Oct. 4, 2008
Final Stats
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EASTON, Pa. - The Lafayette defense held Harvard to just three second-half points, but the Crimson's 24-13 halftime margin was too much to overcome as Lafayette dropped a 27-13 decision on Saturday afternoon at Fisher Stadium. Quarterback Rob Curley threw for 220 yards and one touchdown in the loss, the Leopards' first of the season.
The teams combined for 35 points and 468 total yards in the opening half. Lafayette (3-1) was aggressive early, going for it on fourth and short on the opening drive of the game. Curley found wide receiver Shaun Adair for a 21-yard catch and a first down. Kicker Davis Rodriguez connected on a 23-yard field goal at 10:18 to put the Leopards ahead 3-0.
The Crimson (2-1) responded on their first possession with a 12-play, 67-yard drive that resulted in a one-yard rushing touchdown by Cheng Ho. Patrick Long's PAT was successful to make it 7-3 with 4:52 on the clock.
The Leopards went three and out on their next possession and a Lafayette penalty on the ensuing kickoff placed Harvard at the Lafayette 46-yard line. The Crimson scored on their second consecutive possession when Long connected on a career-long 41-yard field goal attempt with 1:42 on the clock to make it 10-3.
Harvard made it three straight scoring possessions when Andrew Berry was credited with an interception on a Curley pass on the Harvard 18 early in the second quarter. Replay showed that Berry was out of bounds on the play. Nonetheless, Harvard put together an 83-yard drive that concluded with a 67-yard touchdown pass from Harvard quarterback Chris Pizzotti to Chris Lorditch for a 17-3 score at 12:14. Lorditch finished with four catches for 106 yards.
Curley made it a one-possession game when he again found Adair for a 22-yard touchdown reception, the senior's second of the season. Rodriguez's PAT made it 17-10 with 9:01 remaining in the half. Adair finished the afternoon with seven catches for 85 yards and moved up three places to fifth on the career receiving yards list with 1688 yards, surpassing Jamal Jordan '93 (1634), Quincy Miller '97 (1673) and Dave Baird '91 (1681) all in the same game.
Harvard reached the end zone for the fourth time in the half when Gino Gordon scored on a three-yard option play from Pizzotti at 4:09 for the 24-10 lead. Lafayette closed out the first-half scoring with a 41-yard field goal from Rodriguez, matching his career-long, and Lafayette went into halftime trailing 24-13.
The Leopards kept Harvard out of the end zone for the first 24 minutes of the second half. Punter Tom Kondash's 49-yard punt at 12:42 in the third quarter pinned Harvard at its own one-yard line. The Crimson burned more than six minutes off the clock on the drive but failed to convert on third and long, giving the ball back to Lafayette.
Lafayette went for it on fourth and two with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter. Curley found Maurice White with a five-yard pass for a first down but the drive stalled on Harvard's 34.
Harvard snapped the second half scoring drought in the fourth quarter when Ho broke through for a career-long 51-yard run, putting the Crimson at the Lafayette 34-yard line with a little more than eight minutes remaining. Lafayette's Jason Mills sacked Pizzotti (15-28 for 231 yards), forcing Long to attempt a career-long 45-yard field goal. Long knocked it through the uprights, making it 27-13 with 5:50 remaining.
On Lafayette's final possession of the afternoon, Harvard's Matthew Hanson intercepted tipped pass from Curley at the Crimson's 47-yard line and returned it to the Lafayette 21 yard-line, securing the Harvard win.
The Leopards begin a five-game road trip next Saturday at Columbia. Game time is 12:30 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES: - The 37 points scored in the first half were the most scored in a Lafayette game since the Leopards held a 35-3 lead at halftime against Marist on Sept. 1 of last season.
- Saturday marked the first time Lafayette has given up a first quarter score in 2008.
- Harvard has won eight straight games against the Leopards.
