Fitzpatrick kept the ball for the ensuing two-point conversion, scrambling left and barely into the endzone to bring Harvard within three.
The Crimson benefited from excellent field position on its next drive. From its own 43, Harvard pushed steadily towards the Brown goal line on the strength of short but effective rushes by Dawson and a 29-yard dash by Fitzpatrick. It was Dawson who finally took the ball in for the score on a third-down option, giving the Crimson its first lead of the game 35-31.
But the game’s outcome was far from sealed, as Brown stormed into Harvard territory and threatened to score for the first time in the second half.
DiGiacomo converted on fourth-and-l5 with a 17-yard pass to Schreck to bring the Bears as close as the Crimson’s 10. The Harvard defense stepped up big, however, wrapping Hartigan and pressuring DiGiacomo’s receivers. Brown decided to settle for a field goal to get back within one, 35-34.
The Bears got a break on the Crimson’s next possession when Fitzpatrick was sacked deep in the backfield by Zak DeOssie. Fitzpatrick made a last-ditch attempt to throw the ball away, but it slipped out of his hand and was recovered by Pat Curran, giving Brown possession at the Harvard 20. Once again, the defense locked down on Hartigan to hold the Bears out of the endzone. Kicker Steve Morgan, who had already missed a short field goal in the first half, sent his 30-yard field goal attempt wide right and the Harvard lead held.
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“I was trying to get rid of the ball, to throw it away,” Fitzpatrick said of the sack, “and again that’s just a credit to their defense. They were very tough, and they played us tough all day. We knew coming into the game that we couldn’t turn the ball over. That was a big swing, and luckily our defense stepped up at the end.”
The three-touchdown comeback ties for the largest in Harvard history. The other time was against Dartmouth in 2001, when Fitzpatrick, in the first start of his career, led the Crimson to a win following a 21-0 halftime deficit.
“We’ve been down this road before,” Murphy said. “Having that foundation [of the Dartmouth win] for this senior group and having that experience certainly helped us.”
—Staff writer Lisa J. Kennelly can be reached at kennell@fas.harvard.edu.