Harvard's next score came with 10:47 left in the first half. Wilford completed a 16-yard pass to Eitzmann, who then ran to the Columbia 35-yard line for a 37-yard gain. After a 15-yard completion, Menick then rushed up the middle to Columbia's 14-yard line on two carries, and Wilford scrambled for seven yards to the Lions 7. A holding penalty set Harvard back to the 17, and after an incompletion, 8-yard gain, and 5-yard sack, Harvard had to settle for senior Mike Giampaolo's 30-yard field goal attempt. Giampaolo knocked his kick down the middle, increasing Harvard's lead to 17-7.

Senior quarterback Rich Linden, whose 26-game starting streak ended on Saturday, played one series, with 5:44 left in the second quarter. He completed a 25-yard pass to convert on third-and-15, but a personal foul and false start left him with third-and-38, and Harvard had to punt. Linden completed 1-of-3 passes and was sacked once for a five-yard loss.

After Kacyvenski's fumble recovery on the first series of the third quarter, Harvard drove 70 yards on just four plays to put the game away. On third-and-six, Wilford scrambled for a 41-yard run, with an aggressive block by Jones catalyzing the play.

The next play, Patterson ran a reverse, getting good blocking and dashing 30 yards into the end zone with 8:55 remaining in the third quarter. Giampaolo's successful extra-point attempt then increased Harvard's lead to 24-7.

"The two biggest statistics we feel that determine the outcome of the game are the big-play differential, which is how many [big plays] for us, and how many for them, and the turnover differential," Murphy said. "Our team did a pretty solid job of taking care of both of them."

The scoring was finished, although it took a goal-line stand by the defense at the beginning of the fourth quarter to make the final score official.

Harvard's defense stuffed three runs from the 3-yard line and pressured quarterback Jeff McCall into an ill-advised lateral that the Crimson recovered.

Seniors Chris Nowinski, Ben Green and Brian Howard made key contributions in stifling Columbia's offense. Sophomore R.D. Kern, Nowinski and Howard disturbed the rhythm between the three Lions quarterbacks and their receiving corps. Green added six tackles and recovered the fumbled lateral.