NOTEBOOK: Casten, Defense Step Up For Football in Opening Win

The Harvard football team endured injuries, trailed for a few moments, and battled all game long. But on a brisk Friday night, the contest eventually turned into a laugher.

Riding an assertive ground game and receiving big defensive plays when it mattered most, the Crimson topped visiting Holy Cross by a score of 41-18 at Harvard Stadium.

CAST PARTY

Senior running back Andrew Casten was supposed to be a backup. But on Friday night, the spotlight belonged all to him.

In his first three years on the team, Casten totaled 151 yards and a single touchdown. But on Friday night, the senior racked up 153 yards and found the end zone three times.

“To be honest, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Casten said. “I knew it was going to be a grind and knew we were going to come out and push. We’re going to get a win whatever we can do.”

Filling in for junior running back Paul Stanton, who was inactive due to an injury, Casten ensured that the starter’s presence was not missed. From busting it up the middle to skirting down the sideline, Casten took the pressure off the Harvard signal-callers by giving them a consistent option on the ground.

The senior found success starting with his first run. Taking the handoff on first and goal, Casten blew through the middle of the line and absorbed a hit to earn three yards for Harvard’s first touchdown of the year.

Casten’s final two scores came in the second half and demonstrated his versatility. The back extended Harvard’s lead with an 18-yard dash, nearly making it untouched into the end zone.

Four minutes later, Casten capped a 52-yard drive by bullying his way through a clump of bodies for a three-yard score.

The senior’s biggest run of the day came in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. After shooting through a hole in the middle of the line, Casten made his way to the left sideline and dashed 52 yards before being dragged down.

Casten finished with 17 touches and a very efficient nine yards per carry.

“I was just really happy for Andrew today, because he took advantage of a situation,” Crimson coach Tim Murphy said. “We saddled him up, put the load on him, and he and the offensive line really responded.”

THE REAL DEFENSE STANDS UP

The Harvard sideline may have been sweating a little bit.

With less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Crimson clung to a two-point lead. The Crusaders had scored on three consecutive drives, and its offense took the field poised to regain the upper hand.

But the Harvard defense clamped down in a major way. On the first play of the drive, junior end James Duberg swarmed Holy Cross quarterback Peter Pujals in the backfield and jarred the ball loose. The Crimson recovered the fumble inside the Crusaders’ red zone.

It only took one play for Harvard to make it a two-possession game, as Casten took a handoff to the right side of the line and dashed 18 yards for a score.

The Crimson defenders weren’t finished, though, as junior linebacker Eric Medes singlehandedly delivered another big turnover. On the fourth play of the ensuing Holy Cross drive, Medes swooped into a clump of bodies, stripped the ball from the hands of Crusaders running back Gabe Guild, and fell on it.

Like clockwork, Harvard needed just one play to make the turnover sting for Holy Cross. Senior quarterback Conner Hempel found a wide-open sophomore running back Anthony Firkser for 30 yards. A few plays later, the Crimson capped the drive with yet another touchdown.

Just when it seemed that the Crusaders had the momentum—just when it seemed like the Crimson defense was wearing down—Harvard responded with a knockout blow.

“We knew what we had to do and just step up,” said senior defensive end Zack Hodges. “I’m really proud of my defense, this defense because a lot of young guys have stepped up this year…. I think offenses try to stretch us out, but I love to put some stress on them.”

NEW FACES, OLD PLACES

The 27-point Harvard run to end the game appeared even more impressive considering the absence of big names at the top of the depth chart. Both Stanton and senior wide receiver Ricky Zorn were held out of the contest with injuries.

“Those guys are still a ways off, most likely,” Murphy said. “I think Paul Stanton has the best percentage to have an opportunity to play next week, but still uncertain.”

Matters were made worse when Hempel was carted down the sideline into the locker room after the Crimson’s first drive. After keeping the ball on an option, Hempel took a knee to the lower back that resulted in spasms. The starter missed the rest of the first half.

In stepped backup quarterback Scott Hosch for the most meaningful action of his career—under the lights on opening night. Despite being rushed into action, Hosch successfully completed 8-of-12 passes for 90 yards with one interception, as well as a rushing touchdown.

The game also produced sizable contributions from some relatively inexperienced faces on the receiving corps. Firkser led all receivers with 60 yards, including a touchdown to give Harvard the lead early in the third quarter.

After Firkser found the end zone for the first time in his career, another pass-catcher notched his second score ever in a Crimson jersey. Harvard’s final touchdown of the day—and Hempel’s second strike for six points—came when sophomore tight end Ryan Halvorson reeled in a pass in the left corner of the end zone.

“I wasn’t always perfectly accurate, and I think Ryan Halvorson’s touchdown was an unbelievable catch, an unbelievable play from him,” Hempel said. “Everybody around me did their job, and it made my job really easy.”

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