Football Has Chance to Clinch Share of Title Saturday

Eight down, two to go. For the undefeated Harvard football team, a pair of wins is all that’s needed to secure a perfect season and an Ivy League championship.

Fans may already be looking ahead to the annual showdown with Yale in just over a week. But taking it one day at a time as always, the Crimson has its sights set on Philadelphia where it will travel to tangle with Penn this Saturday.

The long bus ride back to Cambridge has the potential to be extra special, as a win over the Quakers (1-7, 1-4 Ivy) would give Harvard (8-0, 5-0) at least a share of the Ancient Eight title. Dartmouth, Princeton, and Yale all reside in second place with just a single conference loss.

Past battles with the Quakers have typically had championship implications, but the contest has lost some of its luster this year. A perennial contender in previous seasons, Penn finds itself buried in sixth place with only one conference win against Columbia.

It’s a disappointing way to go out for longtime Quakers coach Al Bagnoli, who announced that this would be his last year before the season began. Bagnoli ranks second all-time with 111 Ivy wins; Crimson coach Tim Murphy sits just nine behind.

“I’m shocked by their record,” Murphy said. “I don’t think anyone saw this coming, and I think it just reinforces how fragile college football can be…. If you look at the body of coach Bagnoli’s work, he and his staff, it’s been amazingly consistent.”

Bagnoli’s squad has had its struggles on both offense and defense this season. Quarterback Alek Torgersen has thrown as many interceptions as touchdowns (10), and Penn’s leading running back is averaging less than 40 yards per game.

The Quaker defense ranks sixth in the Ancient Eight, forcing only eight turnovers thus far. The cumulative effect has been Penn losing its six games by an average of just over 18 points.

Perhaps the most glaring difference between Harvard and Penn comes on the defensive side of the ball. The Crimson defense has found its rhythm over the past several weeks and currently ranks first in Division I with just 9.4 points allowed per game.

A strong defensive front seven featuring senior Zack Hodges, classmate Obum Obukwelu, and junior James Duberg—who have combined for 12 sacks this season—anchors Harvard on the line of scrimmage.

“We beat the mess out of them up front,” Hodges said. “I think the film shows we like to hit them in the mouth. It starts in the front.”

One level back, the Crimson has witnessed athletic plays from a capable linebacking corps that includes leading tacklers juniors Matt Koran and Eric Medes. In the secondary, captain Norman Hayes headlines a crew of defensive backs that ranks first in the Ivy League against the pass.

The defensive unit flexed its muscle in last Saturday’s shutout of Columbia by forcing six turnovers, including three interceptions returned for touchdowns.

“I think the biggest factor has been we’re a team that doesn’t beat [itself] on defense,” Murphy said. “We rarely ever make a mistake.”

The 2013 rendition of the showdown came down to the wire but fell Harvard’s way in a 38-30 decision. While the Crimson escaped with the win, its defense allowed four consecutive second half touchdowns. Such a happening seems unlikely to recur considering Harvard hasn’t surrendered more than a single touchdown in a game since week two.

After sitting out last week’s game against Columbia due to a shoulder injury, senior quarterback Conner Hempel will be a game-time decision for this Saturday. When healthy, the Crimson offense has demonstrated considerable firepower, most notably by amassing a school record 698 yards in a 49-7 victory over Princeton in week six.

The season has officially entered the final stretch run with just two games remaining. With its destiny in its own hands, undefeated Harvard is firmly locked on the task ahead.

“There’s always pressure, but we’re a great team in handling that pressure,” said junior wide receiver Andrew Fischer. “I don’t think anything changes. We’re just going to go out there and execute and play Crimson football.”

—Staff writer David Steinbach can be reached at david.steinbach@thecrimson.com.