Updated November 2, 2024 at 6:15 PM

HANOVER, NH – The Harvard football team (6-1, 3-1 Ivy) defeated a previously undefeated No. 22 Dartmouth team (6-1, 3-1 Ivy) in a comeback victory that allowed the Crimson to rise to the top . the Ivy League rankings.

With three seconds left and the score 31-27, Harvard’s defense found itself in a familiar situation: trying to prevent a stunning final-second touchdown.

But unlike in the game against Brown University, the Crimson defense stood strong and repelled the Big Green’s so-called Hail Mary touchdown pass, allowing Harvard to secure its fifth consecutive win and boosting Dartmouth’s chances of running away with the Ivy League title was destroyed. .

The game proved to be a reversal of Harvard’s usual pattern this season, as a fourth-quarter rally saved the day – and the season – for the Crimson.

Trailing 27-24 and facing a fourth-and-3 with the hostile crowd on their feet and just 1:30 left in the game, the mentality never changed for Harvard head coach Andrew Aurich and his team.

“I was going to win the match,” Aurich said at a post-match press conference. “I had a lot of confidence that the violation would be executed.”

Junior quarterback Jaden Craig found senior wide receiver Kaedyn Odermann over the middle for the first down. A 15-yard pass to sophomore running back Xaviah Bascon – in place of injured captain Shane McLaughlin – gave the Crimson a goal-to-go run to win the game.

Senior utilityman Charles Deprima sprinted out — for the third time in the afternoon — and, with the help of several blockers, extended his arm into the end zone just inches past the pylon — to secure a 31-27 lead for Harvard set.

Dancing along the sideline, senior utility man Charles Deprima extends his hand to secure the Crimson’s winning touchdown. By Nicholas T. Jacobsson

Regarding his three-touchdown performance and role as the Swiss Army knife of the offense, DePrima explained, “I mean, that’s just trying to stay ready. You know, the offense does a great job of putting those drives together. And you know, when Coach Fein calls my number to finish, we gotta make sure I stay ready. But yeah, I’m just really happy with the way we executed some of those rides.

Fueled by DePrima and junior wide receiver Cooper Barkate – who combined for 158 all-purpose yards – the offense found the end zone at just the right times throughout the game.

Despite the win, the game was far from a clean performance for the Crimson. Harvard was plagued by self-inflicted errors, as personal fouls cost Harvard important yardage and saved Dartmouth’s drives.

The Crimson’s offense was unable to make an impact for much of the game as Craig, who finished 28-41 with 311 passing yards, was under constant pressure from Dartmouth’s defense.

Despite mostly strong play from Harvard’s secondary, the Crimson struggled to apply pressure, often giving Dartmouth quarterback Jackson Proctor the time and space to save plays and score 27 points – the Big Green’s most against Harvard since 2003.

In the first quarter, Harvard started hot and scored on the first drive after Bascon returned the kickoff to the 35-yard line.

On Harvard’s first big third down of the game, Deprima – playing quarterback – used his trademark speed to score Harvard’s first touchdown and make the score 7–0.

The real star of the first quarter, however, was Harvard’s defense, which held Dartmouth to three-and-outs on its first two drives. Senior safety Ty Bartrum continued his dominant performance from last week, with sophomore Damien Henderson also contributing key tackles.

Despite conceding a field goal on the final drive of the quarter, the Crimson’s offense showed vulnerability in the opening 15 minutes. Craig faced pressure in the pocket, which accelerated his decision-making on key passes – one of which was almost intercepted.

Junior quarterback Jaden Craig struggled Saturday as Dartmouth’s defense consistently managed to pressure him in the pocket. By Nicholas T. Jacobsson

As Harvard’s offense started to gain momentum in the second quarter, Dartmouth’s defense found its answer. With 10:37 left in the frame, Big Green linebacker Micah Green knocked the ball out of Woods’ streaking hands and swept it cleanly upward, generating a big swing in momentum.

On the ensuing drive, the Crimson continued to make unforced errors. After forcing a three-and-out, a rough kicker penalty on fourth down moved the Big Green into Harvard territory. Proctor found his groove on the Big Green’s fifth drive, completing long passes on his first reads to wide receiver Luke Rives, tight end Sean Ward and wide receiver Jackson Namian.

Proctor extended several plays with his legs – including one that brought the Big Green inside the five-yard line with two minutes left in the half. On third and goal from the one-yard line, Dartmouth successfully executed a trick play – in which it faked a throw to Jones and turned the ball to Ward – for a touchdown to put the Big Green up 13-10.

With one last chance to make something happen offensively in the first half, the Crimson took the field with less than two minutes remaining. Even with the high stakes, Harvard couldn’t convert, as a series of incomplete passes from Craig forced the Crimson to punt.

The second half started slowly for both teams, with Harvard forcing a quick three-and-out for Dartmouth and the Big Green forcing Harvard to punt on the next drive.

The Crimson finally managed a sack on Dartmouth’s next possession, setting up a third-and-long lead for the Big Green. Senior defensive end Jacob Psyk managed to tackle the quarterback on the next down, but was called for a horse-collar tackle, giving Dartmouth a first down.

Harvard head coach Andrew Aurich expressed confidence in the team’s ability to win during the post-game press conference. By Sems Polat

The Big Green managed to convert after junior running back DJ Crowther found a huge hole in the Crimson defense – rushing for 31 yards. A running pass from Proctor to junior Desmin Jackson and the extra point increased the Big Green’s lead 20-10.

After allowing twenty unanswered points, the Crimson offense was finally able to take the field. An explosive 25-yard rush from sophomore running back Malik Frederick positioned Harvard at the Dartmouth 29-yard line. On the next play, sophomore tight end Seamus Gilmartin caught a pass in the open field and sprinted into the end zone to score the Crimson’s first points of the second half – making it a 20-17 game.

The Big Green was undeterred by Harvard’s offensive momentum. On the team’s next possession, Proctor passed the ball up the middle to junior wide receiver Daniel Houghton, who slipped past Henderson and ran into the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown that made the score 27-17.

Down by 10 with 7:59 to go, the Crimson opted to go for it on fourth-and-14 at the 42-yard line. Craig launched the ball down the sideline, where it was secured with a strong toe-tap catch from Odermann, which gave the Crimson a first down and kept him in the game.

As time started to tick down, Craig kept the Crimson offense moving. After a pass to Gilmartin put Harvard in the red zone, DePrima sprinted through the Dartmouth defense for a six-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to just three points at 27-24.

Senior utilityman Charles DePrima had one of his best performances of the season against Dartmouth, scoring three rushing touchdowns in Hanover. By Nicholas T. Jacobsson

Needing a defensive stop on third down, senior Miles Wiley blew up a jet sweep from the Big Green – forcing a punt and giving Harvard a chance to take the lead.

With 3:59 left in the game and one more chance to strike, Craig managed to complete two consecutive passes – the first to Odermann for a 10-yard gain and the second to Barkate for 24 yards – in a return according to form. for the Harvard offense.

The momentum stalled briefly, however, when a series of short gains by Bascon gave Harvard a fourth-and-3 lead. With the crowd on its feet, Harvard converted and scored the winning touchdown a few downs later.

Dartmouth got the ball for one last chance to salvage their home game and undefeated season, but the Big Green was stymied by sophomore Jack Donahoe, who knocked down Proctor’s final pass.

Although Harvard was able to thwart Dartmouth’s last-ditch effort in the game’s final moments, it was once again unable to string together four quarters of solid football.

The team will need to carry the intensity it had last week against Princeton into the next set of games if it hopes to capture a share of the Ancient Eight title for the second straight season.

With the conference’s most highly anticipated game behind them, the Crimson will turn its attention to the Columbia Lions. The Lions arrive in Cambridge next week, along with Harvard and Dartmouth, for first place in the Ivy League.

“I’m already thinking about Columbia,” Aurich said after the game on Saturday. “We have to take care of business versus Columbia, and then you can move on.”

“You have to live one week at a time,” he added.

—Staff writer Jo Lemann can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @Jo_Lemann.

—Staff writer Praveen Kumar can be reached at [email protected].