Only when the offense had blundered so much could the Red Raiders make big plays against this defense.

After the second fourth-down stop, Harvard's drive lasted just one play--an interception by safety Tom McCarroll. That pick marked the first of three Colgate interceptions on consecutive series.

Certainly, the defense had to sit on the bench in stunned disbelief--actually, it had barely any time to sit on the bench. No surprise then that Colgate found the end zone off the first two interceptions.

The defense, ever resilient, recovered and at 11:10 of the fourth quarter responded with an interception of its own. Senior safety Mike Madden returned his catch to midfield, and the offense finally converted an opportunity, drawing the score to 21-14 off a sneak by senior quarterback Brad Wilford.

After the touchdown, the defense gave the team a chance to tie the score by forcing a three-and-out, and the offense did.

All the unit had to do was dig deep one more time and the game would enter sudden death, but a potential interception sailed through Svicarovich's hands and Vena proved why he is considered a leading candidate for the Walter Payton Award, Division I-AA's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

There is certainly no shame in this loss for the Crimson. Harvard demonstrated that it has a fighting spirit that rises to the occasion when challenged.

The offense struggled but made something happen when the game was on the line. The defense remained strong all game until the fateful last series.