CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 25/24 Harvard Football scored the game's first 26 points en route to a decisive 26-6 home win over Columbia on Saturday. The decision kept Harvard atop the Ivy League standings at 4-1 (7-1 overall), along with Dartmouth, while the Lions dropped to 3-2 in the Ivy (5-3 overall).

How It Happened

• The Crimson was the first team to dent the scoreboard after Scott Woods II returned a short punt 43 yards to the Columbia 12-yard line. Four plays later, Kieran Corr kicked a 30-yard field goal to give Harvard the early lead with 6:39 left in the first quarter.
• Harvard added to its lead with 1:35 left in the frame when Jaden Craig found Cooper Barkate on the right side of the field. The wideout hauled in the 34-yard pass for the touchdown, pushing the Crimson to a 10-0 lead.
• Right before halftime, Harvard added another three points off the foot of Corr. The 34-yard field goal was made with one second on the game clock as the Crimson took a 13-0 lead into intermission.
• After a scoreless third quarter, Harvard ended the drought when Craig found Charles DePrima in the back corner of the endzone. The 11-yard TD pass put the Crimson up, 19-0, with 6:37 left in the fourth. Harvard's 2-point conversion attempt, however, was no good.
• DePrima found paydirt once more when he rushed 52 yards for a touchdown, with Corr adding the extra point. The scoring play propelled Harvard to a 26-0 lead with 3:35 to go in regulation.
• Columbia ended Harvard's shutout bid when it connected on a 37-yard pass play from Caleb Sanchez to Marcus Libman, setting the Lions up at the Crimson 2-yard line. Cole Freeman broke into the endzone on the next play and Columbia's 2-point try failed, all of which provided the final margin.

Team Notes

• With today's win, Harvard…
  • Secures its 11^th straight home victory.
  • Extends its season-long winning streak to six games, which is its longest overall winning streak since the 2015 team opened 8-0.
  • Moves to 3-0 against Ivy teams that have occupied first place at game time this season (at Cornell, at Dartmouth, vs. Columbia).
  • Defeats Columbia for a second straight season and improves to 65-16-1 all-time vs. the Lions.
  • Gives Andrew Aurich his seventh win of the season, which is the most by a first-year Crimson football coach since Edward L. Casey won seven games in his inaugural campaign in 1931.
  • Improves to 7-1, matching its best 8-game start to a season (2016, 2023) since the 2015 team opened with eight straight victories.
  • Improves to 8-2 over the last two seasons as a nationally ranked team.
• Harvard held Columbia to a season-low six points. It was the Lions' lowest scoring output since it scored six vs. Princeton on Oct. 1, 2022.
• The Crimson's six points allowed marked its second fewest of the campaign, trailing its 35-0 performance in the season opener vs. Stetson.
• Columbia's six points is tied for the fewest a Crimson team has allowed in an Ivy League game since Dartmouth scored six on Nov. 2, 2019. It is also tied for the fifth fewest allowed by a Harvard team in an Ivy game since 1996. 

Player Notes

• Austin-Jake Guillory (6 tackles, 2 interceptions): Picked off his first career pass in the first quarter… Added another interception in the second quarter to record the Crimson's first 2-interception game since Kaleb Moody on Nov. 4, 2023, at Columbia.
• Cooper Barkate (4 receptions, 91 yards, 1 touchdown): Caught at least one touchdown pass for the sixth time in eight games this season… Logged his fifth straight game with at least 91 yards.
• Charles DePrima (7 rushes, 75 yards, 1 touchdown; 3 receptions, 59 yards, 1 touchdown): Hauled in the first receiving TD of his career in the fourth quarter… Finished with a season-high 75 rushing yards… His receiving yardage was a career best.
• Mitchell Gonser (13 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 2.0 TFL): Finished with a career- and game-high 13 tackles… Picked up the first sack of his career… Matched his career high in tackles for loss.
• Xaviah Bascon (23 rushes, 109 yards): Rushed for a career-high 109 yards on a career-high-tying 23 rushes... Broke the century mark for rushing yards for the first time of his career.

Up Next

The nationally ranked Crimson hits the road for the final time this season when it plays at Penn next Saturday, Nov. 16. Kickoff at Franklin Field is slated for 1 p.m. ET, with the game airing live on ESPN+.