Portrait of a Win: Crimson Tames Lions

September 23, 1999

SEARCH THE GAZETTE

HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

By John Veneziano
Sports Media Relations

Tailback Troy Jones sprints downfield for a long one as Columbia's Lions trail into the distance. Jones scored two touchdowns in the game. Photo by Jon Chase.

Maybe Rembrandt wouldn't be satisfied, but Harvard football fans had to think last Saturday's effort represented a pretty good work in progress.

The Crimson opened its season with a 24-7 home victory over Columbia, avenging last year's loss to the Lions while also building some early momentum in what promises to be a tight League race.

Harvard – 1-0 along with fellow Ivy victors Penn, Brown, and Cornell – now travels to Holy Cross to face a Crusader team coming off an impressive 30-12 win over Lafayette.

"For our opener, I saw some solid things," said Crimson head coach Tim Murphy. "My biggest concerns coming into the year were an inexperienced offensive line and having to rely on three freshmen receivers."

At least for one week, the coach's fears have been allayed. The line, with left tackle Mike Clare ’01 being its lone member with previous varsity experience, surrered only two sacks while fueling a balanced offensive attack that totaled 479 yards. And it was a freshman receiver, Carl Morris, who grabbed a team-high four receptions for 89 yards.

There were a few bad strokes to begin the day. Columbia stuffed Harvard's first possession, then proceeded to march 47 yards in seven plays for a quick touchdown and 7-0 lead. The Lions, however, wouldn't reach the zone again in the game's remaining 56 minutes.

"That rocky start was probably the best thing that could have happened to us," asserted Murphy.

"For a few moments, it was like, 'Here we go again,'" the coach said, referring to last year's 24-0 loss at Columbia. "But we came back, played with poise, and created our own momentum."

Harvard's first scoring threat was ed when a halfback option from Chris Menick ’00 to quarterback Brad Wilford ’00 was intercepted in the zone.

Moments later, however, senior linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski made his first of several big plays by collecting his seventh career interception and returning it to the Lions' 27. It then took just two snaps for Harvard to hit the scoreboard. Senior tailback Troy Jones, playing his first full game in nearly two years, gained 11 yards on one carry and then sprinted 16 yards around left for a touchdown.

On Harvard's next possession, Jones bolted down the left sideline for a 40-yard gain and then scored from 5 yards out two plays later as the Crimson grabbed a 14-7 lead.

"The holes were there and I was able to hit them," said Jones, who missed the final eight games of 1997 and made it into only one contest last season while battling assorted injuries. "Whenever there's a big run, that means everyone's doing his job and people are blocking downfield."

Jones collected 83 yards on 10 carries, part of a 264-yard rushing day for the Crimson. Menick led the way with 85 yards on 18 attempts (and went over 2,400 yards of his career) while Wilford, making his first career start, chipped in with 71, including a 41-yard dart sparked by a big block from the 5-11, 200-pound Jones. Wilford also completed 12 of 22 passes for 190 yards.

A 30-yard Mike Giampaolo ’00 field goal made it 17-7 before the half, and Harvard tacked on its final TD early in the third quarter when senior split Terence Patterson took the reverse 30 yards around the right side. That scoring drive was set up by a Kacyvenski fumble recovery.

Kacyvenski made 17 tackles and now has 277 for his career to become Harvard's all-time leader. He surpasses Joe Azelby '84 (273 tackles), who went on to play for the NFL's Buffalo Bills.

While the effort was a solid one, Murphy cautions people not to look too far ahead. "In this League, it is critical to get that first win, both for your mental outlook and the ability to stay in the hunt. But it's just one game – and nothing more – and on Sunday we have to come into the office and start all over again."

Harvard is now preparing for archrival Holy Cross (HC), the team's most-played non-League opponent (53 meetings). Next year, the HC game becomes the Crimson's curtain-raiser as the Ivy League switches to non-League openers for its eight members.