Harvard overwhelms Howard
Harvard needed just one offensive drive Saturday afternoon to take the lead against visiting Howard.
It was a lead the Crimson held the rest of the way, scoring 48 straight points and besting Howard, 48-7, to remain unbeaten after the nonleague victory.
“One of those games where the planets are moving and the stars all came together,” said Harvard coach Tim Murphy. “We were very fortunate today. Our kids played very well in all phases. It all starts with defense, as we say pretty much every week.”
The Crimson (5-0, 2-0 Ivy) scored on their first three drives and forced two early turnovers to stake out an insurmountable lead.
Harvard amassed 341 rushing yards and was led by Isaiah Abbey, a 6-foot, 225-pound sophomore from Kennesaw, Ga., who ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns.
“My O-line is insane,” Abbey said. “Their mentality as far as attacking blocks and getting their stuff done. If they make a mistake, they talk about it and they forget it entirely . . . I know it says I have three touchdowns, but it was the O-line.”
Junior quarterback Charles DePrima tossed two touchdown passes and added 65 rushing yards to go with his 128 passing yards.
Defensively, Harvard held the Bison (2-4) to 247 yards, including 110 in the first half. Sophomore safety Ty Bartrum recorded 10 tackles, and junior linebacker Eric Little and sophomore linebacker Caleb Phillips each came away with an interception.
“They had some really big blockers up front, some really skilled guys on the outside . . . a quarterback who plays a conservative style, a pocket passer, doesn’t make too many mistakes,” said Harvard senior defensive lineman Nate Leskovec. “Fortunately we were able to turn the ball over a couple of times . . . I think we were much better on third down today than we have been, which was a point of emphasis.
“I think we have a solid defense, but I think we’re just scratching the surface of what we can accomplish.”
The Crimson return to Ivy League play against Princeton (2-3, 1-1 Ivy) next Saturday at Princeton Stadium.