A week after nearly seeing its hopes of an undefeated season dashed against Princeton, the Crimson needed to pull off the biggest comeback in the program’s 128-year history to beat last-place Dartmouth, 31-21.

Trailing 21-0 in the third quarter, the Crimson needed only four minutes to completely erase the deficit on scoring passes from Morris to Taylor and Fitzpatrick to Morris and a touchdown run by Palazzo. Just over nine minutes after the Crimson’s first score, Blewett drilled a 30-yard field goal to give Harvard a 24-21 lead and complete the stunning comeback.

The only other comeback of comparable proportion in Harvard history was a 22-point rally in the 29-29 win over

Yale in 1968.

The Crimson defense was kept off balance in the first half by a variety of formations by the Big Green and the solid play of backup quarterback Evan Love, tight end Casey Cramer and running back Michael Gratch. But the defense responded in a huge way in the second stanza, holding the Big Green to only 27 yards for the half.

Fitzpatrick made his first collegiate start in place of the injured Rose and put up solid numbers with 261 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The veteran Morris stepped up in the absence of Rose and Staph with 11 catches for 153 yards and a score to go along with his touchdown pass to Taylor.

Harvard 45, Columbia 33

Rose and Staph returned to action and Morris continued to rewrite the Harvard record books as the Crimson exploded for 38 first-half points, the most in team history, and pasted the Lions, 45-33, to set up a matchup of unbeatens against Penn.

Morris, whose 86 yards made him the school’s all-time receiving yardage leader, also surpassed Pat McInally’s record for career receiving touchdowns when he caught his 15th and 16th career touchdowns from Rose in the first quarter to give Harvard a 14-7 lead.

Staph scored the next two Crimson touchdowns, bulling in from three yards and one yard to put the Crimson up

28-7.

Rose and Fitzpatrick were injured on consecutive plays late in the second quarter, paving the way for freshman Garrett Schires to see his first collegiate action and pick up his first career touchdown pass when he hit fellow freshman Rodney Byrnes from 13 yards out to make it 35-7.

The Lions managed to make the final score respectable with 26 second-half points, but Palazzo, who finished with 132 yards rushing, sealed the win with a 32-yard touchdown jaunt in the final quarter.