Something Special
Harvard’s much-maligned special teams had a noteworthy game simply by being unremarkable. Sophomore kicker Jim Morocco made both extra points he attempted and Kingston’s punts traveled an average of 33.6 yards as he placed three within the 20-yard line.
Murphy’s reluctance to attempt field goals was noticeable, however. According to Penn coach Al Bagnoli, the Quakers’ main advantage was in the kicking game.
“We seemed to have more confidence in our kid [than Harvard did],” Bagnoli said.
Blue Streak
The Crimson is in the midst of an ignominious streak the likes of which none of the current players has seen. Saturday’s loss was not only Harvard’s third straight but also its third in a row to an Ivy opponent. The last time Harvard dropped three in a row was at the end of the 1999 season, when it fell to Brown, Penn and Yale.
The Crimson hasn’t lost four games in a row since 1995, when it dropped seven straight.
—Staff writer Lisa J. Kennelly can be reached at kennell@fas.harvard.edu.