Ivy Opener to Show What's Next for Harvard Football

Several days ago, one of my peers discussed the questions that remain unanswered on the gridiron, even after the Harvard football team defeated Holy Cross in its season opener last weekend.

“Now what?” he asked.

This Saturday, under the lights in Providence, R.I., the Crimson will put pen to page, answering that question and opening the 2014 edition of the Ivy League football season against Brown.

With a game each under the their belts, Harvard (1-0) and the Brunos (0-1) face somewhat different predicaments and situations on their respective rosters.

During a lackluster season opener in the nation’s capital, Brown’s novice offense—a full 11 new starters—was unable to mobilize down the field as Georgetown forced four turnovers, all in the first half, to limit the team to just three points and 303 yards through the game. Falling 17-3 to the Hoyas, it was an inauspicious start for senior quarterback Marcus Fuller, whose two interceptions and one rush fumble proved fatal for the Bears. Saturday’s outing will be the first Ancient Eight start for Fuller and the rest of the team’s offensive starters.

“Anytime you only get one game on a guy it’s tough,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “I don’t necessarily think anything we saw against Georgetown is really going to give us a hook on Marcus.”

Fuller’s most dependable option will likely lie in junior running back Andrew Coke, who scrambled for 74 yards on the ground and 23 in the air last weekend and 292 total yards last season, or in the more experienced Brian Strachan, a converted wide receiver who sat out last weekend but is the team’s presumed first stringer.

The inexperienced offense will have plenty to fend against, as Harvard’s explosive defense will swarm the line. A group of experienced linebackers, such as juniors Matt Koran and Eric Medes and senior Connor Sheehan took down Crusader after Crusader last week. Senior defensive end Zach Hodges delivered with two sacks while juniors James Duberg and Sean Ahern chipped in one apiece as turnovers came easy for the Crimson against Holy Cross.

“The goal is to create opportunities for our defense,” Hodges said. “Hopefully by moving me around it makes it difficult for other teams and opens up doors for other players.”

And Brown’s defense shouldn’t make life too difficult for Harvard senior quarterback Conner Hempel, who describes himself as “healthy” after sitting out most of the first half with back pain last week, and his solid posse in the backfield and receiving corps.

A milquetoast Bears defense allowed 250 rushing yards last week, which one of their captains attributed to too little aggression and sloppy play. After being relegated to the sidelines during the opener with an ankle injury, junior Harvard tailback Paul Stanton will return to anchor the rushing game.

“We hope that he can come ready to play because he’s one of those guys that does some things you just can’t coach,” Murphy said.

Despite the absence of Stanton­, whose 15 touchdowns led the league’s backs last season, Hempel successfully handed the pigskin off to senior Andrew Casten and tossed to a deep group of receivers last week.

“We have to continue to execute our offense,” Hempel said. “[We have to] execute the plays that are called, and execute the game plan that we have for Brown now instead of Holy Cross. If we execute that we will move the chains and end up scoring touchdowns.”

After the game ends and the Crimson treks back up to Cambridge, a fireworks display will explode over Brown Stadium from 9:10 p.m. to 9:20 p.m. in celebration of Brown’s 250th anniversary. Alumni and students will celebrate, and the field will turn into the location of a festive party.

“This is the biggest game on [Brown’s] schedule,” Murphy said. “They get extremely excited to play Harvard.”

Perhaps, if all goes according to plan for Murphy and his team, those fireworks and that party will be a little less jubilant. Harvard always did do anniversaries better.

—Staff writer Cordelia F. Mendez can be reached at cordelia.mendez@thecrimson.com.