"I was just worried about whether they'd call it good," Biddle said.

The match-up against the Red Raiders was marked by momentum shifts and a myriad of turnovers forced by two aggressive defenses.

The first quarter seemed all Colgate as it outgained Harvard, 82-26, and dominated the battle for field position. Despite going into Harvard territory on every possession, Colgate was unable to deliver any points.

On its second possession of the second quarter, Harvard was once again stuck deep in its own territory after failing to get a first down. Colgate got the ball at its own 44-yard line after a 40-yard boot by senior punter Mike Giampaolo. On Colgate's first play, junior tailback Randall Joseph went up the middle then broke to the left sideline for a 56-yard touchdown run, giving the Red Raiders a 7-0 lead. Sophomore corner Willie Alford had a shot but slid off his back at the 10-yard line. Joseph eventually ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.

"He's a deceptive runner," said Biddle of Joseph. "He's got strong legs, and he's got great speed."

The rest of the half went scoreless as the Crimson offense continued to struggle. Throughout the first half, Crimson quarterback Brad Wilford was chased by a group of Colgate linemen that was smaller and faster than any that Harvard had seen.

"We knew going in that they were the quickest, most athletic, and maybe most productive defensive unit we've played," Murphy said. "We really struggled in the first half offensively against the blitz."