No magic for Crimson
Rhode Island scored on a first quarter safety, a 97yard kickoff return in the third quarter and used a fast, rousing defensive effort to stymie the Harvard offense as the 20th-ranked Rams beat the Crimson 23-16 last night at Harvard Stadium.
The game was played on FitzMagic Night as the 9,123 fans were given face masks of their favorite former Harvard quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, now of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But there was little magic for the Crimson.
Rhode Island (3-1) broke on top thanks to a costly muff by the Crimson. Harvard faced fourth down at its own 5-yard line, leaving freshman punter Jon Sot backed up in the end zone. Sot bobbled the snap before getting a kick away. The ball struck the back of a Harvard blocker and caromed back out the end zone for a safety with 10:06 to play in the first quarter.
The Rams wasted a huge 38-yard pass play from JuJuan Lawson to Khayri Denny down to the Harvard 18 thanks to an illegal formation penalty. Lawson went airborne on the next play and overthrew his target and was picked off by Harvard sophomore cornerback Emmanuel Kelly, who returned it to the Rhody 39. The Crimson couldn’t sustain a drive and ace leftfooter Jake McIntyre booted a 37-yard field goal to hand Harvard (2-1) a 3-2 lead with 2:12 to go in the quarter.
URI, coming off a bye week, regained the lead in the second quarter when Lawson found junior tight end Joey Kenny on a 36yard corner pattern, beating the double-coverage of Max Jones and Wesley Ogsbury. Sophomore C.J. Carrick tacked on the PAT for a 9-3 score. It was the first career TD catch for Kenny and came on his longestever reception.
Harvard had to punt and Lawson went to work. He found sophomore receiver Isaiah Coulter behind Kelly at the Crimson 44 for a 35yard gain. Lawson and Coulter hooked up again from 15 yards and the Rams were moving. The drive ended with a 9-yard scoring run around the right end by Lawson, who took a helmet to the thigh and appeared gimpy. Carrick converted the extra point and the visitors were slowly gaining control. Lawson (12-of-16 for 153) was seen on the sidelines in sweat pants during the second half.
Harvard quarterback Jake Smith got hit high on a scramble and the sophomore had to leave the game with 5:45 left before halftime. Senior Tom Stewart hit a couple of short passes before the drive stalled.
Rhode Island, the highest-ranked team Harvard has faced since No. 18 Penn in 2010, began its drive with backup Vito Priore in for Lawson. URI went from its own 7 to the 30 before punting back to Harvard, which welcomed Smith back to the huddle.
That was about all of the good news for a Harvard squad that entered the night averaging 251 yards rushing but managed only one yard on the ground in 12 attempts and was 0-for-6 in third down.
Harvard got the ball to start the second half and used the opportunity to add a 35-yard field goal by McIntyre to cut the margin to 16-6.
The Crimson comeback hopes received a blow when Rams junior Ahmere Dorsey took the ensuing kick 97 yards to paydirt. Carrick’s extra point made it a 23-6 spread. Dorsey’s scamper was the longest kickoff return for Rhody since Harold Cooper went 98 yards at Elon in 2016. It was the first time an opponent scored on a kick return against Harvard since Princeton’s Jay McCairn had a 93-yarder in 2005.
McIntyre made his third field goal, from 34 yards, to make it 23-9. Harvard drew closer early in the fourth when sophomore Devin Darrington took a misdirection handoff and scooted 36 yards to the end zone. McIntyre added the extra point and moved within a touchdown of the Rams.
The teams traded picks with URI senior safety D.J. Stewart intercepting with 3:17 to go and Harvard’s Ogsbury with 2:59 to play.