Columbia’s opening possession showed some promise as the Lions moved the ball across midfield, but the drive stalled and ended with a punt that pinned Harvard deep. The Crimson answered anyway, going 95 yards in 2:31 and converting three third downs along the way. Quarterback Charlie Smith hit Ryan Tattersall for a 43-yard touchdown with 7:02 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0.
Harvard pushed the lead to 9-0 at 5:52 after Sean Line blocked a Columbia punt that went out of the end zone for a safety. It was the second straight game the Lions allowed a safety.
The Crimson (7-1, 4-1) kept rolling late in the quarter, driving 67 yards on 12 plays and scoring when Kise Flannery plunged in from 1 yard out on fourth-and-goal with six seconds left in the period.
Harvard capitalized on another Columbia miscue early in the second. Defensive back Austin-Jake Guillory intercepted a tipped ball and returned it to the Lions’ 45, setting up a short field. Five plays later, DJ Gordon broke through the middle for a 35-yard touchdown run at 12:52 to make it 23-0.
The Crimson added two more touchdowns before the break. Smith found Logan Reaska for an 8-yard score with 4:05 remaining in the half after a 93-yard drive, and Gordon capped the first-half scoring on a three-play, 55-yard possession with a 7-yard touchdown run at 1:31.
Columbia (4-4, 1-4) settled defensively after intermission and held Harvard scoreless over the final two quarters, but the Lions could not climb back into it offensively. Columbia finished with 261 total yards but was held to a season-low 55 passing yards on 9-of-24 throwing.
Bryce Coleman was held without a touchdown for the first time this season.
Harvard totaled 434 yards of offense, led by Gordon’s 147 rushing yards and two scores. Smith threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns, completing 12 of 20 passes.
Columbia’s Austin Baird recorded an interception in the third quarter, one of the defensive plays that helped the Lions keep Harvard off the scoreboard in the second half. TOO George led the Lions with 13 tackles.
The shutout was Columbia’s first since a 3-0 loss at Cornell in 2015.
The Lions will remain on the road to take on Brown next Saturday, November 14. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on ESPN+.
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Source: gocolumbialions.com
