football-friends-list October 2002

football-friends-list@lists.fas.harvard.edu

3 participants
4 discussions

by Paul McNeeley

ATTENTION HARVARD FOOTBALL FANS! Coach Murphy and the boys need our support on the road! We'd like to arrange for a bus trip to the Dartmouth game on November 2nd, followed by a post-game dinner at the Harpoon Brewery (20 minutes from Dartmouth in Windsor, VT), but we still need more people to sign up to make it happen. We are offering two types of packages: 1) From the Boston area -- Cost $60 Package includes: -- round-trip bus fare from Harvard to Dartmouth (bus will leave from Harvard Stadium at 9 a.m.) and from Dartmouth to the Harpoon Brewery following the game -- one ticket to the Harvard-Dartmouth football game (12:30 kick-off) -- complimentary Harpoon beer and soda at the brewery following the game -- dinner catered by the Hanover Inn at the brewery following the game 2) Outside the Boston area -- Cost $30 Package includes: -- one ticket to the Harvard-Dartmouth football game (12:30 kick-off) -- complimentary Harpoon beer and soda at the brewery following the game -- dinner catered by the Hanover Inn at the brewery following the game If you are interested and have not yet signed up, please RSVP to the Harvard Varsity Club at hvc(a)fas.harvard.edu or 617-495-3535 by Tuesday, October 29th. You can pay via credit card over the phone or bring your check or cash on November 2nd. Again, we will only reserve a bus if we get enough people to sign up so please tell a friend. Thanks for your continued support and go Crimson! -- Paul McNeeley Friends Coordinator Harvard Varsity Club Murr Center 65 North Harvard Street Boston, MA 02163 Direct: 617-496-9356 Main: 617-495-3535 Fax: 617-496-8296

21 years, 6 months

Harvard football huddle -- Thurs., Oct. 17th, 5 p.m.

by Paul McNeeley

ATTENTION HARVARD FOOTBALL DONORS! Just a reminder that the next Harvard football coach's huddle with Head Coach Tim Murphy (and a player or assistant coach to be determined later) is scheduled for Thursday, October 17th at 5:00 p.m. at Dillon Field House. Come get the inside scoop on the Crimson through the first four games of the season as well as what Coach Murphy anticipates for the team's big week 5 meeting with red-hot, cross-town foe Northeastern (currently ranked ninth in the I-AA poll). We'll be having turkey, gravy, stuffing and potatoes on the 17th at Dillon so please RSVP to the Harvard Varsity Club at 617-495-3535 or hvc(a)fas.harvard.edu. The cost is $25 per person. Thank you for your continued support of Harvard Football and we hope to see you next Thursday at Dillon! (Please note the third and final huddle will take place on Friday, November 8th at 12 noon at the Harvard Club of Boston downtown -- One Federal Street.) -- Paul McNeeley Friends Coordinator Harvard Varsity Club Murr Center 65 North Harvard Street Boston, MA 02163 Direct: 617-496-9356 Main: 617-495-3535 Fax: 617-496-8296

21 years, 6 months

Cornell Game on TV

by hvc

Harvard Football on TV The Saturday, October 12th Harvard vs. Cornell game will be broadcast on the YES network. Game time is 1:00 p.m. http://www.IvyLeagueSports.com/getMyPostCard/?IVYPC3368-80081538 Also, since invitations for the Ivy Football Association Dinner will not be printed until early November, we are enclosing an early reservation form for anyone who wishes to commit now. Just fill out the form, attach your check, and mail it back to the address on the bottom. Go Crimson! -- Harvard Varsity Club Murr Center Boston, MA 02163 (617) 495-3535 (617) 496-8296 fax http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~hvc

21 years, 6 months

Harvard Football

by Michele DeAngelis

Harvard-Lehigh Game Notes October 5, 2002 * Goodman Stadium-Bethlehem, Pa. * 1 p.m. Harvard puts an 11-game winning streak on the line when it travels to Lehigh this Saturday for a contest that pits the defending Ivy League champion against the reigning Patriot League champ. The contest features the nation's 24th-ranked (Harvard) and 12th-ranked (Lehigh) teams-in the ESPN/USA Today poll-and marks the third time in its last five games that Harvard is facing a nationally ranked opponent. Last week, the Crimson rallied from an 12-point deficit to edge host Brown, 26-24, and improve to 2-0. Lehigh (3-1), meanwhile, saw its 26-game regular season win streak snapped at Penn, 24-21. For Harvard, sophomore quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick stepped in midway through the second quarter after starter Neil Rose aggravated a back injury. Fitzpatrick became the first Crimson QB since 1992 to rush for 100 yards, gaining a game-high 131, and completed 10-of-16 passes for 113 yards and two TDs. For his work, he won the Gold Helmet Award as New England's I-AA Player of the Week. Senior All-American and Payton Award candidate Carl Morris made eight catches for 93 yards and now has a touchdown reception in 13 of his last 14 games. His 19-yard TD grab just before halftime gave the Crimson its first lead of the game at 19-18. Morris ranks second in the country in both receptions per game (9.5) and reception yards per game (151.5). Senior running back Nick Palazzo rushed 82 yards and two touchdowns in the win, while linebacker John Perry led the defense with nine tackles. Harvard has scored at least four touchdowns in each game during its win streak, and the Crimson's 11-game run is the program's longest since a 22-game streak during the 1912-14 seasons. Saturday's game is the 10th in the series and third in the past six seasons. Harvard leads the rivalry, 5-4, but Lehigh won the last meeting (45-13 in 2000). Harvard was victorious in its last visit to Bethlehem, 35-30, during the 1997 Ivy title campaign. Lehigh has won 26 straight at Goodman Stadium. HARVARD (2-0 Overall; 1-0 Ivy League) Sept. 21 HOLY CROSS 28-23 W Sept. 28 at Brown 26-24 W Oct. 5 at Lehigh 1 p.m. Oct. 12 CORNELL 1 p.m. Oct. 19 NORTHEASTERN 1 p.m. Oct. 26 at Princeton 1 p.m. Nov. 2 at Dartmouth 12:30 p.m. Nov. 9 COLUMBIA 12:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at Penn 12:30 p.m. Nov. 23 YALE 12:30 p.m. The Crimson at a Glance: Head Coach: Tim Murphy (Springfield '78), 9th season Record at Harvard: 44-37 (35-17 in last 52 games) Overall Record: 76-82-1 (includes 5 years at Cincinnati, 2 years at Maine) Murphy vs. Lehigh: 1-2 Harvard Statistical Leaders: Passing-Neil Rose (24 of 27, 88.9 pct., 318 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int.); Ryan Fitzpatrick (12 of 18, 66.7 pct. 125 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int.). Receiving-Carl Morris (19 rec., 303 yds., 15.9 avg., 3 TD); Rodney Byrnes (9 rec., 88 yds., 9.8 avg., 1 TD). Rushing-Ryan Fitzpatrick (28 att., 165 yds., 5.9 avg., 0 TD); Nick Palazzo (29 att., 150 yds., 5.2 avg., 2 TD). Place-Kicking-Anders Blewett (0-of-1 FG, 6-of-6 PAT, 6 points). Defense-Dante Balestracci (8-10-18 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble); John Perry (8-8-16 tackles). SID Contact: John Veneziano (617) 495-2206 LEHIGH (3-1 Overall; 1-0 Patriot League) Aug. 29 at Buffalo 37-26 W Sept. 7 GEORGETOWN 69-0 W Sept. 21 Princeton 31-24 W Sept. 28 at Pennsylvania 21-24 L Oct. 5 HARVARD 1 p.m. Oct. 12 atTowson 1 p.m. Oct. 19 YALE 1 p.m. Oct. 26 at Holy Cross 1 p.m. Nov. 2 at Fordham 12:30 p.m. Nov. 9 COLGATE 12:30 p.m. Nov. 16 BUCKNELL 12:30 p.m. Nov. 23 at Lafayette 12:30 p.m. The Mountain Hawks at a Glance: Head Coach: Pete Lembo (Georgetown '92), 2nd season Record at Lehigh: 14-2 Overall Record: Same Lembo vs. Harvard: 0-0 Lehigh Statistical Leaders: Passing-Chad Schwenk (65 of 112, 58.0 pct., 869 yards, 8 TD, 5 Int.); Matt Shiels (14 of 25, 56.0 pct., 190 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int.). Receiving-Michael Sutton (24 rec., 363 yds., 15.1 avg., 2 TD); Stephen Hlucshak (11 rec., 122 yds., 11.1 avg., 0 TD). Rushing-Jermaine Pugh (67 att., 343 yds., 5.1 avg., 5 TD); David Wilson (24 att., 75 yds., 3.1 avg., 2 TD). Place-Kicking-Brian Kelley (1-of-3 FG, 15-of-18 PAT, 18 points). Defense-Mike Gregorek (16-5-21 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery); Lawrence Williams (12-8-20 tackles, 1 interception). SID Contact: Jeff Tourial (610)758-3158 HEAD COACH TIM MURPHY Tim Murphy is the Thomas Stephenson Family Coach for Harvard Football. Now in his ninth season, he has a 44-37 overall mark and is 35-17 in his last 52 games. Every four-year Harvard player recruited by Murphy has been part of at least one Ivy championship team, and he has guided the Crimson to a pair of outright crowns over the past five seasons, including 2001 when Harvard posted its first undefeated, untied campaign since 1913. Murphy was both New England Division I-AA Coach of the Year and Grid Iron Club of Boston I-AA Coach of the Year, in addition to receiving AFCA District I Coach of the Year honors. He was also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award as the nation's 1-AA Coach of the Year. Previously, he led Harvard to the 1997 Ivy title, when his squad finished 9-1 overall and 7-0 in the League. It marked the first time that the Crimson posted a perfect Ivy record. Murphy was the Scottie Whitelaw ECAC Division 1-AA Coach of the Year award and New England Coach of the Year. Murphy came to Harvard from the University of Cincinnati, where he had been head coach for five seasons and guided the Bearcats to an 8-3 mark in 1993. His first head coaching position was at the University of Maine in 1987, which came after stints as an assistant at Maine, Boston University, Lafayette, and Brown. A native of Kingston, MA, Murphy graduated from Silver Lake High School in 1974. He then attended Springfield College, where he became a four-year starter and was a College Division All-New England linebacker as a senior, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1978. Murphy earned his M.Ed. from Springfield the following year, did additional post-graduate work at Boston University, and was accepted to the J.L. Kellogg graduate School of Business at Northwestern and the Colgate Darden School of Business at Virginia. Murphy resides in Wayland with his wife, Martha Kennedy Murphy, and their three children: 11-year-old Molly Kennedy; nine-year-old Conor Timothy; and seven-year-old Grace Katharine. TEAM CAPTAIN NEIL ROSE Senior quarterback Neil Rose (Mililani, HI/University High School) is the 129th captain of Harvard football. The 6-2, 220-pound Rose holds or shares 13 school records, two of which were accomplished in this year's season-opening win over Holy Cross. He became Harvard's all-time leader in total yardage (and now has 5,337 yards) and also tied the single-game record for completion percentage (with at least 20 attempts), hitting on 19-of-22. For the year,he has completed 24 of 27 passes (.889) for 318 yards with 3 TDs and one interception. Rose also hold career marks for passing yards (4,829) and touchdown passes (36). In 2001, he earned First Team All-Ivy League and All-New England honors and won the Bulger-Lowe Award as the Grid Iron Club of Boston's New England Player of the Year after completing 127 of 198 passes (64.1 percent) for 1,830 yards, with 15 TDs and just five pickoffs. Rose's pass efficiency rating of 161.7 ranked fourth in the nation and he was also in the top 20 nationally in points responsible for (14th-15.0 ppg) and total offense, (19th-259.5 yards per game). In 2000, his first year as a starter, Rose threw for a Harvard record 2,655 yards and 18 TDs. Rose has thrown for 300 or more yards four times in his career and is only QB in school history with more than two 300 yard games. He is 14-4 as a starter. An economics concentrator and Currier House resident, Rose is the first Hawaii native to captain a Harvard football team and the first quarterback to hold the honor since Carroll M. Lowenstein '52 directed the 1951 squad. A 1998 graduate of University HS, Rose lettered in football and basketball and captained the football team as a senior. He was an All-State Honorable Mention and Second-Team All-Interscholastic League choice at both quarterback and punter. He graduated with the state record for completions in a game (31) and tied the mark for completions in a season (182), and set the conference mark for passing yards in a game (432). Born 7/21/80, Rose was a four-year member of Student Government, and served as a member of the school's Math Team. He was also a member of his school's S.A.D.D. organization and sat on the state board. BROADCAST INFORMATION TELEVISION-Saturday's game will be televised by Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh and available to anyone subscribing to the DirecTV Sports Pack (Channel 628). Harvard's home games are televised live by ATT-3, the original programming station of ATT Broadband that reaches nearly two million subscribers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Jon Meterparel handles play-by-play with Bob Norton on color commentary and Peter Gay working the sidelines. These games are not available on satellite. The October 12 Cornell contest will be also televised by the YES network. RADIO-Harvard football is broadcast commercially by Giant Sports Associates and can be heard on WCRN (830-AM). Bernie Corbett is on play-by-play with former Crimson QB great Mike Giardi '94 handling commentary. Student-run WHRB (95.3 FM) also airs Harvard football with the broadcast team of Alex Sherman '04, Sam Roddenberry '03, and Jonathan Stein '05. INTERNET-The WCRN broadcast is available on the Internet through the Harvard Athletics' Web Site at www.athletics.harvard.edu. WHRB broadcasts can be heard live on the Internet through www.whrb.org. TEAMLINE-Saturday's game is available live on TEAMLINE (1-800-846-4700 x5635), which allows you to listen to the Giant Sports broadcast on your phone (a charge, which can be put on your Visa or MasterCard, is involved). 2001 IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONS! Harvard won the 2001 Ivy League Championship, its 10th in school history and second in the past five years. The Crimson clinched a share of the crown with a 28-21 win over Penn, then made it an outright title by defeating Yale, 35-23, in New Haven. Harvard rallied to win after trailing at halftime in four of those Ivy games. The Crimson previously won Ivy crowns in 1961, 1966, 1968, 1974, 1975, 1982, 1983, 1987, and 1997. Four of the titles-including the last three-have been outright (1975, 1987, 1997, 2001). PRE-SEASON PREDICTIONS-HARVARD THE CHOICE In the annual pre-season media poll, Harvard was selected to repeat as Ivy League champion. Such an accomplishment would not be unprecedented. The Crimson won back-to-back League crowns in 1974-1975 and 1982-1983. Princeton was picked for second place, followed by Brown, Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Yale, Cornell, and Columbia. THE 129TH SEASON OF HARVARD FOOTBALL This is the 129th season of Harvard football. The Crimson played its first game on May 14, 1874, and defeated McGill University of Canada, 3-0. Harvard has plenty of tradition-its 745 victories are third-most of any Division 1-AA team, it has four of the top 10 most-played 1-AA rivalries, has won seven national championships, played in the first East-West intersectional game (vs. Michigan in 1881), and holds the all-time national collegiate scoring record (765 points in 1886). Harvard's all-time record is 745-359-50 (.666); the Crimson has enjoyed 88 winning seasons and had 14 other years with at least a .500 record. ALL-IVY RETURNEES Harvard had two All-Americans and 14 All-Ivy selections in 2001. Of that group, one All-American and four All-League choices return this year. Carl Morris, the 2001 Ivy Player of the Year and a Third Team AP All-American from his wide receiver position, is back for his senior season. Also back are First Team All-Ivy choices Neil Rose (quarterback) and Dante Balestracci (linebacker), and Honorable Mention All-League punter Adam Kingston. Tailback Nick Palazzo was an Honorable Mention All-Ivy selection as a sophomore in 2000. 2001 MARKED FIRST PERFECT SEASON SINCE 1913 Harvard has posted six unbeaten, untied seasons in its first 128 years of football-but it was 88 years between the last two. Prior to last year's 9-0 campaign, the most recent perfect season came in 1913 (also 9-0). The previous perfect years were in 1875-76 (4-0-0), 1890 (11-0-0), 1898 (11-0-0), and 1901 (12-0-0). Four times since 1913, Harvard has been unbeaten, but had at least one tie. Those years were: 1914 (7-0-2), 1919 (9-0-1), 1920 (8-0-1), and 1968 (8-0-1). Harvard and Sacred Heart (10-0) were the only two I-AA teams to finish the 2001 season with undefeated records. Lehigh went 10-0 in its regular season, won its first I-AA playoff game, then fell to Furman in the second round to finish 11-1. The Crimson was the first Ivy school to have an undefeated, untied season since Dartmouth in 1996. NATIONAL RANKINGS Harvard is ranked 24th in this week's USA Today/ESPN poll and 25th in the Sports Network poll . The Crimson finished 2001 ranked 19th by The Sports Network and 21st by USA Today/ESPN. Lehigh is 12th in this week's USA Today/ESPN poll and 14th in the Sports Network poll. LONGEST WIN STREAK SINCE 1912-14 Harvard's 11-game win streak is its longest since the 1912 through 1914 seasons, when Percy Haughton's squad won 22 straight, a run that came in the midst of 33-game unbeaten streak. THIRD-LONGEST WIN STREAK IN DIVISION I Harvard's 11-game win streak is the third-longest among all Division I schools. The University of Miami has won 26 consecutive games and hosts UConn this week, while defending I-AA champion Montana is riding an 18-game streak heading into Saturday's affair at Idaho. FOUR RALLIES FROM DOUBLE-DIGIT DEFICITS Four times during its win streak, Harvard has rallied to victory after trailing by 10 or more points. In its 2001 opener, the Crimson trailed Brown, 17-7, midway through the third quarter before rallying for a 27-20 win. Against Dartmouth, Harvard found itself in a 21-0 halftime hole, before posting the biggest comeback in school history en route to a 31-21 triumph. Against Pennsylvania, the Crimson rebounded for a 28-21 triumph after trailing, 14-0, in the second quarter. Last Saturday at Brown, Harvard found itself behind by 12-0 and 18-7 scores before surging to the 26-24 win. 30-SOMETHING USUALLY MEANS 30-CERTAIN Just four times in its 129-year history has Harvard lost a football game when scoring 30 or more points in a game. It happened once in 1978 (a 31-30 loss to Brown), twice in a span of four weeks in 1993 (39-34 to Dartmouth; 33-31 to Yale), and again in 2000 at Penn (36-35). In its history, Harvard is an amazing 237-4-1 when hitting the 30-point plateau, including 5-1 in 2000, 5-0 last fall, and 21-1 overall under Tim Murphy. FEELS LIKE HOME AWAY FROM HOME The Crimson has been a solid road team in recent times, winning four straight and eight of its last nine away from the Stadium, and owning a 20-9 mark in its last 29 away games. In its last nine road tilts, the Crimson's average margin of victory has been 16.4 points; its sole loss during this span (to Penn, in 2000) came by one point, 36-35. AND HOME, SWEET HOME After winning just one of its previous six games at the Stadium, Harvard finished 6-0 at home last season and won its 2002 home opener. Its seven-game home-field winning streak is the longest since winning seven straight at the Stadium between 1986 and 1988. The last time a Harvard team won more than seven straight at home was during the 1966-67 seasons, when it won 10 straight. A MODEL OF IVY CONSISTENCY AND COMPETITIVENESS Harvard has led or been tied in the fourth quarter in each of its last 23 Ivy League contests, a streak that spans back to the Yale game of 1998. Looking even deeper, the Crimson has led or been tied in 33 of its last 36 Ivy contests dating back to the 1996 Yale game. CLOSE CALLS IN DEFEAT; BIG MARGINS IN WINS Harvard's eight Ivy losses going back to the 1998 Yale game are by a total of 28 points-an average margin of defeat of 3.5 points, which includes three one-point setbacks. Meanwhile, three of its 15 wins over this span have been by better than 30 points and nine have been by double figures. ON A REAL GOOD RUN Harvard has finished .500 or better each of the past three seasons and is 35-17 (.673) in its last 52 games dating back to the 1996 Yale contest. TERRIFIC ON TURNOVERS Perhaps the best reason for Harvard's 11-game win streak has been the way it has protected the ball. The Crimson has committed just 10 turnovers during the streak (7 interceptions, 3 fumbles lost). Last fall, Harvard's nine turnovers were the fewest of any team in Division I-AA and its +1.67 turnover ratio ranked first in the Ivy League and fourth in the country. Through two games this season, Harvard has committed one turnover (an interception thrown in the end zone vs. Holy Cross) and forced two (an interception and a fumble recovery vs. HC). WON LAST TWO VS. RANKED OPPONENTS Harvard has won its last two games vs. opponents ranked in The Sports Network top-25. In week eight last year, the Crimson beat then-No. 19 (and undefeated) Penn, 28-21. In its 2002 opener, Harvard topped No. 23 Holy Cross, 28-23. FACING THIRD RANKED OPPONENT IN LAST FIVE GAMES Lehigh will be Harvard's third nationally ranked opponent in a span of five games (see above). And the October 19 date with Northeastern will likely make it four ranked foes over a span of seven weeks. The Huskies are ninth in this week's Sports Network and USA Today/ESPNpolls and play Delaware and Rhode Island before meeting the Crimson. SINCE WE LAST MET Lehigh handled the Crimson, 45-13, at the Stadium on Oct. 15, 2000. That game came on the heels of a 29-28 setback to Cornell, a contest which Harvard led, 28-0, at the half. It stands as Harvard's most-lopsided loss in the past seven seasons and the second-highest point total yielded by a Tim Murphy-coached Harvard team. But in Harvard's 16 games since, the Crimson is 14-2 overall, 3-0 in non-League games, has led in the fourth-quarter of its two losses, and scored at least 24 points in every contest. AT LEAST FOUR TDs IN 11 STRAIGHT GAMES Harvard has scored at least four touchdowns in every game during its 11-game win streak. The Crimson had six TDs in last year's win over Columbia and five in 2001 games against Lafayette, Northeastern, and Yale. During the streak, Harvard is averaging 32.5 ppg. Going back to the 2000 season, the Crimson has scored four or more TDs in 16 of its last 17 games (the lone exception being the 2000 Yale game, when it still managed three). Harvard has managed at least three touchdowns in 21 of its last 22 contests (the 2000 Lehigh game being the lone exception), and is averaging 32.0 ppg over this stretch. FITZPATRICK A FANTASTIC FILL-IN-WINS GOLD HELMET Sophomore quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick entered last Saturday's Brown game with 7:39 remaining in first half and Harvard trailing, 18-7. (Starting QB Neil Rose aggravated a back injury after starting off 5-of-5 for 78 yards). He proceeded to lead Harvard to touchdowns on his first three drives at the helm-marches of 70, 80, and 80 yards. Just before halftime, he took the Crimson 80 yards in just 48 seconds, culminating with a 19-yard TD toss to Carl Morris that gave Harvard its first lead of the day, 19-18, with five seconds left in the quarter. On the first possession of the third quarter, he marched the Crimson 80 yards in 10 plays, and threw his second TD pass of the day, an eight-yarder to Kyle Cremarosa that made it 26-18. In two 2 1/2 quarters of action, Fitzpatrick completed 10 of 16 passes for 113 yards with two TDs and no interceptions. Even more impressive, he became the first Harvard quarterback in 10 seasons to rush for 100 yards, gaining a game-high 131 yards on 22 carries (average of 6.0 yards per carry). Mike Giardi '94 had rushed for 114 yards in a 21-19 setback at Penn in 1992. The last time a Harvard QB ran for more yards was 1975, when Jim Kubacki '77 picked up 154 yards in a victory over Holy Cross. Fitzpatrick is used to filling in. In the opener, against Holy Cross, he entered late in the third quarter in relief of Rose, and completed 2-of-2 passes for 12 yards and rushed six times for 34 yards. As a freshman last season, he stepped in for Rose (shoulder injury) in the third quarter of the Princeton game, guiding the Crimson to a 28-26 win, then started the following week's Dartmouth contest and completed 20 of 31 passes for 262 yards in a 31-21 triumph. Fitzpatrick has received the Coca Gold Helmet Award as the New England Division I Player of the Week. QUARTERBACKS ON THE MARK And you thought last year's 65.5 percent completion percentage was impressive? So far this season, Harvard quarterbacks Neil Rose and Ryan Fitzpatrick (and sophomore receiver Rodney Byrnes) have combined to complete 37 of 46 passes for a .804 percentage. Rose is 24 of 27 (.889), Fitzpatrick is 12 of 18 (.667) and Byrnes-who threw a 34-yard touchdown in the Holy Cross game-is 1 of 1. RECAPPING THE BROWN GAME Brown jumped out to a 12-0 lead and was in front, 18-7, as it scored on its first three possessions of the day. Harvard then scored twice before the half to take a 19-18 lead, and scored again on its first possession second half to move in front 26-18. Brown pulled within 26-24, but missed a game-tying two-point conversion. The Bears were a costly 0-of-4 on extra points, missing two kicks and two two-point tries. Harvard went 2-of-4, making its two kicks, but coming up empty on a pair of two-point attempts The eight touchdown drives in the game were all at least 65 yards in length and that doesn't include another incredible Harvard drive of 20 plays and 84 yards (that ate more than eight minutes off the clock) which ended in a missed field goal. The two teams combined for 885 yards in total offense without any turnovers and went 18-of-27 on third down conversions Before exiting the game midway through the second quarter, Neil Rose went 5-of-5 for 78 yards, and improved his season numbers to 24-of-27 (.889) for 318 yards with two TDs and one interception. MORRIS NAMED I-AA'S TOP RECEIVER, INVITED TO SHRINE GAME Senior Carl Morris-who holds eight of Harvard's nine major receiving marks-has been named the nation's top Division I-AA receiver by The Sports Network. He was also among the first group of athletes selected for the East-West Shrine Game, to be played January 11, 2003 in Pacific Bell Park. He is the ninth Harvard player selected to the game and the first since Roger Caron '85 in 1984. Morris, the 2001 Ivy League Player of the Year and a Third Team Associated Press All-American, ranked third in the country in receptions per game (7.89) and 10th in reception yards per game (104.78). He was also among the top-50 in the country in total receiving yards, scoring, and all-purpose running. Morris finished 2001 with 71 catches, 943 yards, and 12 TDs, all school-records. His career totals of 174 receptions, 2503 yards, and 23 touchdowns are also Harvard marks. MORE ON MORRIS Carl Morris has caught at least one TD pass in 13 of his last 14 games ... Morris' 210 receiving yards in this year's opener vs. Holy Cross is the third-highest single-game total in school history. His 11 catches were tied for fourth-most. It marked the fourth game of his career with at least 10 receptions. For that effort-which including 60 and 34-yard touchdown receptions-Morris was chosen The Sports Network National I-AA Offensive Player of the Week Morris now has five TD catches of at least 60 yards Making Morris' numbers and records even more impressive is that Harvard rushed the ball 62 percent of the time last year. So far in 2002, the Crimson has run 97 rushing plays with just 46 passes Morris has thrown four passes in his career, completing three for 111 yards, including a 35-yard TD to Sam Taylor last season against Dartmouth ... The only game last season in which Morris didn't catch a TD was at Cornell, yet he still had seven receptions for a season-high 157 yards ... The only school receiving mark to elude Morris is TD catches in a game (3), though he does have eight two-touchdown games on his resume ... Also look for Morris to return punts. Last year, he averaged 5.2 yards on 18 returns. In the opener vs. Holy Cross, he returned one punt for 14 yards. MORRIS AND BALESTRACCI ON AWARD "WATCH LISTS" Carl Morris is among a select group of 16 players on the watch list for the Payton Award, which is given to the nation's top I-AA offensive player. And junior linebacker Dante Balestracci, a two-time First Team All-League choice and a pre-season All-American, is on a similar list for the Buchanan Award, which goes to the country's top defensive player. Balestracci made a team-leading 58 tackles last year, despite missing two games with a high ankle sprain. His five career interceptions are tied for first among Harvard's active players. MORE PLAYER NOTES Senior tailback Nick Palazzo has led the Crimson in rushing each of the past two seasons. He gained 556 yards and scored seven touchdowns in 2001, despite missing three games with hamstring and ankle injuries. Last Saturday at Brown, Palazzo gained 82 yards on 13 carries (6.3 yards per carry) and scored on touchdown runs of 25 and 1 yard. Palazzo has 1,448 career yards and needs 552 more this season to become the fourth Harvard back to reach 2,000 rushing yards. His career rushing average is 5.4 yards per carry. He's had five 100-yard rushing games in his career, including a career-best 142 yards in 2000 against Cornell. Palazzo recorded his first career TD reception in this year's Holy Cross game, a seven-yard catch that opened the game's scoring ... Junior tight end Matt Fratto made 10 receptions last season, three of which went for touchdowns. He had two TD grabs in the 2001 win over Yale and opened this season with one catch vs. Holy Cross ... Senior Rodney Thomas rushed for 64 yards on 14 carries on opening day vs. Holy Cross. It was the second-highest single-game total of his career Senior free safety Xavier Goss made a career-high eight tackles and added a pass deflection against Holy Cross and followed with seven tackles last Saturday at Brown After two years as the team's starting free safety, senior Niall Murphy is the Crimson's strong safety in 2002. In the opener vs. Holy Cross, Murphy had six tackles, a pass break-up, and his fifth career interception. He followed with four tackles and a pass knock-down at Brown ... A more dramatic position change has taken place with senior Colin Blackburn, who played linebacker for his first three seasons and made 15 tackles in 2001. He switched to offense in the off-season and is now the Crimson's starting fullback ... Junior linebacker John Perry, who made 39 tackles last year, had a team-high 12 stops in last week's win at Brown Junior defensive end Brian Garcia had four tackles against Brown, but his biggest play was the knockdown of a fourth-down pass that stopped a Bear fourth-quarter drive at the Harvard 39 Junior defensive end Brendan McCafferty had three tackles and his first career sack during last Saturday's Brown game Sophomore Rodney Byrnes made a career-high six receptions (for 43 yards) in the win over Holy Cross, including his second-ever touchdown grab (a 5-yarder that made it 21-7). He also had a nine-yard gain on a running play and later threw a 34-yard TD pass to Carl Morris that put the Crimson in front, 28-10, late in the third quarter. Byrnes made three catches last week at Brown ... After missing last season, junior receiver Kyle Cremarosa has returned in 2002. He had three catches at Brown, including his fourth career touchdown on an eight-yarder from Fitzpatrick. Two years ago, Cremarosa had 32 receptions, third-most on the team, with two touchdowns ... Junior punter Adam Kingston ranked 42nd in the country last season in punt average at 38.6 yards per kick. His two punts last week pinned Brown at its own 6-yard-line and its own 2-yard-line ... The Crimson lists one injury among regulars for this week. Starting flanker Sean Meeker has a lower back injury that sidelined him for the Brown game and is likely to keep him out of action until the Northeastern game. Byrnes started in this stead and sophomore Brian Edwards-who made a 25-yard catch at Brown-has moved up the depth chart ... Three freshmen are on this week's two-deep. Gary Garcia (younger brother of starting defensive end Brian) is second on the depth chart at middle linebacker (behind Dante Balestracci), Jim Morocco is the back-up place-kicker, and Mike King is the team's reserve punter. One other newcomer, junior Brad Payne, is on the two-deep. Payne, a 2002 graduate of Mesa Community College, is the team's reserve defensive end. IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWN Senior defensive end Patrick Lavin, junior offensive lineman Joe Traverso, sophomores Aaron Byrd, K.C. Cleary, Max McKibben, and Brian Niemczak, and freshman Jake Stone were all valedictorians of their high school classes. THE HARVARD-LEHIGH SERIES Harvard and Lehigh are meeting for the 10th time overall and the third time in the last six seasons This is the Crimson's first visit to Bethlehem since 1997, when it scored a 35-30 triumph during its Ivy League championship campaign. Harvard led that contest, 35-6, before the Mountain Hawks rallied in the fourth quarter to make things very interesting Harvard leads the series, 5-4, but Lehigh has won the last two meetings-21-17 in 1998 and 45-13 in 2000. Both those games took place at Harvard The first game between the schools was in 1928, a 39-0 Harvard triumph ... Lehigh has won 26 straight at Goodman Stadium dating back to 1997 ... In eight home games under second-year Coach Pete Lembo, the Mountain Hawks are averaging 44.3 ppg and allowing 13.0. Lembo, incidentally, is a former Dartmouth assistant coach. CRIMSON EQUALS CONSECUTIVE-GAME SCORING STREAK Harvard has scored in 40 straight games since being shut out by Columbia, 24-0, in its 1998 opener and has equaled the school record for consecutive games scoring a point (the original streak stretched from the 1982 opener until the second game of the 1986 season). Holy Cross ended that streak with a 41-0 blanking of the Crimson. During its current streak, Harvard has scored 40 or more points five times;30-39 points in eight games; 20-29 points in 16 games; 10-19 points eight times; and fewer than 10 points in three games, but not since its 1998 finale vs. Yale (7 points scored). Harvard has reached double figures in 31 straight games. WHAT A SCHEDULE Harvard's three non-League opponents-Holy Cross, Lehigh, and Northeastern-are a combined 9-3 (with three of those victories vs. I-A schools). Both Lehigh (12th) and Northeastern (9th) are nationally-ranked and Holy Cross was 23rd before falling to the Crimson. Lehigh played its opener-a 37-26 win over I-A Buffalo-on August 28, one day before Harvard players even reported to camp. Throw in the fact that the Crimson's games vs. teams predicted to finish second through fifth in the Ivy League are all on the road and that makes this year's schedule as difficult as any in recent memory. FOUR ALUMS IN PRO FOOTBALL... Harvard has four players currently in pro football. Matt Birk '98 is the starting center for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and was an All-Pro selection in 2000 and 2001; Tim Fleiszer '98 is a defensive end for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes, and played in the 2000 and 2001 Grey Cup Championship Games; Isaiah Kacyvenski '00 is a starting linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks; and tight end Chris Eitzmann '00 is on the injured list for the Cleveland Browns. . ..AND ONE IN PRO WRESTLING Meanwhile, Christopher Nowinski '00, a two-year starting defensive end and Second Team All-Ivy selection as a senior, has made quite an impact in World Wrestling Entertainment, Vince McMahon's pro wrestling enterprise. After being a finalist on the WWE's Tough Enough program that aired on MTV, Nowinski signed a contract earlier this year and is now a regular on the Monday Night Raw show that airs on The National Network. He plays a "bad" guy. ANNIVERSARY APPROACHING Harvard Stadium, the nation's oldest permanent structure for football, will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2003. The event will be honored when Dartmouth (Harvard's first Stadium foe) comes to Cambridge on November 1, 2003. Harvard has played more than 600 games at the Stadium, and the 30,898-seat facility has also been the site of Olympic soccer (1984), Olympic Track and Field Trials, lacrosse, ice hockey, political rallies, and concerts (Janis Joplin and James Taylor among the performers). The first Japanese college football game ever played in the United States was also held at the Stadium, when Keio University defeated Waseda in June 1991. THE RECORD-BUILDERS Current members of the Crimson already held several school records emtering 2002 and continue to build upon their records. The updated totals: Career Passing Yards-Neil Rose (4,829); Tom Yohe '89 (4,407) is second. Career Touchdown Passes-Neil Rose (36); Tom Yohe '89 (30) is second. Career Completion Percentage-Neil Rose (356 of 570, .625); Larry Brown '79 (.568) is second. Career Receptions-Carl Morris (174); Terence Patterson '00 (146) is second. Career Receiving Yards-Carl Morris (2,503); Colby Skelton '98 (1,942) is second. Career Touchdown Receptions-Carl Morris (23); Pat McInally '75 (15) is second. THE RECORD-BREAKERS These school records have been broken/equaled this season: Career Total Offense-Neil Rose (5,337 yards); passed Mike Giardi '94 (5,057 yards). Single-Game Completion Percentage-Neil Rose (19 of 22, .864) vs. Holy Cross; tied mark of Vin Ferrara '96. THE RECORD-CHASERS These records are within reach by members of this year's team: Career Attempts-Neil Rose (570); trails Rich Linden '96 (673) and Tom Yohe '89 (648). Career Completions-Neil Rose (356); trails Rich Linden '96 (372). Total Plays-Neil Rose (856); trails Mike Giardi '94 (1005) and Rich Linden '00 (941). Career Touchdowns-Carl Morris (23) tied for 4th on list; Mike Giardi '94 (29) is leader. Career Scoring-Carl Morris (138 points) is 7th on list; Charlie Brickley '15 (215) is leader. HARVARD IN THE NCAA RANKINGS Team (Top 40/123 Division I-AA Schools) * 1st, Fumbles Lost,(0)-one of three schools * 1st, Turnovers Lost, (1)-tied with Yale * 2nd Pass Efficiency, (206.2 rating)-Yale is first * 4th, Passes Intercepted, (1) * 5th, Total Offense, (470.0 yards per game) * 20th, Rushing Defense, (93.5 yards per game) * 32nd, Passing Offense, (238.5 yards per game) * 15th, Rushing Offense, (231.5 yards per game) * 38th, Turnover Margin, (+0.5 per game) Individual (Top 50) Rodney Byrnes '05 * 25th, Kickoff Returns, (25.4 yards per return) Ryan Fitzpatrick '05 * 47th, Rushing Yards Per Game (82.5) Carl Morris '03 * 2nd, Receptions Per Game (9.5) * 2nd, Receiving Yards Per Game (151.5) * 11th, All-Purpose Running (166.0 yards per game) * 18th, Scoring, (9.0 ppg) Niall Murphy '03 * 41st, Interceptions Per Game (0.5) Nick Palazzo '03 * 18th, Scoring (9.0 ppg) HARVARD PROBABLE TWO-DEEP VS. LEHIGH WR 19-Carl Morris Sr., 6-3/205 2-Rodney Byrnes So., 5-10/185 LT 77-Jack Fadule Sr., 6-6/300 78-Brian Lapham So., 6-5/280 LG 64-Joe Traverso Jr., 6-4/285 74-Dan Wiedle Sr., 6-5/280 C 54-Andy Smith So., 6-4/280 62-Kyle Lehman So., 6-3/270 RG 50-James Bakken Jr., 6-4/270 76-Nate Torinus Sr., 6-3/270 RT 72-Jamil Soriano Sr., 6-4/300 79-Joe Mujalli Jr., 6-4/290 TE 96-Matt Fratto Jr., 6-3/235 98-Adam Jenkins So., 6-3/240 TB 22-Nick Palazzo Sr., 5-4/190 6-Rodney Thomas Sr., 5-9/180 QB 14-Ryan Fitzpatrick So., 6-3/210 7-Garrett Schires So., 6-2/200 FB 46-Colin Blackburn Sr., 6-1/230 45-George Parry Jr., 5-11/230 WR 3-Kyle Cremarosa Jr., 6-2/180 82-Brian Edwards So., 6-0/180 LE 99-Mike Armstrong Sr., 6-3/240 90-Brian Garcia Jr., 6-2/250 LT 51-Jesse Brush Sr., 6-2/250 58-Jon Berrier Jr. 6-0/240 RT 60-Brendan McCafferty Jr., 6-2/255 66-Matt McBurney So., 6-1/260 RE 97-Pat Lavin Sr., 6-3/230 91-Brad Payne Jr., 6-3/230 LB (S) 31-John Perry Sr., 6-1/228 42-Rob Schaffer So., 6-2/215 LB (M) 48-Dante Balestracci Jr., 6-2/235 47-Gary Garcia Fr., 6-1/225 LB (W) 10-Brian Niemczak So., 5-11/203 30-Juano Queen Jr., 6-2/205 LCB 5-Ben Butler Jr., 5-7/180 25-Mante Dzakuma Jr., 5-9/185 SS 29-Niall Murphy Sr., 6-1/190 13-Aaron Byrd So., 6-2/195 FS 4-Xavier Goss Sr., 5-9/187 24-Sean Tracy So., 6-0/185 >RCB 18-Chris Raftery Jr., 5-11/185 32-Gary Sonkur So., 5-9/175 >PK 1-Anders Blewett Sr., 6-0/175 15-Jim Morocco Fr., 5-9/200 P 81-Adam Kingston Jr., 6-1/190 29-Mike King Fr., 6-2/175 KO 1-Adam Kingston Jr., 6-1/190 1-Anders Blewett Sr., 6-0/175 KOR 13-Rodney Byrnes So., 5-10/185 20-Ricky Williamson So., 5-10/195 PR 19-Carl Morris Sr., 6-3/205 82-Brian Edwards So., 6-0/180 LS 96-Matt Fratto Jr., 6-2/235 50-James Bakken Jr., 6-4/260 HLD 3-Kyle Cremarosa Jr., 6-2/180 29-Niall Murphy Sr., 6-1/190 -- John Veneziano Assistant Athletic Director-Media Relations Harvard University Harvard Athletics On The Web: www.athletics.harvard.edu -- Michele DeAngelis Publications Coordinator Harvard University Athletics 65 North Harvard Street Boston, MA 02163 (617) 495-3601 Fax: (617)496-8296

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football-friends-list October 2002