NOTEBOOK: Turnovers Propel Football in Columbia Rout

While the Ivy League-best Harvard defense has enjoyed considerable success keeping its opponents off the scoreboard, the unit had yet to record any points itself entering Saturday’s game against Columbia.

That no longer remained the case by the conclusion of the contest at Harvard Stadium. The Crimson’s 45-0 rout of the Lions was fueled by three interceptions returned for touchdowns and a total of six forced turnovers.

Two of those pick-sixes were converted by senior linebacker Connor Sheehan. The first came early in the game, when a pass from Columbia quarterback Trevor McDonagh caromed directly into Sheehan’s hands. The result was a 48-yard interception return and the linebacker’s first collegiate touchdown.

“The first one, [junior linebacker] Eric Medes had a great hit on the receiver, [and] the ball popped up,” Sheehan said. “If I didn’t make the play, that’s just bad on me.”

While Medes received an assist on the first pick-six, Sheehan deserved all the credit for his second. Jumping a short route in the third quarter, Sheehan snatched McDonagh’s pass out of the air and proceeded to weave his way through a horde of Lions nearly 60 yards for the score.

Sheehan was not the only Harvard (8-0, 5-0 Ivy) linebacker to find the end zone against Columbia (0-8, 0-5). An errant first quarter McDonagh pass fell into the arms of the crashing junior linebacker Matt Koran, who dashed 34 yards untouched to give Harvard a 14-0 lead.

But defensive contributions were not limited to the three interception returns, which marked a single-game school record. The Harvard defense recovered a fumble that set up a short touchdown, forced another fourth-quarter fumble, and notched one more interception. At the end of the game, the turnover margin was six—not including a blocked punt midway through the second quarter.

“We come out with intensity, the speed we have, and we just let it show on the field,” junior defensive back Asante Gibson said. “We just come out and do what we’re coached to do.”

SECOND-STRING STARTERS

With Harvard in firm control of the game by the third quarter, a number of starters took seats on the bench to give other players opportunities to make contributions.

No one shined in the second half as much as freshman running back Semar Smith. Despite receiving carries in four games this season, Smith had not yet found the end zone. That changed early in the second half, when the freshman took a handoff and forced his way through the line for a three-yard score.

With the assistance of clearout blocking from the offensive line, Smith dominated the next offensive series, gaining a total of 73 yards on three consecutive carries. The freshman finished with 114 rushing yards on just 11 touches.

Sophomore quarterback Joseph Viviano III also demonstrated his playmaking abilities in his first action all year as he stepped in for junior Scott Hosch. On a third-down keeper, Viviano made his way to the sideline and scampered for a gain of 53 yards. The sophomore lost a fumble, however, later in the drive.

IN COMMAND OF COLUMBIA

Saturday’s home victory marked the third consecutive game in which the Crimson recorded a shutout against Columbia. The scores from 2012 to 2014 all denote the blowouts that the games were: 69-0, 34-0, and 45-0.

“It just shows a lot about the maturation of our defense,” said senior defensive tackle Obum Obukwelu. “It means a lot to make sure they haven’t scored a point on us in three years.”

While Harvard has had no trouble lighting up the scoreboard against the Lions—the Crimson has averaged nearly 490 yards per game in the last three meetings—the high offensive output has been rendered unnecessary due to staunch defensive performances.

The Harvard defense has shown up to play all year long, allowing just a conference-best 9.4 points per game. But it has shined particularly well against Columbia.

“The effort, the chemistry, and obviously the execution and production has been just tremendous,” Crimson coach Tim Murphy said. “I mean, statistically remarkable…. But when you play great defense, as I always say to our guys, you’re in every game.”

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