Whatever he said behind closed doors, it worked wonders. In the third quarter, Harvard scored 21 points in the span of less than four minutes, as the Crimson reeled off its greatest comeback ever. All of a sudden, Harvard had become a second-half team.

So what exactly spurred this dramatic turaround?

It’s not new personnel. At least a dozen of Harvard’s 22 starters on offense and defense were returners from last year.

It’s likely not game preparation either. Murphy and his talented staff have always been known for their tireless efforts. The weekend before last Saturday’s Penn game was a typical example of the work that the Harvard coaches put in.

“We got home at 10 a.m. [from Columbia], and then we’re back in here from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. all day Sunday,” Murphy says. “We were in here in the morning watching the film from the Columbia game.”

Twelve hours of studying film. And that was just Sunday.

“We’re better prepared than any team in the league,” senior tailback Josh Staph says. “I can’t believe the schedules [the coaches] keep. We’re never going to lose a game because we’re not prepared.”

So what’s been the key to Harvard’s success this year? To hear Murphy tell it, Harvard has improved by making things simple. The difference, he says, has been a renewed emphasis on fundamentals.

“You get what you demand,” Murphy says. “If you demand too many things, the message gets muddled. This spring, we literally only talked about two things—ball security... and putting teams away.”

The proof, you could say, is in the pudding. Guilty of 36 turnovers last season, Harvard has committed just seven this season, the fewest in all of Division I-AA. Senior quarterback Neil Rose has been a different player, or at least a much more efficient one. After throwing 13 interceptions last year, he has thrown only three in 2001. Ryan Fitzpatrick, a rookie who had never taken a snap before this year, has been picked off just once.

Murphy has always known Harvard had the talent to win, but only if they didn’t beat themselves. This year, they haven’t.

‘I Never Give Up on a Player”

At a midweek press conference after Harvard’s win over Dartmouth, Murphy stood before a table full of reporters and specifically singled out three Harvard players for praise.

He could have picked any number of people. Carl Morris, for one, comes to mind.