Welcome to www.Collegefootballfan.com

"Get off the couch and go to a game!"

The Goal - See 'em all!

Harvard Crimson tame Leopards, 38-23

Easton, Pa. –Harvard’s well-balanced offensive attack led by Sophomore RB Clifton Dawson’s 172 rushing yards, scored early and often against Lafayette College (3-2) to fend off any late Leopard rallies and go on to win a non-league contest, 38-23.  Three Crimson INTs kept the Leopards in check at the beginning and end of the game.  CFF.com watched its first non-1A game of the season and saw a strong Harvard team (3-0) that should vie for this year’s Ivy League title.  It’s too bad the Ivies still elect not to participate in the 1AA playoffs.  It would be fun to see what a good Ivy League team would do against the best of what the rest of 1AA has to offer. 

     Harvard LB Sean Tracy halted the first LC drive of the game at his own 35 with his first interception of the game where The Crimson took over.  The offense started quickly by driving the length of the field without hesitation.  Dawson, the record setting 1,000-yard frosh RB from last year, took it into the end zone from two yards out for the game’s first six points.  The PAT was no good, and the Harvard score stood at 6-0.  Lafayette responded with a 63-yard scoring drive capped by a 19-yard, well-executed end around TD run by WR Brandon Stanford.  PK Rich Ziska converted his PAT for a 7-6 LC lead.  Harvard came back with an 86-yard drive on its ensuing series using a little trickery of its own.  Dawson handed off to WR Brian Edwards on a reverse that yielded 35 yards to the Leopards’ (or ‘pards as their called at Fisher Field) 17-yard line. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick ran it in from the four.  On a two-point conversion, he fired to his other wide-out Corey Mazza for a completion and a 14-7 Harvard lead.  The Crimson D next held the ‘pards to three and a punt.  On Harvard’s very next play, Fitzpatrick connected on a long pass to WR Mazza again coming across the field and taking it down the right sideline for a 61-yard scoring pass!  Crimson’s lead was now 21-7. LC countered on its next drive with three points as Ziska booted a 41-yard FG to make the score 21-10.  Lafayette’s offense threatened one more time before the half, but  with eight ticks remaining, Harvard LB Matt Thomas blocked Ziska's 30-yard FG attempt, and The Crimson took their 21-10 lead into the locker rooms.

     At halftime, Guest Game Analyst Eric Koreivo enjoyed "pierogis", cuisine rarely found at most college football venues.  Eric noted that the Leopards had a large contingent of female cheerleaders (18).  We noted no males (no loss), also rare for most schools.  Fisher Field is one of the very few stadiums at any division level we’ve visited that hasn’t changed in many years.  The turf is in great shape and the Kirby Field House provides a nice backdrop, but no expansion or upgrades have been made to the seating area since we last visited in ’82, or before.  The old, warped, wooden seats made of three 3 X 1s spaced with an inch in between each are full of splinters in some areas.  With only two of four home games remaining at Fisher Field this year and small crowds, many of the splinters will not be found until November 20^th when the 140^th edition of Lafayette-Lehigh fills college football’s epitome of the grandstand.

     Harvard started Q3 with another unstoppable drive.  Dawson completed the 59-yard drive with a three-yard TD run for a 28-10 Harvard lead.  The teams exchanged punts before Lafayette closed the gap to 28-17 as QB Brad Maurer connected with RB Joe McCourt for a nine-yard TD pass near the right pylon.  During Harvard’s next offensive series, Fitzpatrick hurled a 36-yard completion to Mazza on a third and five to keep the Crimson drive alive at the ‘pards’ 25. 

      Thirty seconds into the final period, Dawson took it in from the three once again to put Harvard up, 35-17.  Harvard was in command, but Lafayette didn’t quit!  Larry Johnson, LC’s kickoff return man who made good returns all day long, brought the ensuing kickoff out to midfield.  McCourt ran for six tough yards to cut the lead to 35-23.  A two-point conversion failed and the score stuck.  LC’s defense forced the team from Cambridge, MA to punt, and the offense was primed to come back.  However, LB Sean Tracy swiped a Leopard pass once again and put the ball at the Lafayette 36.  Harvard’s PK Matt Schindel booted a 30-yard FG to extend the Harvard lead to 38-23.  Lafayette’s final series ended in an INT by another HU LB, Matt Thomas.  Harvard ran out the clock with Dawson carrying on a few plays to finish with his 172 yards and Harvard stayed unbeaten at 3-0.  Harvard next hosts Cornell before playing its Atlantic 10 neighbor from Boston, Northeastern.  It then travels to face Princeton, currently 3-0 .  Lafayette goes on the road now for four straight games beginning at Columbia before facing three Patriot League foes.

 Extra Points:  The small visitor’s stands had about 100 people there cheering for The Crimson.  You could clearly hear players as well as fans from the Harvard side yelling from across the field.

         All Lafayette games are being televised live by two channels on the Lafayette TV network.  We couldn't believe we actually had to sit through TV timeouts at this game.  The question is do more people come to watch at Fisher Field or do more stay in the dorms to watch on TV?  There were 5,364 in attendance on this day.

        This was homecoming, one of only four games at Fisher Field this year.  CFF got “preferential parking” on the Markle Parking Deck.  Our timing was perfect.  They open up the lot for latecomers close to game time when the pass holders don’t fill the place up.  It's free, too.  Game tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for kids.  Sit anywhere – more on seating later.

      Lafayette’s SR RB Joe McCourt rushed for 101 yards this game, his 18^th 100+ game of his LC career.  There were several “McCourt for President” signs around the Field.

     The most vocal LC fan was a senior citizen wearing a #90 LC jersey, carrying another and wearing a hat covered with buttons and a Sylvester the Cat doll pinned to it.  The loud, gray-haired gentleman kept assuring his Leopards that they were still better than Harvard even when they were losing 38-23.  Our guess is that he's been there every week since the first Lafayette-Lehigh game.

      Lafayette’s Leopard statue looks more like a tribute to Garfield the Cat as opposed to some hungry, bloodthirsty jungle beast!  It looks half-pig, half-dog  walking along to find a place to nap.  It doesn't look ready to take on any other school mascot of any kind.  I looks full, tired and maybe ready for someone to pet it!

      The Kirby Field House is a nice facility.  We heard the Crimson singing a victory song from within after the game.  GGA Eric couldn’t understand what they were singing.  One woman laughed that the song was in Latin.  Leave it to the Ivy League!  There aren’t many trophies in the LC showcases, but several interesting pieces of memorabilia including dried-out basketballs with laces from 1904 depicting some victories.  There were more women's team trophies than men's.  We'll have to see a b-ball game there some time.

    The Harvard website claims that it’s the biggest NCAA division 1 program in the nation indicative of having the most student athletes roaming its campus.  It probably includes squash, bowling, chess and tiddly-winks, men’s and women’s in all!