CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - No. 13/9 (coaches/media) Harvard heads to New York City to face Columbia on Friday night. The nationally televised game is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and features two of the three teams that shared the 2024 Ivy League title. The Crimson dismissed the other tri-champion, Dartmouth, last Saturday at home, 31-10.

Quick Hits

- Harvard heads to Manhattan as one of five undefeated teams in the country. In addition to the Crimson, No. 1/1 North Dakota State (9-0), No. 2/2 Montana (9-0), No. 4/4 Lehigh (9-0) and No. 5/5 Tennessee Tech (9-0) all take unblemished marks into this week's action.

- The Crimson is 7-0 for the first time since 2015 and 4-0 in the Ivy League for first time since 2016. With a win over the Lions, Harvard will be 8-0 overall and 5-0 in conference for the first time since '15 and '16, respectively. There is also potential for the Crimson to clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title this week. Harvard would need a victory on Friday coupled with losses by both Penn (vs. Cornell) and Yale (at Brown).

- Harvard's undefeated start to the year has it up to No. 9 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, which is the highest it has been in school history. Prior to this season, the Crimson's best national ranking in the media poll was No. 12 in 2004 (10-0; 7-0) and 2015 (9-1; 6-1). Harvard's No. 13 ranking in the coaches poll matches its best (2015) in Crimson recorded history, which dates to the 2011 campaign.

- As a result of the Crimson's 21-point win over Dartmouth, Harvard was named Stats Perform's FCS National Team of the Week. Looking deeper into the victory, the Crimson held Dartmouth to its lowest point total since it scored nine against Harvard in 2023, and limited the Big Green offense to a season-low 261 yards of total offense, including a season-low 61 rushing yards. On the offensive side of the ball, the Crimson threw for 322 yards, which was the most the Dartmouth defense has allowed all year.

- The owner of the 322 passing yards vs. the Big Green was none other than Jaden Craig, who added four touchdowns for good measure. His performance garnered him Ivy League Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors and Stats Perform FCS Offensive Player-of-the-Week Honorable Mention. The New Jersey native also made Crimson history, surpassing Neil Rose '03 for most career passing touchdowns. Rose, whose record of 41 had stood since 2002, was caught by Craig after TD passes to Seamus Gilmartin (14 yards) and Brady Blackburn (74), and surpassed when the senior connected with Logan Reaska (14). He later added another TD to Gilmartin (34).

- The Harvard offense has scored at least 30 points in seven straight games to open the season, marking the first time it has accomplished the feat since 1890. That squad put up, in order, 41 vs. Exeter, 43 vs. Dartmouth, 74 vs. Amherst, 38 vs. Williams, 64 vs. Dartmouth, 54 vs. Bowdoin and 55 vs. Wesleyan.

- Harvard's offense is a top-10 unit nationally, ranking sixth in scoring offense (41.4) and eighth in total offense (468.9). It also ranks in the top 15 in tackles for loss allowed (1st; 3.14), sacks allowed (3rd; 0.43), passing yards per completion (7th; 14.77), passing offense (9th; 284.9), third-down conversions percentage (14th; 0.468), and team passing efficiency (15th; 164.26), all while ranking fifth in time of possession (33:21). 

- The Crimson defense comes into the Columbia game ranked first in the FCS in scoring defense (11.3), red zone defense (0.600) and team passing efficiency defense (100.64), second in total defense (256.3), fifth in rushing defense (89.1), sixth in defensive TDs (3), 11th in interceptions (10), and 12th in passing yards allowed (167.1).

- Harvard also ranks first in the country in other categories, such as blocked kicks allowed (0), blocked punts allowed (0), fewest penalties (23), fewest penalties per game (3.29), fewest penalty yards (218), and first downs defense (103).

- Harvard is 23-4 (.852) over the last three seasons (8-2 in 2023, 8-2 in 2024, 7-0 in 2025). The Crimson is first in the FCS for fewest losses during this time period, with South Dakota State following close behind with five losses. In Division I altogether (FBS and FCS), Harvard is tied for first for fewest losses (Harvard, Oregon, Ohio State - 4).

- The Crimson has been one of the best road teams in the FCS the last two-decades-plus. Since 1996, Harvard sits behind only North Dakota State in road winning percentage. NDSU has won at a .744 clip (87-30), while the Crimson has emerged victorious 95 times in 133 tries (.714; 95-38). Among all Division I teams, Harvard is behind only Ohio State (.800; 108-27), Georgia (.770; 97-29) and North Dakota State in road winning percentage since '96.

- Harvard has won six straight away from home, which is the longest streak in the country. North Dakota State and Tarleton State are tied for second at five.