"After we got to 13, I thought we had a chance," Mangurian said. "And it's not even the score as much as it is you're finally doing something positive. Because up to that point we'd just been sputtering on every turn."

Junior cornerback Andy Fried appeared to slow Cornell's momentum at the end of the third quarter with an interception in the back left corner of the end zone. Unfortunately for the Crimson, Rahne's fourth quarter performance was more impressive than his third.

Rahne began the quarter's scoring with a 46-yard touchdown pass on third-and-8 to Keith Ferguson with just over twelve minutes to play.

The Big Red followed up Ferguson's score with a 33-yard field goal by junior Peter Iverson. The Iverson field goal, which barely hooked inside the left upright, gave Cornell a chance to go ahead with a touchdown. Harvard's lack of offensive prowess gave Cornell the ball again with 4:01 to play. Seven plays and 88 yards later, Cornell took the lead for good.

"I accept responsibility," said Murphy on Harvard's collapse. "When you're up 28-0, there is no excuse for losing the game, period."

Rahne ended the game 28-57 for 391 yards. Rose threw for 310 yards, and Harvard, as a team, rushed for 263 yards on 47 carries, though 200 of the rushing yards came in the first half. Cornell derailed the Crimson ground attack in the second half by sticking an extra man in the box.

Splendorio, who single-handedly won the game in the final seconds, finished with nine catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.