff, and a fumbled kickoff, the fourth such fumble in the last three games for the Crimson.

The loss means that Harvard, with two league losses, is now all but eliminated from the chase for the Ivy League title. Princeton remains in the hunt with fellow one-loss teams Brown, and the loser of the Yale-Penn battle this afternoon. The winner of that game will control its own destiny in the Ivy race.