Last Saturday, all the Ivy football programs looked to gain momentum. Results were mixed, but provided benchmarks heading into the grueling Ancient Eight schedules remaining for each squad.
Holy Cross 24, Dartmouth 0
Optimism was high for the Dartmouth Green (0-5, 0-2) to capture its first win of the season this weekend as Holy Cross came into Hanover, N.H. riding a 15-game losing streak.
However, that optimism was short lived as Holy Cross scored a touchdown on their first drive, then capitalized on a Dartmouth fumble to take an early 10-0 lead.
Indeed, the Green couldn’t get their offense into gear as its game was marked by poor field position, penalties and missed opportunities.
Holy Cross was led on defense by senior defensive end David Mitchell who recorded three tackles, an 18-yard sack and a fumble recovery.
It was the first shutout for Holy Cross since 1991.
Harvard 41, Northeastern 14
Harvard turned in a convincing victory over regional rival and Division I-AA powerhouse Northeastern as sophomore tailback Clifton Dawson turned in another stellar performance n the ground.
Dawson, an early front runner for the Walter Payton award (given annually to the most prolific I-AA offensive player) scored two touchdowns to complement a 111 rushing yard performance.
The two teams traded touchdowns during the first quarter and a half, giving the game a high-scoring flavor early on. However, the Crimson defense settled down, forcing five turnovers on the day and not allowing a Northeastern score from that point on.
Harvard (5-0, 2-0) looks to maintain their balanced attack and undefeated record this weekend against Princeton.
Princeton 24, Brown 10
As the 3-0 halftime score indicated, this game pitted two of the top defensive teams in the Ivy League.
Brown took their first and only lead early in the second half on a two yard, fourth down touchdown run by tailback Nick Hartigan.
Princeton quickly answered back with a touchdown of their own, set up by a 77-yard kickoff return from Greg Fields. Brown closed out the third quarter with a field goal to knot up the score at 10.
Yet, it was all Princeton in the fourth quarter, as the Tigers scored 14 unanswered points en route to the victory. Princeton (4-1, 2-0) remains undefeated in Ivy League play, while Brown falls to 3-2 overall (0-2 Ivy).
Lehigh 30, Yale 24
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 21-7 second quarter lead, but could not sustain it against a tough Lehigh squad. A crucial turnover late in the game thwarted Yale”s last-ditch scoring drive.
The typically high powered Yale offense, led by fifth-year quarterback Alvin Cowan, was held to only a field goal in the entire second half. Lehigh (5-1) garnered 464 yards of total offense and rushed for four touchdowns in the victory.
Yale (3-2, 1-1) had two possessions in the last two minutes of the game, yet the offense could not put the ball in the end zone.
Penn 14, Columbia 3
Penn (4-1, 2-0) used timely first and fourth quarter touchdown passes by quarterback Pat McDermott to defeat Columbia during the Quakers” Homecoming game.
Columbia managed to hold a potent Penn offense — averaging 35 points and 405 yards a game — to just 14 points and 320 yards, but could not build any offense of their own (the Lions finished with 236 total yards).
Penn”s win is the 17th consecutive conference victory for the Quakers — tying their own league record. Columbia (0-5, 0-2) looks to end their skid this weekend against Dartmouth in a battle to stay out of the Ivy League cellar.
The Lions” Tad Crawford finished with 11 tackles, his fourth straight game with ten or more stops. Keenan Shaw added seven tackles for Columbia.
Archived article by John Hausner
Sun Contributor