But it was his first touchdown pass of the second half, a 42-yard strike to senior wide receiver Alex Sarkisian with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter, that ignited the Crimson offense.
“After the defense got a turnover on downs, we came out and scored that touchdown and really started to get the momentum going,” Chapple said. “That’s what helped us go on to win the game.”
Chapple found an opening in a Cornell defense that allowed just 130 yards on the ground.
“The defense was a little bit different than what we had anticipated,” Sarkisian said. “But Colton did a great job adjusting and just put the ball out there and gave me a shot to make a play. It was a great pass.”
The Crimson struck again on its next possession, as Chapple connected with sophomore tight end Cameron Brate for a 27-yard score to open the fourth quarter.
All game, Chapple was able to complete long passes down field to set the Crimson up for scoring chances.
His 41-yard completion to senior wide receiver Chris Lorditch with just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter set up an 11-yard touchdown pass to senior wide-receiver Adam Chrissis just three plays later.
“Colton’s been playing great,” Lorditch said. “He’s done a great job for us. We’re sitting here at 3-1, and Colton’s a big part of the reason why.”
Chapple found Lorditch again in the fourth quarter, this time for a 29-yard pass that led to his 26-yard touchdown toss to junior tight end Kyle Juszczyk on the next play.
Chapple earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors after out-dueling Cornell sophomore quarterback Jeff Mathews, who threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns.
But for Chapple, improving the Crimson’s Ivy League record mattered most.
“Cornell is a really great team,” Chapple said. “It’s good to start the league season at 2-0.”
He didn’t know that he amassed over 400 passing yards until Harvard coach Tim Murphy told him after the game. Chapple didn’t even recognize the magnitude of his accomplishment until he looked at the previous records in the team’s media guide.
“That’s when I realized how big of a deal it was,” Chapple said.