RYAN FITZPATRICK

In a year and a half as Harvard’s starting QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick, a master of improv, has carved up record books on the fly.

As arguably the Ivies’ premier signal caller, his rise has coincided with the school’s new-wave offensive juggernaut. At times, his combination of skill and speed has been nearly impossible to defend.

Fitzpatrick, improbably, has never received All-Ivy honors. But he’s simply a victim of circumstance.

The 2003 season came tumbling downwhen Fitzpatrick suffered a freak injury on Oct. 11 against Cornell. An unidentified Big Red defender crashed atop Fitzpatrick, breaking a bone in his hand. At the time, Fitzpatrick led the nation in total offense. The Crimson was 4-0 before and 3-3 after.

“I did view last season as a missed opportunity,” Fitzpatrick said. “We had such a talented team. That’s one of the things with a championship-caliber team, is how it deals with injuries. We just weren’t able to overcome them.”

Fast forward to 2004, and Fitzpatrick is all-systems-go. He says he has never been more prepared.

“We’ve been practicing for what seems like months,” he said. “And I went into camp one step ahead.”

Add to that, he says, a much-improved bevy of skill players. Receiver Brian Edwards returns to work after spending the summer in Cambridge perfecting routes and improving his timing with his quarterback—the importance of which, Harvard coach Tim Murphy said, was “unquantifiable.”

Throw in sophomore receiver Corey Mazza and speedy TB Clifton Dawson, and the offense will be both versatile and dangerous.

“We’re all a year older now,” Fitzpatrick said. “We’re more on the same page.”

And most importantly, “the body is 100 percent healed,” Fitzpatrick confirmed.

“Physically I’ve never seen him better,” Murphy agreed. “He’s a little bigger but he’s stronger, quicker, throwing the ball extremely well, and had a very strong preseason.”

In other words, the 2004 edition of Ryan Fitzpatrick could be even better. To ensure this, Murphy said a more pocket-oriented Fitzpatrick will be on display this season.

“We’re both cognizant of the fact that teams that maintain their starting quarterback through 10 games have a better chance of competing for a championship,” Murphy said. “The bottom line is that we—and Fitzy—are going to pick our spots.”