And then there were two. While Yale (4-1, 2-0 Ivy) snapped its perfect 4-0 start this Saturday at Colgate, No. 15 University of Pennsylvania (5-0, 2-0) and Harvard (5-0, 2-0) held fast to their winning streaks this weekend, defeating Columbia (2-3, 1-1) and Lafayette, respectively. Meanwhile, in the Ivy League basement, Princeton (1-4, 1-1) and Dartmouth (1-4, 0-2) managed to put the first black ink in their respective win columns this weekend.
Pennsylvania 31, Columbia 7
When Pennsylvania faced-off against Columbia at Bakers Field on Saturday, both teams were remembering their past. The Lions were celebrating Columbia’s 250th Anniversary this weekend and the Quakers wore their retro uniforms in honor of their 1933 team that went 7-0 against Stanford in 1934. But in the end it was Pennsylvania that did justice to its legacy, winning its 11th game in a row against Columbia, 31-7.
The Lions drew first blood, jumping out to a 7-0 lead when quarterback Jeff Otis hit Travis Chmleka for a 41-yard touchdown 3:49 into the first quarter. But the Quakers answered back. Quarterback Mike Mitchell ’04 found two of his receivers in the endzone in the second quarter to give Pennsylvania the 14-7 halftime lead.
The Quakers dominated the rest of the game, scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half. After the intermission, Pennsylvania scored two touchdowns within the span of two minutes. Mitchell connected with wide receiver Pankratz on a 17-yard pass into the endzone with 9:37 left in the third quarter. A little over a minute later, Pennsylvania runningback Sam Matthews added another touchdown with a 10-yard run. Matthews finished the day with 190 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Harvard 34, Lafayette 27
Harvard stayed perfect this weekend, defeating Lafayette at home 34-27.
Crimson freshman runningback Clifton Dawson put Harvard on the scoreboard first with a 23-yard run in the opening minutes of the game. But the Cantabs, who missed two consecutive field-goal opportunities, allowed Lafayette to take back the lead 13-7 by halftime. Lafayette quarterback Marko Glavic orchestrated both Leopards, scampering into the endzone on a 11-yard touchdown run with just under four minutes left in the half and floating a 12-yard lob to Jeremy Burkes for the second touchdown with 56 seconds left in the first frame.
Lafayette added another touchdown to their lead in the beginning of the third quarter before Harvard tallied two scores of their own to go ahead by a touchdown to 27-20.
In the fourth quarter, Lafayette had a chance to tie the game. But on third down on Harvard’s five-yard line, Cantab linebacker Bobby Everette ’05 picked off a pass from Glavic to give the Crimson possession on their own three-yard line.
A few plays later, Harvard Dawson snuck through a hole in left tackle for a 71-yard run, sealing the victory for the Cantabs. Dawson rushed for 218 yards on the day and scored a total of four touchdowns, setting a new Harvard record for most touchdowns scored in a single game by a freshman. Harvard will look to protect its untarnished record as they face Princeton on Oct. 25.
Princeton 34, Brown 14
After losing its first four games of the season, Princeton knew they needed a win to jump-start the team. What they got on Saturday at Brown’s (1-4, 0-2) homecoming game was more than a win, it was a jolt from a defibrillator.
On third and 12 with 20 seconds left in the third quarter, the Tigers were pushed back to their one-yard line. Princeton aired it out and quarterback Matt Verbit nailed junior wide receiver Clinton Wu on a slant. Wu never broke stride, splitting the defenders and making a 99-yard run down the left sidelines. It was the longest touchdown reception in Ivy League history, topping 98-yard touchdown receptions by Dartmouth’s Craig Morton and Cornell’s Norman Dawson.
Wu’s run blew open a previously uneventful contest. Before the record setting reception, the game had been 7-6 in favor of the Bears for nearly three quarters. After the run, Princeton went on to outscore Brown 21-7 in the final quarter of the match.
The only notable performance for Brown came from runningback Nick Hurtigan ’06, the nation’s 7th leading rusher, who ran for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
Dartmouth 24, Holy Cross 20
Not to be bested by Princeton, Dartmouth also won its first game of the season at Holy Cross 24-20.
But the win did not come easily for the Big Green, who had to come from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to clinch their first victory. Big Green tailback Chris Little ’05 started the rally with a nine-yard touchdown run and tight end Casey Cramer caught a deflected pass for the two-point conversion to pull Dartmouth within three, 20-17.
Dartmouth held Holy Cross back on their next possession and were able to get the ball back on their own 12-yard line. A 35-yard pass to junior wide receiver Andrew Hall sparked a Big Green drive that culminated with quarterback Charlie Rittgers’s ’06 one-yard scamper into the endzone.
Little (94 yards) and junior runningback Pat Risha (83 yards) combined for 177 yards rushing on 35 carries. Rittgers completed 23 of 40 passes for 260 yards.
Cornell 20, Georgetown 42
Cornell (1-4, 0-2) fell to Georgetown 20-42 in a non-conference play at Schoellkopf Field on Saturday.
Hoyas runningback Marcus Slayton gained 113 yards on the ground and added a pair of touchdowns. Punt returner Luke McArdle added 263 all-purpose yards, including 182 on punt returns, as the Hoyas improved to 3-4 on the season. The Big Red dropped its fourth-straight contest.
After knotting the game 7-7 in the first quarter, the Big Red went on an offensive drought that lasted until the middle of the third quarter, managing only a field goal in the interim. By the time the Big Red found the endzone again, Georgetown was already out of reach 35-10. The only bright spot for Cornell was quarterback D.J. Busch who threw for 272 yards in his first start for the Big Red.