Coincidentally—or perhaps not so coincidentally—that game also marked the last time a healthy Rose wasn’t given the starting nod. Senior Barry Wahlberg, now a pitcher on the Harvard baseball team, started the game two years ago, but Rose came off the bench and completed 7-of-9 passes. That earned him the job outright and he’s owned it ever since.
Until, that is, last week. But Saturday might prove to be the day Rose regained it.
Princeton’s defense didn’t allow much, but Rose spotted what open receivers there were to be found, including old friend and senior Carl Morris six times for 106 yards and another favorite target, junior tight end Matt Fratto, four times for 46 yards.
Rose completed 13-of-19 passes for 170 yards overall. Still, Murphy refused Saturday to name his starter for next week’s game at Dartmouth.
“I’ll answer that the same way I answered it last week,” Murphy said in response to questions about the revived controversy. “It’s something we’ll have to evaluate.”
Rose’s entrance Saturday came as scheduled in the second quarter. The Crimson only moved the ball 20 yards on that series, but Harvard did gain its first first down in three possessions. That was enough to earn Rose another chance under center after Princeton went three-and-out.
“We just felt it was the right time to put him in,” Murphy said. “He gave us a spark. He just played a very smart, gutsy football game. … Neil did a good job of getting the ball to the few people that were open today.”
Rose made the most of his extended playing time, managing the clock during a 37-yard march that produced a 29-yard field goal by freshman Jim Morocco right before the half.
Morocco, who was named the starting placekicker in place of maligned senior Anders Blewett last week, was also perfect on three PAT attempts.
In the third-quarter, Rose orchestrated a drive that produced what proved to be the game-winning score. Unlike other games this year that have featured youngsters like Fitzpatrick and Rodney Byrnes as the stars, this march was vintage Harvard circa 2001. It incorporated two pretty passes to Morris—one for 14 yards, one for 37—and culminated in a one-yard scamper by Palazzo, his third short-yardage score of the day.
That’s when Princeton started chipping away, scoring 10 unanswered points over the next two quarters.
Late in the third, on Princeton’s first play from scrimmage on the Harvard 30, Splithoff lofted a made-to-order interception. Queen was poised to haul it in, but Raftery collided with him and the ball fell to the ground, incomplete.
It was the one time in the game when Raftery’s aggressiveness cost Harvard. Princeton gained a first down two plays later on an 8-yard scamper by Splithoff. Kicker Derek Javarone eventually nailed a 30-yard field goal to move Princeton within two scores.
The Tigers closed in again midway through the fourth quarter. A 16-yard touchdown pass by Verbit to wide receiver Chisom Opara capped a 89-yard drive and narrowed the Tigers’ deficit to 24-17.
Princeton tried an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but junior linebacker Dante Balestracci smothered the squibber at the Tigers’ 49-yard line. Harvard managed just eight yards from scrimmage on that next possession and had to punt yet again.
But by that point, giving the ball back to Princeton wasn’t the significant risk for Murphy that it might have been three weeks ago. Not with the way the Harvard defense has been playing of late.
Two plays later, of course, Garcia justified Murphy’s faith and t1he win was clinched.
—Staff writer Brian E. Fallon can be reached at bfallon@fas.harvard.edu.