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No. 18/19 Harvard — one of two remaining undefeated FCS teams (No. 1 South Dakota State) — will round out its non-conference play for the 2023 season this Saturday against the Howard Bison. Last week, the Crimson took down Ivy League rival Cornell by a final score of 41-23. Harvard enters the game 4-0, and looks to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 2021.

This win marked Harvard coach Tim Murphy 135th win with the Crimson, tying the Ivy League record for most career Ivy League wins as a head coach. He had the chance to break Yale coach Carm Cozza’s on October 21, 2023 against the Princeton Tigers.

Howard enters the game with a 2-3 record, coming off of a 23-20 loss at the hands of the Big Ten opponent Northwestern Wildcats. The Bison also enter the matchup with wins over Morehouse and Robert Morris. They are led by graduate quarterback Quinton Williams, who has a 58% completion rate and has 1011 yards along with 8 touchdowns.

Despite Harvard’s success in the air, arguably the most lethal weapon in their offensive arsenal is the run. Junior quarterback Charles DePrima and senior running back Shane McLaughlin combine for 208.5 running yards per game, and the Crimson’s run has sliced through every defense it has faced this year.

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Against the Big Red, DePrima totaled six touchdowns, along with 152 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns, and 209 passing yards. In the FCS, he ranks first in rush yards per carry (9.22) and points responsible per game (21.5), sixth in passing yards per completion (15.23), eighth in rushing yards per game and 13th in points responsible for (86).

DePrima earned the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week in addition to getting the FedEx Ground FCS Offensive Player of the Week. Last week, on the defensive front, safely A.J. Lopez was named National Defensive Player of the Week.

Hoping to continue their strong play on both ends, Harvard will line up against a Howard team aiming to continue its dominant streak Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 pm EST. This game can be streamed on ESPN+.

— Staff writer Jack Canavan can be reached at jack.canavan@thecrimson.com.

— Staff writer Nadia A. Fairfax can be reached at nadia.fairfax@thecrimson.com.