So ended a stretch of 3:32 with three turnovers. A few plays later, sophomore running back Charlie Booker bounced to the outside and streaked untouched for a 15-yard score. Game tied at 14.
“Energy—that’s what changed at halftime,” Lee said. “On offense, Joe Viviano [was] getting everybody fired up, so I think that’s what sparked our third quarter.”
The go-ahead touchdown came five minutes later. First the Crimson had to overcome a third-and-10 from the Lions 38. Brazenly Columbia lined up for an all-out blitz, leaving only three defensive backs for single coverage.
In playground fashion, Viviano lobbed the ball to Scott, who hauled in the 32-yard gain. Soon after, senior halfback Anthony Firkser grabbed a wide-open touchdown—his seventh of the year. The Lions never led again.
Harvard’s 28 points belied the talent of the Columbia defense. In the first 30 minutes, the Lions recorded five quarterback takedowns and forced five punts.
Yet it was special teams more than defense that gave the Lions an early lead. Two Harvard miscues in particular shaped the opening half.
Punt returner Alex LaPolice committed the first mistake. In position to return a high floating punt, the sophomore let the ball slip through his hands. Free safety Ryan Gilbert recovered, and six plays later, Hill slung a back-shoulder touchdown to freshman Ronald Smith II.
The second miscue had a more immediate impact. Four minutes into the second quarter, junior Zach Schmid lined up for a punt. The Lions, who had previously focused on return blocking, decided to bring heavy pressure.
Linebacker Michael Murphy got to Schmid first. The Tampa, Fla. native blocked the kick, and teammate Hunter Lunsford scooped up the ball and rumbled to the end zone.
Harvard hadn’t trailed in regulation since Oct. 15. But on this Saturday afternoon, the team faced a 14-7 deficit at the half.
“It was a little bit frustrating,” Viviano said. “The way we played in the first half, we all knew that’s not the way we were supposed to be playing.”
The Crimson seemed ready to even the score midway through the second quarter, when the team moved 85 yards to the Columbia one. Then Murphy faced a key decision: to kick a field goal or try for a touchdown.
He chose the more aggressive route. Viviano faked pistol formation before snapping under center—something the Crimson offense rarely does. The lack of practice showed, as Viviano mishandled the ball and crumpled to the turf. Roars from the Lions sideline.
The third-quarter flood of turnovers and points erased the pain of that mishap. The Harvard surge was complete when senior defensive tackle Doug Webb stripped Hill at the Lions' 22.
On the next play, a delayed screen left Scott wide open on the sideline. Like a track sprinter, he dashed straight into the end zone.
That score was the sophomore’s second of the game. He recorded his first on Harvard’s fourth drive of the game.
Facing a third-and-one from the Columbia 29, Murphy gambled for a big gain, sending Scott on a deep go route. Viviano—who has struggled at times with long passes—nailed this one, lofting the ball over cornerback Cameron Roane and into Scott’s hands.
Little could anyone know at the time, but those seven points proved crucial on an afternoon when the Lions refused to go away.
“Our kids know that there’s so much parity in our league,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “They know that a lot of games are going to come down to the wire, so you’ve got to be a good fourth quarter team.”
—Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached at sam.danello@thecrimson.com.