Cambridge, MA (SportsNetwork.com) – Perfection.
For Harvard, the perfect way to end a perfect season is by beating its Ivy
League rival Yale.
Doing it in the final minute likely took it beyond perfect.
On Saturday, quarterback Conner Hempel connected with wide receiver Andrew
Fischer for a 35-yard touchdown pass with 55 seconds left to lift the 15th-
ranked Crimson to a 31-24, season-ending victory over Yale in “The Game” at
soldout Harvard Stadium.
Harvard (10-0, 7-0) completed the outright Ivy title, its 16th overall crown
and eighth under coach Tim Murphy, while defeating Yale for the eighth straight
years and 12th time in the last 13 years.
Yale (8-2, 5-2) dropped to third place behind the Crimson and Dartmouth (8-2,
6-1).
Harvard overcame a 7-3 halftime lead with 21 unanswered points in the third
quarter. Paul Stanton Jr. capped the opening drive with a 1-yard touchdown run
and the Crimson extended the lead to 17-7 on wide receiver Seitu Smith II’s 40-
yard touchdown pass to Fischer with 5:01 left.
Yale then drove deep into Harvard territory only to have linebacker Connor
Sheehan intercept Bulldogs quarterback Morgan Roberts and return the ball 90
yards for a Crimson touchdown and a 24-7 lead with only four seconds left in
the third quarter.
But Yale scored 17 straight points to open the fourth quarter and tie the game
at 24-24. Running back Tyler Varga scored his second and third touchdowns of
the game before Kyle Cazzetta kicked a 33-yard field goal at the 3:44 mark
Harvard then went 78 yards in eight plays for its game-winning drive. Fischer
got behind the Yale secondary along the sideline to haul in Roberts’ game-
winning pass just before he went into the Bulldogs’ end zone.
Fischer finished with eight receptions for 149 yards. Stanton rushed for 109
yards on 22 carries.
Harvard overcame Varga’s 173 all-purpose yards from scrimmage, including 127
yards on 30 carries.
