Harvard botched the next kickoff, as well, but Kayode Owens recovered the loose ball to give Harvard possession at its own 33-yard line.

Both teams stalled on their ensuing drives with the Crimson defense coming through again as it has all season long. Harvard took over on its own 24-yard line, and drove 76 yards over five minutes for the tying touchdown. The Crimson offensive line took over the game without injured tackle Tom Callahan and Darrin Duda on the drive.

Andy Bell's 29 yards and Kendrick Joyce's 18 yards rushing led the big drive, Harvard's second long drive of the day. A spectacular Jim Mrowka reception between three defenders on a third and eight and Bell's 17-yard gallop through the right side brought the Crimson to the Cornell 16-yard line. Lazarre-White then scrambled to the six-yard line for a first down, and Bell soon added his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard run to tie the game, 17-17, with one minute remaining in the third quarter.

But Harvard would not score again.

"They gave us the ball twice at the 50 twice in the second half, and we didn't get any points out of it. That's the ball game right there," Bell said.

Early on, the bounces were going Harvard's way. Although Cornell rushed for more than 130 yards in the first half, the Crimson managed to open up a 10-3 lead.

On Harvard's first drive, Lazarre-White picked up a first down on a quarterback option, and his ensuing fumble bounded out of bounds at the Harvard 29.

Two plays later, a diving grab by halfback Andy Bell finished a perfectly executived play-action pass, bringing the ball to the Cornell 43. Bell's 39 yards receiving sparked a 13-play, 82-yard scoring drive, which ate up five minutess on the clock and gave Harvard a 7-0 lead.

The drive was highlighted by another option run by Lazarre-White on a 3rd and 7 from the 41. A screen pass to Bell and big runs by Matt Johnson and Kendrick Joyce set up Bell's 2-yard touchdown plunge for the score. McNiff, who rushed for 70 yards in the first quarter alone, gained 23 of those on a beautifully run option to start the Cornell drive. He was pushed out of bounds by Sean Koscho at the Harvard 45.

Another McNiff break into the open field brought Cornell to the Harvard 16. But John Sparks and John Lausch stuffed Scott Olairo on 3rd and 5, forcing a Mathew Hepfer 28-yard field goal that ruined Harvard's shutout bid.

Spencer Neumann's recovery of a squibb kick which struck Kayode Owens on the ankle prevented the Big Red from taking over at mid-field. Lazarre-White continued to run the option successfully, helping the drive down to the Cornell 14-yard line. A third-down reception by Colby Maher kept the drive alive, and Matt Johnson's 11-yard run set the Crimson up in scoring position at the 13-yard line.

Scott Johnson's kick at the opening of the second quarter pushed Harvard into a 10-3 lead.

Cornell's subsequent drive stalled on a holding penality from first team all-Ivy lineman Jay Bloedorn, but the Big Red threatened on its next series.

On first down, linebacker Joe Gordian sacked Cochrane. Then Mike Grant dropped a sure touchdown pass on the goal line on a second-down timing pattern. And finally, on third down, Cochrane himself dropped another sure touchdown pass, this time on a halfback option from McNiff. Hepfer's 41-yard field goal attept sailed wide left. Big Red, 20-17 at The Stadium Cornell0-3-14-3--20 HARVARD  7-3-7-0--17

First Quarter