After last month’s win against Cornell, I challenged the Crimson defense—at the risk of life and limb—to step up, make big plays and dominate like the championship-caliber unit that brought home the Ivy hardware last season.

I figured that a defensive unit that was capable of giving up 23 points to a lousy Cornell team (at home, no less) would be unable to keep Harvard in close games against the cream of the Ivy crop. Based on this observation, I wrote that if the defense kept up its inconsistencies, then the prospects of an Ivy title repeat would be “as cloudy as your typical October day in Cambridge.”

Well, on an atypically warm November day in Cambridge, the Crimson defense stepped up against Columbia, played with reckless, punishing abandon and proved itself ready to take on Penn next weekend in another epic battle of unbeatens for the Ivy title.

Put another way, allow me now to humbly eat my words and sing the defense’s deserved praises in between bites.

Though the opponent was a rather crappy Columbia team, winless in five Ivy contests and admirably reprising its annual role as league doormat, the raw energy and execution of the Crimson ‘D’ was eye-catching. And ear-catching, too.

Never before in my three years covering Harvard football have I seen—and heard—so many bone-crunching hits in one game. It was as if the Crimson defense was letting loose a season’s worth of frustration on the hapless Columbia players.

Lions’ quarterback Steve Hunsberger had it particularly bad this Saturday. The poor guy was hit more than a batting-practice pitcher.

“We kept hitting him as hard as we could, and he kept getting up,” junior linebacker Dante Balestracci said. “I give him all the credit for staying in the game that long.”

Though Hunsberger indeed finished the game under center for the Lions, it wasn’t for lack of effort on the Crimson’s part. In all, the Lions’ QB was sacked five times (for a total loss of 41 yards) and, even when gaining yardage, Hunsberger paid the price.

One play, in particular, stands out. On second-and-9 from his own 37, Hunsberger was forced to scramble out of the pocket to his right. Knowing his team was down by two scores and in need of extra yardage, Hunsberger dove in the air hoping to reach the first down marker.

Big mistake.

As his body shot upwards, Hunsberger was surprised to find that his forward progress was suddenly stopped and that his body was hurtling sideways. Sophomore defensive back Bobby Everett laid a halacious hit on Hunsberger in midair, causing the already-sore Lions’ QB to soar out of bounds, a full four yards short of the first down.

Two plays later, Columbia punted yet again and, as was the theme all afternoon, Hunsberger had nothing to show for his bruises.

Though Everett’s blast was perhaps the most highlight-worthy hit, it probably wasn’t the loudest. That honor likely belongs to junior Jeff Reiman, who utterly demolished senior tailback Dan Reed on a kick return.

After the play, which resulted in poor field position for the Lions, the usually understated Harvard PA announcer, Chad Dale, offered a little color to his usual call—“Dan Reed by Jeffrey Reiman. Ouch.”

Ouch, indeed. Columbia was left hurting not only from such jarring hits, but also from costly turnovers caused by one of Harvard’s most improved defenders—junior cornerback Chris Raftery.

Raftery, who earlier this season won Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors, was all over the field making plays in Saturday’s contest. He forced a fumble, picked off a Hunsberger pass over the middle of the field and tackled punter Nick Rudd on a fake attempt that gave the ball back to the potent Crimson offense.

As Balestracci said earlier this season, the defense’s main goal is to make big plays to get the ball back in the offense’s hands. Saturday was an example of just that, as Harvard’s defense recovered a fumble, caught an interception and forced four turnovers on downs. And the defensive players did it with a vengeance.

“We were playing a tough game of football,” Balestracci said, in perhaps the understatement of the season.

Entering its most important game of the year, Harvard is fortunate that its defense is rising to the occasion and playing with such determination and championship-caliber resolve. Against the mighty Penn offense, the Crimson defense will surely be tested, but signs are promising as to how Balestracci and the Boys will respond.

Just ask Hunsberger. Or ask Columbia coach Ray Tellier. Heck, you can even ask the cast of ESPN’s College GameDay, which will be giving this epic Ivy match-up national media exposure by broadcasting live from Penn’s Franklin Field this Saturday.

Oh, and if Lee Corso brazenly puts on a silly Quaker hat and tells you that Harvard’s defense won’t be up to the challenge and that Penn will win the Ivy title, well, you need only shake your head, repeat what you’ve just read, and feed him his own medicine.

Not so fast, my friend.

—Staff writer Dan Fernandez can be reached at dfernand@fas.harvard.edu.