Nearly a week after his star running back coasted to two school touchdown records, Harvard coach Tim Murphy was still gushing.

“I think Clifton Dawson has been the most consistent player in all of I-AA football,” Murphy said. “And I say that based upon the premise that, in 15 games, he’s rushed for over 2,000 yards, 24 touchdowns, and had 14 consecutive perfect ball-security games. I’ve never seen a kid as consistent and as reliable.”

Already the standard bearer for single-season performances—his 14 rushing touchdowns and 15 total scores through six games give him one more in each category than Chris Menick ’00 managed in 1997—Dawson will also threaten a pair of career marks before the year is out, though he is just a sophomore. Harvard’s career touchdown mark—29, held by Mike Giardi ’94—will fall after four more Dawson trips to paydirt, paving the way for the demolition of a record that has stood since before World War I.

Charlie Brickley ’15 currently owns the Crimson record for points scored with 215. A renaissance man, Brickley scored 23 touchdowns and kicked 25 field goals, adding two extra points. With 162 points in 15 appearances, Dawson is on pace to shatter that mark either late this season or early next year, during which time he should set new highs for single-season rushing and points scored.

“He,” Murphy said, “is a bona fide All-American candidate.”

FRONT MEN

If Dawson is to garner similar praise next week, he’ll have to do it without the blockers he’s used to following and has exhaustively credited with his success.

Fullback Kelly Widman, who has started all six games for the Crimson since moving from tight end into the backfield, fractured his right fibula in last week’s 39-14 win over Princeton and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

“We’ll have Mike Lucas, who really has no varsity experience whatsoever,” Murphy said. “So that’s a big step up for him.”

The offensive line, which has also been hampered by scattered injuries throughout the 2004 slate, suffered a 1-2 blow against Princeton with left guard Joe Kawczenski brought down by a high left ankle sprain and right guard Andy Smith spraining the AC joint in his right shoulder for the third time in his career.

According to Murphy, Kawczenski will likely be sidelined for three weeks, and Smith may be done for the year.

Tackles Mike Frey and Brian Lapham will remain in position tomorrow, but center Will Johnson shifts to left guard to fill Kawczenki’s void. John Bechdol slides in to fill Smith’s shoes, while Johnson’s backup Frank Fernandez joins the first team to round out the front five.

“They’re all really good players,” Kawczenski said. “And they’re all really capable of playing many positions. Will’s a very good player and very capable of playing left guard.”

TOUCH AND GO

Wide receiver Brian Edwards, drawing man coverage for the first time this season, flashed the same brilliance that has led teams to double- and triple-team him throughout his senior year.

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.