NOTEBOOK: Crimson Outlasts Top Defense

Lafayette’s defense entered the contest as the nation’s top defense in both points (8.8) and yards allowed per game (210). Harvard, meanwhile, was ranked among the top defenses in the Ivy League and in the top 20 in the country in both rushing and passing defense. But in the first half, it wasn’t clear that either defense was heavily involved.

By halftime, the score stood at 17-17, though the entire half involved only two scoring drives longer than 50 yards, the first a 10-play, 86-yard touchdown drive by the Crimson that ended in a touchdown toss from senior quarterback Chris Pizzotti to senior fullback Noah Van Niel, and the second a 51-yard drive in seven plays by the Leopards that resulted in a touchdown pass from Mike DiPaola to Kyle Roeder.

At the end of the day, the Harvard offense mustered just 290 yards against a physical Lafayette D, far below the Crimson’s 433.5 yards-per-game average. The Leopards fared little better, accumulating 338 yards against the Harvard defense.

“It was a heck of a football game, two really outstanding defenses playing well,” said Lafayette head coach Frank Tavani.

“They do a very good job of disguising coverages,” Pizzotti said. “That’s something we knew all week. We had to be prepared for what they were going to show us and I think we did a good job of adjusting after the first couple of periods.”

Both offenses benefited from the work of other units of the team: a blocked punt gave the Leopards possession on the Crimson one-yard line in the first quarter, while senior cornerback Steven Williams’s interception return for a touchdown in the fourth boosted the offense’s scoring stats.

GIVE ’EM HULL

Sophomore punter Thomas Hull had his second consecutive big day punting the ball, averaging 45.6 yards on five punts, including two of over 50 yards. Despite that, several special teams miscues hampered the Harvard effort, the first of which was a blocked punt after the Crimson’s very first drive of the game, leading to a one-yard touchdown drive by the Leopards.

Despite the block, Tavani was impressed with Hull’s performance.

“He’s got a great leg, that thing looks like it drops out of the Goodyear blimp,” he said. “But he takes his time a little bit and we thought we’d be able to get one.”

Sophomore kicker Patrick Long had an improved afternoon, nailing field goals from 38 and 40 yards and hitting all of his extra points, after missing three last weekend, but also missing a 27-yard field goal attempt.

“Patrick is an excitable kid,” said Harvard head coach Tim Murphy. “He came to me and said, ‘Coach, I’m really sorry,’ and I said, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it.’ The only way you start a guy like that is, you know, we’re not trying to cure cancer out here. Just relax, have some fun, and hopefully he did today. He’s a great kid, and hopefully he came of age a little bit.”

The return game was also improved, as senior wideout Matt Lagace added several long punt returns, including a 25-yarder that set up a game-tying field goal at the end of the first half.

EXTRA POINTS

Harvard played three of its first four games on the road for the first time since 1888, when the Crimson played four of its first five outside Cambridge...The Ivy League concluded its non-league slate this past weekend. Ivy teams were 11-13 overall, including 9-9 against their primary opposition, the Patriot League. Cornell and Yale had the best non-league records, each going 3-0 against Patriot opponents...Tavini is now 0-7 against Harvard, while Murphy is 7-1 against Lafayette.

—Staff writer Brad Hinshelwood can be reached at bhinshel@fas.harvard.