Edwards was the focal point of the Crimson offense in the first half, challenging All-Ivy cornerback Jay McCareins on repeated deep routes while earning easy touches courtesy of end-around rushes.

“Brian responded in an unbelievably competitive way to that matchup,” Murphy said. “It wasn’t just the nine catches. It was the reverses. It was the blocking. It was the emotion, the leadership. I was really proud of how he stepped up in that game.”

But unless Dartmouth makes the same strategic error this weekend—and the Big Green won’t have a cornerback of McCareins’ skill at its disposal—Edwards likely won’t be in line for a repeat performance. Instead, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will probably find himself utilizing sophomore Corey Mazza more frequently, as was the case earlier this season when teams overcommitted to Edwards.

“If they double cover [Edwards],” Murphy said, “it’s harder to get him the ball. We’ll take what people give us.”

QUICK HITS

Sean Tracy, whose knee injury last Saturday was at first feared to be a torn meniscus, suffered a sprain of the capsule housing the cartilage, but not the cartilage itself, Murphy said. He will be held out of tomorrow’s game as a precaution, but should return next week against Columbia. Mike Finch will start in his absence...Clifton Dawson leads the nation in total points with 90 and points per game with 15. The next closest average scorer, James Johnson of Ark.-Pine Bluff, comes in at 12...Matt Thomas and Doug Hewlett were named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively, for Oct. 23. Thomas recorded 12 tackles, including two sacks, while Hewlett logged three tackles, a sack and an interception.

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.