All season, the freshman has played like a veteran, zipping passes to open receivers, managing the pass rush, and throwing the ball away when necessary. Against Columbia, though, he reverted to rookie mistakes, tossing three interceptions in the first quarter and a fourth early in the second.

At that point, Harvard coach Tim Murphy yanked Smith in favor of fifth-year senior Joe Viviano. The veteran proceeded to notch two touchdowns before halftime—although one came on a short field after Hill threw a pick.

Viviano finished out the rest of the game, going 6-of-12 for 120 yards and two scores. Smith, by contrast, went 6-of-11 for 70 yards.

Smith’s nightmarish performance introduces some quarterback controversy this week. The fact that Murphy stuck with the freshman after three interceptions indicates great faith. Besides Saturday, Smith has rewarded the confidence. Meanwhile, if Murphy starts Viviano, he can take solace in the fact that the veteran already has started 11 games.

“They have the nice luxury of being able to go back to a more experienced kid,” Columbia coach Al Bagnoli said. “[Smith] will learn from that…. It’s just a blip on the radar for him.”

FLAGGING CRIMSON

On Saturday, Harvard totaled 110 penalty yards, more than in any other contest this season. Seven whistles came in a torturous fourth quarter in which Columbia nearly erased a 14-point gap.

Down 21-7, the visitors opened the period with an 88-yard drive that finished in the end zone. A facemask tackle gave the Lions 15 yards, and unsportsmanlike conduct by the Crimson sidelines added 15 more. The most injurious penalty, however, was defensive holding that converted a third-and-11 at the Columbia 40.

“I’d be a liar if I said there wasn’t a feeling that the momentum had shifted,” Murphy said. “All you can do when that happens is just dig down and fight.”

Harvard has struggled all season with penalty yardage. The team leads the league with 63 flags, meaning nearly eight a game. In the last minute, when the Lions advanced into the red zone, it was fitting that defensive pass interference gave the hosts a first-and-goal from the eight.

While the Crimson escaped with the win, penalties loom as a point of weakness. In Saturday’s fourth quarter, 45 percent of Columbia’s offensive yardage came thanks to flags.

“We have so many things we still have to improve upon,” Murphy said. “It’s just one day at a time.”

—Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached at sam.danello@thecrimson.com