"I give credit to [Bucknell's] defense," Murphy said. "They had a lot better rush on us than we had seen on film."
Options
The biggest wrinkle unveiled by either team was undoubtedly Bucknell's wishbone-style quarterback option, installed only in the week leading up to the game in an attempt to counter Harvard's rushing might.
"We knew Harvard runs well, and we had to be able to run [to be competitive]," McDowell said.
For one who has been at the helm of the option for a matter of days, McDowell looked remarkably comfortable making quick decisions at the corner of the defense. Running the option at least once in almost every possession, McDowell made a costly mistake only once: a bad pitch to freshman running back promptly fell on for a loss of seven yards.
McDowell's confidence with the ball and quick study of the intricacies of the quarterback option may very well have made the difference in Bucknell's finding a viable running game.
"I really like running [the option," McDowell said. "I like being [on the corner of the defense], and I feel comfortable out there."