Couldn't make the trip to Boston? Catch a full account of today's action right here on dailypennsylvanian.com. Game time is Noon. Penn (5-3, 3-2 Ivy) vs. Harvard (5-3, 3-2)
Penn opened the scoring on the first possession of the game. Quarterback Pat McDermott executed a handful of quick passes moving the Quakers down to the Harvard 21-yard line. Penn settled for a 39-yard field goal from sophomore Derek Zoch after the Crimson defense held tough. PENN 3, Harvard 0, 12:32 First Quarter Harvard answered with a 3-yard touchdown strike from Liam O'Hagan to fullback Kelly Widman after marching 62-yards through a Penn defense that looked as if it were playing with 10 men. Kicker Matt Schindel did not get a chance at the extra point after holder Robert Balkema bobbled the snap. Harvard 6, PENN 3; 9:29 First Quarter When Penn took the ball back, McDermott returned to his Princeton-game form. The senior threw four interceptions as the Tigers walked all over Penn last week at Franklin Field. Today, McDermott almost offered Harvard a tasty opportunity at the Penn 27, but Harvard's cornerback was just out of bounds when he came down with the ball McDermott lobbed under pressure from his own 5-yard line. O'Hagan, meanwhile has been locked on. He executed a 63-yard march highlighted by a brilliant diving catch by his fullback Widman for the Crimson's second score. Harvard coach Tim Murphy must have been steamed over the previous extra-point attempted. This time he called for a two-point conversion, which proved unsuccessful. Harvard 12, PENN 3; 6:00 First Quarter --- END OF FIRST QUARTER: HARVARD 12, PENN 3 --- O'Hagan, who came in averaging 182 yards each game is near that total already with 12 minutes to play in the first half today. A 45-yard pass to Ryan Tyler set up a field goal attempt by the usually reliable Schindel (7-of-7 previously). J.J. Stanton thought otherwise. The senior got a hand on the ball, the first kick an opponent has blocked against Harvard this season. Not as if Penn could do anything on the ensuing possession, though, going three-and-out. At least punter Anthony Melillo is having a good day, pinning the Crimson once on its own 2. Penn at last looked as if if could muster an offense as time wound down in the second quarter. McDermott engineered a workman-like drive from his own 14 down to the Harvard 26. Then it all fell apart, again. Harvard linebacker Matt Thomas pulled down a McDermott throw in traffic and brought it out to the Crimson 35. Clifton Dawson made his first eye-grabbing play of the day of the day, rushing 75 yards for what would have been a touchdown if not for a clipping all against Harvard, and the ball was placed on the Penn 22. The flag didn't matter much, though. The Crimson needed only one more throw -- to whom but Kelly Widman, the fullback -- to go ahead by three touchdowns. But, it's worth remembering that touchdowns still count for six in the NCAA, and Harvard's point-after efforts have been an adventure this afternoon. This time Micheal Johns blocked Schindel and Harvard increased its lead to 15. Harvard 18, PENN 3; 2:00 SECOND QUARTER O'Hagan poured it on in the last two minutes of the half, bolting 12 yards into the endzone giving Harvard a 23-point edge. For once, the fullback didn't catch the touchdown pass, and for one the Crimson came away with more than six points, with O'Hagan running in the two-point conversion. --- HALFTIME: HARVARD 26, PENN 3 --- Penn managed just 127 yards of total offense in the first half, while the Crimson rattled off 336. O'Hagan accounted for 223 of those through the air and three touchdowns. The 23-point hole is Penn's largest halftime deficit this season. Despite holding the ball for most of the third quarter, the Quakers got no closer than the Harvard 30, and finished the period with nothing on the scoreboard. --- END OF THIRD QUARTER: HARVARD 26, PENN 3 --- A 28-yard field goal from Schindel was the only scoring of the quarter, as the Quakers fell to 3-3 in the Ivy League. --- FINAL: HARVARD 29, PENN 3 ---
