Kick by Lynch
To the surprise of a large number of people, Lynch drilled the kick through the uprights from 32 yards out, sending Harvard to a 9-7 lead 43 seconds before half time.
As the tedium of the third period set in, that lead began to look pretty solid, though the threat of a Terrier field goal via Bruce Rich was ever-present. His attempt at a 54-yard field goal was the highlight of the third quarter, though it fell about 10 yards short of the mark.
That quarter was marked by seven punts and the inability of either team to do anything offensively, and the trend continued until late in the last stanza when Harvard punter Jim Curry unloaded a tremendous shot which pinned B.U. back on its own 22, with just three minutes to go in the game.
Crimson coach Joe Restic called for the defense to blitz on the next three plays, but that strategy didn't work quite as planned for the favored home team.
To begin with, Geiger evaded the first defensive onslaught by stepping back in the passing pocket, and then romping through the line for a 20-yard gain to the 42.
Geiger read another Harvard blitz on the next play, and audibled a quick opening run play to halfback Tom Floyd who busted forward to Harvard's 45, the site of the final disaster.
As the clock rolled past the two-minute mark, Geiger faded back to pass and picked out his speedy split end Pete Kessell, who was racing down the left sideline unimpeded. After the expected amount of jubilation, the Terriers missed the extra point, but the damage was done. B.U. 13, Harvard 9.
Time for one last surge, as the Crimson's Larry Schember took the kickoff and almost broke it, racing 56 yards only to be caught from behind at the B.U. 34.
One minute and 46 seconds was plenty of time, but Kubacki and company still couldn't get their act together. One botched snap from center, two incomplete passes later, and one reverse and Harvard said good-bye to any hopes of an undefeated season and began to wonder about what went wrong.
The nation's leader in total offense going into the game, Harvard's Kubacki finished with 150 of Harvard's 260 yards, 45 on the ground in 18 carries, and 105 through the air on 11 completions in 19 attempts.
The defense did its job, limiting the Terriers to just 175 yards in total offense--just 83 on the ground and 92 passing. But the offensive doldrums were too much to overcome, and Harvard absorbed its first loss of the season and its second loss to B.U. in nine efforts.