NEW YORK--It seems that a 31-point lead is too much for even the Harvard football team to blow.

After losing its last two contests in the games' final minutes, the Crimson (3-2, 1-1 Ivy) managed to withstand a furious second half rally from the lowly Fordham Rams (0-6) on Saturday, escaping the Bronx with a 37-30 victory.

"I can't give enough credit to Fordham," Harvard Coach Tim Murphy said. "The one thing that impressed us is that they played unbelievably hard."

Fordham came back from a 34-3 halftime deficit to make an apparent blowout into a nailbiter. It outscored Harvard 14-3 in the third quarter and 13-0 in the fourth as the Crimson offense and defense collapsed.

Rams junior quarterback Matt Georgia, who was making the first start of his collegiate career, shredded the Harvard defense, completing 36-of-64 passes for 382 yards and three touchdowns.

His main targets on the day were freshman Kendal Creer and senior Gerry McDermott, who made 14 and 11 receptions for 171and 142 yards, respectively, on the day.

Harvard exploded for a 34-3 halftime advantage, led by the senior trio of quarterback Brad Wilford, tailback Chris Menick and receiver Terence Patterson.

At the break, Wilford had completed 13-of-18 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Patterson, meanwhile, had four receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown in addition to a 55-yard punt return for a score at the half. Menick pounded the Rams defense for 101 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown during the first 30 minutes of action.