Crimson win for Ben
On an emotional day at The Stadium, Harvard opened its Ivy League schedule with a 45-28 victory over Brown, but just as importantly, made sure a victorious game ball was on its way to Rhode Island Hospital and Ben Abercrombie.
“It’s emotional for everyone. It inspires you to want to play for something more,” said senior safety Tanner Lee, who hails from Alabama like Abercrombie, the freshman cornerback who suffered a major neck injury in last week’s season opener at Rhode Island. “It’s all about winning games, but we want to put a championship ring on Ben’s finger, too.”
“Obviously, it was a very emotional and tumultuous week for us, and I’m so proud of the kids and our coaches to keep an eye on the ball,” said coach Tim Murphy. “It speaks volumes about of the character of our kids.”
Murphy’s team built a 38-2 lead through three quarters due in part to four rushing touchdowns, including two from tacklebreaking junior Charlie Booker III, then weathered a Bears fourth-quarter surge led by last year’s starter TJ Linta. Linta, who entered in relief, threw for 253 yards and three fourthquarter scores to make it close.
Harvard (1-1, 1-0) also used two quarterbacks on the afternoon, as Murphy started highly touted dual threat Jake Smith over fifth-year senior Joe Viviano. The two combined to go 16-for-20 for 222 yards, with Smith (5-for-7, 72 yards) tossing the first touchdown pass of his college career to Cecil Williams to make it 45-9.
On the second drive of his career, Smith — a Michigan native who spent a prep year at Phillips Exeter Academy — completed a 31-yard pass to Adam Scott on third-and-8, setting up a 16-yard Booker touchdown run on the following play. While the defense continued to set up the offense, forcing punts on Brown’s first four possessions, the visitors registered the next points when, pushing Harvard back to its 2-yard line, Watertown’s Richard “Dewey” Jarvis sacked Smith in the end zone for a safety.
Brown (1-1, 0-1) squandered its largesse when Lee stepped in front of an errant pass and took the first of quarterback Nick Duncan’s three interceptions 39 yards to the house to make it 14-2 after a quarter.
“Our coach (Scott Larkee) likes to say there is no such thing as momentum. It’s all about going out there and making the next play,” said Lee. “Go out and do your job.”
Viviano entered with Harvard backed up to its own 2-yard line with 9:31 to go in the second and led a 98-yard march in nine plays, capped off when receiver Lavance Northington dove in from 6 yards out on a wildcat run. The teams traded turnovers and punts for the remainder of the half to leave it 21-2, then Harvard scored on its next three possessions: Booker bounced outside and scooted 27 yards for a touchdown, Jake McIntyre added a 28-yard field goal to his eventual six extra points, and linebacker Charlie Walker picked off a pass to set up a 5-yard run by freshman Aaron Shampklin that made it 38-2 with 3:38 to go in the third.
Scott led the Crimson with both five catches and 79 yards, one of 10 players to catch at least one ball. Booker finished with 77 yards on 13 rushes, while Noah Reimers went 65 yards on his 10 carries.
The game was the 73rd straight in which Harvard scored in double figures, and the 31st in the last 50 games they’ve topped 30. It was Harvard’s seventh straight win in the series.