They were the last two unbeaten football teams to face each other this year. But despite a second-half comeback effort, Penn fell to Harvard, 28-21, in Cambridge on Saturday to fall one game behind the Crimson in the Ivy League title race with one game remaining in the season.
Harvard (8-0, 6-0 Ivy) earned at least a share of its first conference title since 1997. The Crimson can secure an undisputed title if they beat archrival Yale next week. It would mark the first perfect season for Harvard since 1913, and their first undefeated season in 33 years.
Penn (7-1, 5-1 Ivy) saw its hopes for a perfect season and a second consecutive Ivy title vanish despite a late second-half comeback effort.
Penn Quarterback Gavin Hoffman hit Rob Milanese for a 22-yard touchdown pass with 2:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the ensuing onside kickoff attempt by Penn was recovered by Harvard. Penn ended up holding the Crimson and getting the ball back with 33 seconds remaining in the game, but it was too late for a miracle score to tie the game.
The Quakers were led by 138 rushing yards from Kris Ryan, but two third-quarter touchdown receptions by Harvard's Carl Morris sealed Penn's fate. Morris caught a total of nine passes for 155 yards to enroute to breaking Harvard records for receptions in a season (66), career (150), and touchdown passes in a season (10); he now holds eight of nine school records for a receiver. Harvard QB Neil Rose was 18-for-26 for 270 yards and three TDs.
Penn took a 14-7 lead into halftime, but a pivotal Hoffman-to-Milanese pass in the third quarter proved to be the turning point in a tied game. After the 20-yard completion on third-and-12, Harvard cornerback Benny Butler knocked the ball free from Milanese, and Harvard's Willie Alford grabbed the loose ball for an interception at the Crimson 20.
Just four plays later, Morris hauled in a long pass from Rose, beat the only deep Quaker defender, and raced in for a 62-yard touchdown to gave Harvard a 21-14 lead.
It was the first time Penn had allowed more than 20 points all season.
Midway through through a scoreless fourth-quarter, Harvard's Rodney Thomas blocked a Penn punt. Just two plays later, Rose found Josh Staph wide open in the middle of the field for a touchdown to open a 28-14 Harvard lead.
Despite a two-play, 51-yard touchdown drive which took only five seconds off the clock, the Quakers' fate was sealed when they failed to recover the ensuing onside kickoff.
Penn had opened the scoring late in the first quarter when Hoffman beat a Harvard blitz to hit Colin Smith over the middle for a 7-0 Quaker lead.
On the Quakers' next possession, Ryan broke three tackles on a simple run up the middle, resulting in a 66-yard touchdown as time expired in the first quarter.
But Penn couldn't hold the 14-0 lead. Harvard came back to score five minutes into the second quarter on a Nick Palazzo's 1-yard run after Rose had scrambled to hit Morris for 18 yards on a third-and-6 from the 37.
Read Monday's Daily Pennsylvanian for complete game coverage and commentary.
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