NO LAND FOR NOLAN

A large part of the reason that Georgetown only put three points on the board was the home team’s inability to convert on Harvard’s end of the field. The Hoyas found themselves in the red zone just twice Saturday despite making it past midfield on half its drives, kicking a field goal on its first drive and turning the ball over on downs at Harvard’s six-yard line on its opening possession after halftime.

The takeover happened after Georgetown’s most promising drive of the game—the Hoyas moved the ball 69 yards down the field and came the closest to scoring they had all day. After being relatively unsuccessful at pressuring Georgetown signal-caller Kyle Nolan through the first half, the Crimson defense turned up the heat.

On a 4th-and-3 at Harvard’s six, Nolan rolled left out of the pocket but, under hot pursuit from junior defensive end Dan Moody, overthrew his intended receiver.

“That was a very big stop,” Crimson captain Norman Hayes said. “All the coaches were proud of the defense. Once we came off the field, they said we proved our identity, established our identity, and [we] just [need] to maintain it.”

Indeed, on every drive of the second half—except the final one during which the Hoyas pulled Nolan—the Crimson was able to pressure or sack Nolan to end a Georgetown drive, drawing from its plethora of talent in the defensive front seven.

Along with Moody, sophomore linebacker Nate Wall and senior defensive end Zack Hodges registered quarterback hurries to set up fourth downs.

—Staff writer Samantha Lin can be reached at samantha.lin@thcrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @Linsamnity.