But it was not Penn's day to shine. The Gatorade bath the Harvard players gave Murphy with the game well in hand late in the fourth quarter indicated which was the better team yesterday.
"Nothing will ever be this special," said Murphy, who entered this season with a 10-20 record as Harvard Coach. "It's always more enjoyable when you go through a struggle. Anything that comes easy isn't as satisfying."
The victory marks the Crimson's first 8-1 start since 1973, and its first 6-0 Ivy start since the 1968 season. But with Dartmouth's 14-7 victory over Brown yesterday, Harvard will have to wait one more week to claim the Ivy title outright.
A win over arch-rival Yale next week, and Harvard will record seven Ivy League wins for the first time in school history.
"These guys know it's unfinished work," Murphy said. "These kids have a chance to put a stamp on history."