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HOSCH STARTS HOT

KINGSTON, R.I.—Over the month-long course of the preseason, senior quarterback Scott Hosch withstood a trial of scrutiny and second-guessing.

Despite starting and winning six of Harvard’s 10 games last season, Hosch faced quarterback competition from junior Joe Viviano in what coach Tim Murphy publicly characterized as an “even” battle.

Last week, when Murphy announced that Viviano had suffered a season-ending foot injury, suspicion took on a new form, as questions arose about whether the less mobile Hosch could match Viviano’s athleticism.

Well one of the cleanest aspects of any season opener is how quickly pregame headlines disappear. In Hosch’s case, it took just a quarter of near-flawless football to ease up initial concerns.

“The bottom line is, Scotty made very good decisions,” Murphy said. “We got very good protection, and I think later on it gave us some very good opportunities to run the football.”

In the first 15 minutes, the senior led two touchdown drives, going 9-for-11 for 154 yards. He completed the first six passes that he threw and opened the game by taking the Crimson 78 yards down the field in less than four minutes.

Many of these yards came on short tosses. Harvard dialed up five throws on its first drive, and with the exception of a down-and-out touchdown to junior tight end Ryan Halvorson, all these completions went for less than 10 yards.

“I wanted to take what they gave us at the start,” Hosch said. “We had a couple of big plays, but [there were] tight windows the whole game… I had to find the fourth and fifth guy in the progression starting early.

Hosch’s success contrasted with the early performance of Rhode Island quarterback Paul Mroz, who started 0-for-5. That streak ended when Mroz found freshman wide receiver Khayri Denny on a 62-yard crossing route early in the second quarter.

As Mroz heated up—he finished the half 6-of-14—Hosch cooled off, throwing his first interception of the season into tight third-down coverage.

Still, Hosch rode his huge first quarter to a record-setting performance, notching a career-best 336 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air.

LESS THAN AN A FOR THE D-LINE

With close to 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Harvard’s defensive line faced its first major test of the season.