When Andrew Hatch took his first snap on Saturday night, it was the fulfillment of a five-year-long journey that has caught the attention of media outlets across the country.

But what was still in question as the Harvard football season opened was just how good this journeyman would be.

Shedding the ‘second-string’ label in a dominant performance under the lights, the senior came out ready to prove that even after so many miles traveled and so many years of waiting, he’s the championship-caliber quarterback the Crimson has come to expect.

“They lose their quarterback for a season, and their second-string kid is probably the best quarterback in the league, and potentially the best player in their league,” said Holy Cross coach Tom Gilmore. “I mean, that’s pretty scary. It speaks volumes to what Harvard has established here.”

Hatch has only held the starting job for a few weeks, after senior incumbent starter Collier Winters went down with a season-ending hip injury in preseason. But looking at a one-game sample, it seems that having the decision taken out of his hands may have been the best thing that could have happened to Harvard coach Tim Murphy.

Standing at 6’4”, Hatch is much more the stereotypical Crimson quarterback than the scrappy, 5’11” Winters. And with his 20-of-25 performance on Saturday, Hatch proved that he’s more of a pure passer than Winters—a skill that Harvard’s talented receiving corps took advantage of all night.

Hatch started the game by completing his first six passes, including three straight strikes for double-digit yardage. He finished with 276 yards and three touchdowns. And when his passes weren’t caught, it was more often than not the fault of the receiver than a misplaced throw. Three of his five incompletions came on dropped passes—including one to senior tight end Nicolai Schwarzkopf that would have been good for a touchdown.

“Whatever I called, he just made the right read, whether it was flat balls or deep balls,” Murphy said. “We dropped a deep ball, we dropped a touchdown on a choice route. I mean, we had high expectations [for Hatch], but you still never know. So from that standpoint, Andrew exceeded our expectations. It sets the bar high for the next time out.”

The field general had his highlight-reel throws—most notably the 43-yard bomb that lofted downfield right into the hands of a streaking Chris Lorditch—but it wasn’t just his arm that impressed. Hatch finished the game as the Crimson’s second-leading rusher, with 39 net yards on 11 carries highlighted by a 17-yard scamper that set up Harvard’s first touchdown.

He also proved resilient in the pocket, shaking off a would-be sack near the end of the first half and turning it into a first-down rush.

But for all the individual attention Hatch will undoubtedly continue to receive, his performance was far from a one-man show.

Playing in front of him was an offensive line that was arguably the biggest offseason question for the Crimson. After graduating four starters—including James Williams ’10, now with the Indianapolis Colts—Murphy and offensive line coach Ron Crook had their work cut out for them.

But anchored by returning senior starter Brent Osborne, the fresh-faced line came out ready to prove its readiness.

From the first series of the game, the group consistently won its battles in the trenches, giving Hatch the time to make those perfect passes and giving senior tailback Gino Gordon the space to run for 62 yards and a touchdown.

“The receivers ran good routes, and the O-line gave me time to look around and see what they were giving us,” Hatch said. “I just tried not to force anything and take what they were giving me and get a completion.”

The secret’s now out: if it can continue playing the kind of football it played last night, Harvard’s equipped to make a run to the top of the league. It’s got a quarterback who can carry a squad, an offensive line to protect him, and a veteran team that knows what it takes to win a championship.

“We were prepared,” Hatch said. “It’s always nice to get that first snap under your belt, and it’s a lot of fun to be out there.”

All the Crimson has to do is keep the magic of Saturday night’s game alive.

—Staff writer Kate Leist can be reached at kleist@fas.harvard.edu.