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A single guarantee defined the Harvard-Cornell football matchup this Saturday—that at the end of the afternoon, exactly one team would emerge as the lone unbeaten in the Ivy League.

Buoyed by a come-from-behind win over No. 25 Colgate last weekend, the Big Red had all the momentum on its side. Meanwhile the Crimson had all the history, namely a 10-game win streak in head-to-head play.

So what happened when an unstoppable force met an immovable object? The answer, which has now approached the level of cliché, is that Harvard football won. In this case, the defense grabbed three interceptions, junior running back Semar Smith recorded three touchdowns, and the Crimson (4-0, 2-0 Ivy) powered to a 29-13 victory.

“I love playing Harvard because they’ve really set the bar, in my opinion, for Ivy League football for the last couple years,” Cornell coach David Archer said. “We love to play the best.”

On an afternoon of long possessions, none was more important than the one that Harvard mounted at the start of the fourth quarter. Up 23-7, the Crimson needed an extended scoring push to pull away from the Big Red (3-1, 1-1 Ivy). And over five minutes, the hosts did just that.

Starting from its own 40, Harvard pushed to the Cornell four over 11 plays. Then Smith plunged into the end zone for a three-possession lead.

During the drive, senior halfback Anthony Firkser grabbed three passes for 37 yards, including a huge third-down conversion near midfield. He ended with 90 yards on eight receptions, showcasing the combination of sticky hands and 230-pound power that has made the senior a potential NFL prospect.

“Guys are just working hard,” Firkser said. “Every play that they’re in, they’re giving their all for whatever their job is on the team. Things are just coming together well at the start of the season.”

If Firkser headlined the passing game, then safety Tanner Lee headlined the defense. On Cornell’s first drive of the second quarter, the junior stepped in front of a third-down throw in Harvard territory for the interception. He repeated the feat in the third period, hauling in an end-zone pick.

However, the most dramatic turnover came on the first play from scrimmage. Big Red quarterback Dalton Banks fired over the middle and could only watch as the ball bounced off the pads of his receiver and into the arms of sophomore linebacker Anthony Camargo.

The Crimson started from the eight, and two plays later, Viviano found Firkser just across the goal line.

“It’s tremendous momentum when you pick the first play of the game off down to your scoring territory,” Archer said. “I was proud of our kids [that] we fought back and tied it up.”

Those opening points were the rare case of someone other than Smith recording the score. On 19 carries, the junior totaled 71 yards and, yes, three touchdowns.

His second trip to the end zone came at the start of the second half, when Harvard restarted play with an 80-yard drive. On first-and-goal from the six, offensive linemen Larry Allen, Jr. and Tim O’Brien parted the Cornell defense, and Smith strolled in untouched.