O’Neill’s first score came on the Crimson’s second drive of the game. With third-and-goal at the Columbia 1-yard line and 22 seconds left in the quarter, Harvard called a timeout. As the teams lined up, the Lions showed blitz, expecting a rush attempt from Dawson. That left O’Neill wide open in the left corner of the endzone. The resulting touchdown put the Crimson up 14-0.

“Our offense did exactly what it needed to do,” Murphy said. “We knew if we could establish the run, then we’d have opportunities to throw the football.”

The Harvard offense ran smoothly all afternoon, orchestrated by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. When a play broke down, the Crimson captain was quick on his feet, getting sacked only once and scrambling for 66 rushing yards on the day.

“How many scrambles did [Fitzpatrick] have when we covered guys?” Columbia coach Bob Shoop said. “He made plays that should have been second-and-14, second-and-15 [into] second-and-4, second-and-5.”

While Fitzpatrick and the offense racked up 389 total yards, the Harvard defense shut down Columbia, allowing only 104 yards through the first three quarters. The Lions found themselves unable to convert in big-play situations, going 0-13 and 1-4 on third-down and fourth-down conversions, respectively.

“We set a goal early in the year of being a great third-down team,” Murphy said. “Quite frankly, that was our Achilles’ heel a year ago. It was our one big emphasis in the offseason as a coaching staff.”

The Crimson’s efficient performance allowed it to rest its starters and showcase some of its younger players. In the fourth quarter, many freshmen entered the game—including quarterback Liam O’Hagan and running back Charles Baakel.

“The guys who filled in stepped up,” Murphy said. “It’s been just a great across-the-board team effort.”

That’s exactly what Harvard needed—to go into Philadelphia on a positive note. And with another solid win under their belts, the Crimson players are ready to battle the Quakers.

“This is why we play the game,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s kind of the clash of the Titans—we’re both on top right now of the Ivy League. It should be a great game.”