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Kaleb Moody with Matt Hudson
38
Winner Harvard HAR 7-1 , 4-1
24
Columbia COL 2-6 , 0-5
Winner
Harvard HAR
7-1 , 4-1
38
Final
24
Columbia COL
2-6 , 0-5
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
HAR Harvard 17 7 0 14 38
COL Columbia 0 7 3 14 24

Game Recap: Football |

No. 19 Football Defeats Columbia on Road; Wins 900th Game in Program History

NEW YORK – No. 19 Harvard Football scored the game's first 17 points and never looked back in defeating Columbia, 38-24, Saturday afternoon at Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium. The decision moved the Crimson to 7-1 on the season (4-1 Ivy League) and delivered the program its 900th all-time win. The Lions, meanwhile, fell to 2-6 (0-5 Ivy).

How It Happened

  • Harvard delivered the first blow when quarterback Jaden Craig scrambled out of the pocket and found Tim Dowd, who caught a short pass and ultimately covered 83 yards for the touchdown.
  • Less than two minutes later, Kaleb Moody blasted through the Columbia offensive line and blocked the Lions' punt and returned the ball 10 yards into the endzone, giving the Crimson a 14-0 lead with 9:47 left in the first.
  • Right before the end of the first frame, Cali Canaval booted a 27-yard field goal to put the finishing touches on a 12-play, 68-yard drive.
  • The Lions put an end to the Crimson's 17-0 run to open the game with a 23-yard rushing touchdown by Joey Giorgi. After the score, Harvard led, 17-7, with 11:11 to go in the first half.
  • Harvard got the points back when Shane McLaughlin bounced to the outside and scored from three yards out, putting the visitors ahead, 24-7, with 8:35 left in the second quarter. The score eventually held for the balance of the half.
  • Columbia opened the second half with the ball and settled for a 42-yard field goal from Hugo Merry after Thor Griffith recorded the game's first sack on 3rd-and-4.
  • The Crimson went on to score the game's next 14 points on a pair of rushing touchdowns. McLaughlin recorded the first when he scampered six yards to paydirt, with Craig to follow on a 1-yard rush. The second TD gave Harvard a 38-10 lead with 8:21 left in the fourth.
  • Columbia tacked on two 11-yard TD passes from Joe Green in the final 6:22 to provide the final margin. Green first connected with Giorgi and then completed a touchdown toss to JJ Jenkins with 20 seconds left in the game.

Harvard Team Highlights

  • The Crimson moved to 7-1 with this afternoon's win, marking just the second time since 2016 that a Harvard team has opened with seven victories in its first eight outings. The 2016 squad was also 7-1.
  • Harvard won its 900th game in program history and is now 900-410-50 all-time. The 900 victories rank 10th all-time. Tim Murphy has been at the helm for 199 of those wins.
  • The Crimson is 11-2 since the end of the 2019 at road venues.
  • Harvard surpassed last season's win total (6) and equaled its conference-victory total (4).
  • The Crimson has emerged with victories in its last three trips to New York.
  • Harvard avenged last season's loss to Columbia and improved to 64-16-1 all-time vs. the Lions.
  • The Crimson improved to 36-14 in the month of November, a mark that dates to 2007.
  • The Harvard defense had three sacks, six tackles for loss, two interceptions and four quarterback hurries.

Harvard Player Highlights

  • Safety Kaleb Moody had an incredible performance with two interceptions, including a one-handed third-quarter pick, and a blocked punt return for a touchdown. The senior's two interceptions were the first two of his career. Moody's block, meanwhile, was the third of his career. He finished with five tackles.
  • Quarterback Jaden Craig started the first game of his career. The signal caller set career highs in completions (13), pass attempts (18), passing yards (264) and passing touchdowns (1). Craig also added 34 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
  • Running back Shane McLaughlin found the endzone twice on the afternoon, both on the ground. His two rushing TDs matched his single-game career high (at Howard in 2022). McLaughlin finished with a team-high 89 rushing yards.
  • Tight end Tim Dowd scored the first touchdown of his career and set a career high with 123 receiving yards on a personal-record three catches. Dowd's 100-yard receiving game was Harvard's first since Cooper Barkate had 132 vs. Brown on Sept. 22, 2023.
  • Defensive back Phillip Smitherman had a team-best eight tackles, including a game-high seven solo stops.
  • Defensive lineman Thor Griffith had seven tackles, his second-highest total of the season. The senior had 2.0 tackles for loss for 19 yards, which included a sack for a loss of 14 yards.

Up Next

The Crimson returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 11, when it welcomes Penn to Harvard Stadium. The Senior Day game is set to start at 1 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN+.
 
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