Harvard also survived a scare late in the fourth quarter when Kacyvenski collided with junior safety Mike Brooks. Both lunged to intercept a wayward long pass from Columbia's Mike Glynn when they slammed into each other. Kacyvenski spent a few tense moments on the ground as the raucous crowd of 7,192 suddenly went silent. Kacyvenski eventually walked off the field without aid, but Brooks required assistance. Kacyvenski returned for the next play and said Brooks will probably avoid contact in practice this week.

Murphy and his staff will have a few issues to address with the team this week before next week's contest against Holy Cross. The Crimson was penalized for several illegal substitutions during the game when there were more than 11 players in the huddle.

"It's a new rule this year," Murphy said. "We use a lot of different personnel on this team, and we get a lot of different people in and out of the game. A couple of times, a couple of the young kids got mixed up about who was supposed to be in the game."

The Crimson will travel to Holy Cross next weekend for its next contest. On Saturday, Holy Cross (1-1) beat Lafayette 30-12 at home. Senior linebacker John Aloisi garnered Patriot League Player of the Week honors by chalking up a team-high 10 tackles and two interceptions against Lafayette. The Crusaders' freshman running back Michael Gillis was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week by tallying 45 yards on the ground and running for his first career touchdown.

The best cure for the sleepless nights caused by last year's 4-6 disappointment is success, and the Crimson's young, more wide-open offense and its experienced, talented defense might be just what the doctor ordered.