“I thought we played really well,” Murphy said. “I was really pleased with the effort, but I was a little disappointed with the executing in some areas, specifically red zone offense.”
And that’s a thought that will likely have future Crimson opponents a little worried.
Equally worrisome—Harvard’s ability to shut down the run.
The Crimson front four owned the line of scrimmage, allowing just 50 rushing yards by the Crusaders’ two main backs Gideon Akande and Steve Silva.
Plugging the holes opened by the offensive line, Harvard defenders poured through early, frustrating not only the running game, but also Holy Cross quarterback John O’Neill.
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O’Neill, heavily reliant on timing and feeling the pressure early, never became comfortable and repeatedly overthrew his wide open receivers.
Captain linebacker Dante Balestracci achieved penetration throughout, garnering two sacks for a total loss of 18 yards.
But Balestracci’s presence on the field extended well beyond the hits he delivered.
Afraid of receiving a crushing blow, Crusader senior wideout Ari Confesor pulled up while running his route to avoid finishing a collision course with Balestracci’s shoulders plowing into his chest.
Senior Chris Raftery was equally punishing in the defensive backfield, leading the squad with 10 solo tackles.
Raftery’s transition from cornerback to safety was seamless, with the seasoned veteran providing solid coverage throughout and serving as the last man back on three occasions, his open field tackles saving certain touchdowns.
Had it not been for a Holy Cross punt block and solid field positions acquired on special teams, the Crusaders would have had difficulty starting much of anything at all in the face of such defense.
But, as with any season opener, there were difficulties. Blown coverages, dropped balls and miscommunications held the team back.
“There were a lot of opportunities that we left out there, a lot of mistakes that I made that I can learn from,” Fitzpatrick said.
Just how much of that learning his opponents will be able to handle remains to be seen.
—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.