CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Fresh off its 38-13 win at then-No. 24 Holy Cross, the No. 22/RV Harvard football team returns home to face Cornell in its second Ivy League home contest of the season on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and carried over the radio on Bloomberg WRCA (1330 AM/106.1 FM) in Boston.
The Crimson stands at 3-0 and is 1-0 in the Ancient Eight, while the Big Red owns an 0-3 overall mark and is 0-1 in the Ivy after falling at Bucknell, 21-10, last weekend. Harvard is nationally ranked for the first time since Nov. 11, 2016.
How to Follow
Broadcast – ESPN+ (Talent: Alex Vispoli, Ben Altsher, Connor Clement)
Audio - Bloomberg Radio (Talent: Bernie Corbett and Mike Giardi '94)
Live Stats – Harvard
Twitter: @HarvardFootball
Game Notes: Harvard | Cornell
Yearbook: Harvard Athletics Fall Yearbook 2021
What to Know
• Harvard holds a 48-34-2 advantage in the all-time series against Cornell. The series dates back to the first meeting in 1890, a 77-0 triumph for the Crimson. The win was the first of 10 straight to begin the series between the two schools. Harvard owned an 11-game win streak against the Big Red from 2006-16 and defeated Cornell, 35-22, in the last meeting in 2019.
• With the 38-13 victory at Holy Cross, Tim Murphy, The Thomas Stephenson Family Head Coach for Harvard Football, extended his lead for most wins for a coach at an Ivy League school with his 181st victory with the Crimson.
• Harvard jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead against the Crusaders in last week's win. Jake Smith tossed three touchdown passes, and the defense picked off three passes, including two by Khalid Thomas. Khalil Dawsey also ran back an interception for a 55-yard score. For their efforts at Holy Cross, Jake Smith was tabbed Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week, while Jon Sot was Ivy Special Teams Player of the Week and Kaedyn Odermann was the Ivy Rookie of the Week.
• This week's game will be Harvard's 1,336th varsity football game. The Crimson has an all-time record of 882-403-50 (.679).
• Harvard's 38-13 win at then-No. 24 Holy Cross marked the Crimson's first victory over a ranked opponent since topping No. 20/22 Dartmouth, 14-13, on Oct. 30, 2015.
• After throwing three touchdowns and finishing with 229 yards in the air in the victory at Holy Cross, Jake Smith was honored as the Division I recipient of the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Award on Oct. 3. Smith previously took home a Gold Helmet after a four-touchdown performance against Brown in 2019.
• Khalil Dawsey had a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown at Holy Cross on Oct. 2. That marked the first pick-6 for a Crimson player since Cole Thompson returned one for 27 yards at Brown in 2018. Dawsey had a 77-yard return against Brown on Sept. 24, giving him 132 interception return yards this season.
• Harvard has scored points in an Ivy League and school-record 221 consecutive games. The Crimson has not been shut out since a 24-0 loss to Columbia in the 1998 season opener.
• Heading into Week 4, Harvard leads or is tied for the national lead in fourth-down-conversion defense (.000), blocked punts allowed (0) and fumbles lost (0). The Crimson is also fourth in rush defense (49.7), fifth in sacks (3.67), sixth in scoring offense (43.7), eighth in rush offense (239.0) and ninth in scoring defense (13.0) Individually, Aaron Shampklin paces the country in rushing yards per game (125.3) and is fourth in yards per carry (8.0). Chris Smith stands fourth in forced fumbles per game (0.67).
At The Helm
• In his 27th season, Harvard's all-time winningest head coach, Tim Murphy, enters this week's game with a 181-81 record with the Crimson and a 213-126-1 overall head coaching record, which includes five years at Cincinnati and two years at Maine. Since the formation of the Ivy League in 1956, no Ivy coach has compiled as many wins as Murphy's 181, and he is just one of 11 coaches to win 100-plus games. Murphy also owns 125 Ivy League wins, tied for second-most all-time. Murphy has led Harvard to nine Ivy championships (1997, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015).
Up Next
• Harvard will remain at Harvard Stadium to welcome Lafayette in the final non-conference game of the year on Saturday, Oct. 16. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
