A Kick for Glory: How Harvard Football Stormed Back Against Penn

ith only 49 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the 8-0 Harvard football team’s historic, undefeated season seemed to be in peril for the first time.

In just five plays, University of Pennsylvania’s senior quarterback Liam O’Brien marched into the Crimson’s end zone to lift the Quakers to a commanding 27-14 advantage.

The smooth drive was a theme that afternoon for Penn, which boasted the league’s second and third leading receivers and cut through a previously stout Harvard pass defense. The Crimson had yet to manage a defensive stop.

“We had a minute to right the ship,” said star senior quarterback Jaden Craig.

Craig, who now holds the school’s passing touchdowns record, drove the Crimson into the red zone after five straight completions. On fourth-and-goal from the second yard line with just five seconds remaining, head coach Andrew Aurich took a risk and left his offense on the field instead of attempting a field goal.

“Putting the ball in the hands of our best player to me was the right move,” Aurich said.

On the critical last play of the half, Craig took the ball into the end zone himself, narrowing the Quakers’ lead to 27-21.

“We couldn’t afford to not get any points on that possession,” the quarterback said.

In the second half, Harvard’s offense continued to roll. On the first possession, Craig, alongside running backs junior Xaviah Bascon and sophomore DJ Gordon, quickly led the Crimson to a goal-to-go series. However, the team failed to convert on fourth-and-goal this time, keeping the Quakers in front.

“No one could stop us but ourselves,” Craig said.

In the next two series, Harvard’s defense came up with two big stops while its offense thrived, piling on two more touchdowns via deep heaves from Craig to sophomore wide receiver Brady Blackburn and senior tight end Ryan Osborne. The Crimson boasted a 35-27 lead by the end of the third quarter.

For Craig, the success wasn’t surprising.

“It was only mistakes on our end,” said Craig. “It’s not like they made plays or they did anything out of the ordinary.”

The Quakers did not bow out without a fourth-quarter fight. Complemented by a strong receiving crew, O’Brien scored a touchdown in the first minute of the frame. Down 33-35, Penn attempted to tie the game on a two-point conversion, but Harvard’s tenacious front seven stifled O’Brien’s rushing attempt.

For the third straight possession, the Crimson’s balanced offensive attack culminated in another touchdown, this time via the legs of Bascon, putting Harvard up 42-33 with 10:47 remaining in the game.

Remaining resilient, the Quakers slowly cut through the Crimson’s defense with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that chewed seven minutes off the clock to make the game 42-40 in Harvard’s favor with just 3:44 left.

Penn decided to be aggressive on the ensuing kickoff, attempting an onside kick that rolled right into Harvard’s arms, giving Craig’s unstoppable unit a start from midfield.

Two consecutive rushes by Bascon forced the Quakers to burn two quick timeouts. Just as it looked like the Crimson was about to take a significant chunk of time off the clock and seal the game with a first down, disaster struck. On a crucial third-and-two from Penn’s 41-yard line, Harvard’s typically dominant offensive line was overpowered, resulting in a four-yard loss and forcing the home team to punt for the first time all game.

With 2:38 remaining, O’Brien took the field, showcasing his ability to extend plays, scramble, and physically wear down the Crimson’s defense. Over the course of 11 plays, O’Brien led his team to Harvard’s 13-yard line.

On third-and-three, Penn opted to kick the field goal early due to concerns about getting the special teams on the field with a running clock on fourth down. With 25 seconds left, the Quakers turned to freshman kicker Mason Walters for the 30-yard field goal. Walters hadn’t attempted a field goal yet in the game, but now, the underdog’s hopes rested on his right? leg. The freshman validated those hopes as he calmly drilled a 30-yard field goal with 25 seconds left on the clock while forcing the Crimson to burn two timeouts. As Walters knocked it through, shock quickly spread through Harvard Stadium as Penn stormed back to take a 43-42 lead.

The sideline, though, was undeterred.

“We could feel the energy on our sideline not die out, but for a moment there it went quiet, and then we all regathered and were willing to come to the mindset that no matter what just happened, we have one job to do,” sophomore kicker Kieran Corr said.

“They left us a lot of time on the clock, especially with having one time out,” Aurich said. “I knew that we could get ourselves close enough to just give ourselves a shot at kicking the field goal.”

With 22 seconds left and the ball on Harvard’s 25-yard line, Craig would have to do his best imitation of Patrick Mahomes’ famous 13-second drive. Luckily for the Crimson, the Quakers opted for soft, shell coverage, enabling Harvard to make easy completions.

Three quick throws from Craig to senior wide receiver Dean Boyd, Bascon, and freshman wide receiver Ryan Tattersall allowed Aurich to call a timeout with just five seconds remaining, with the ball deep into Penn’s territory.

As a hush fell over Harvard Stadium, Corr ran onto the field to attempt a game-winning 53-yard field goal to save his team’s unblemished record and secure the Ivy League championship.

The Winchester, Mass. native arrived on campus as the highest-rated kicker recruit in the nation according to Kohl’s, the premier special teams recruiting service. However, Corr struggled during his rookie season, going 5-8 on field goals.

Throughout his sophomore season, though, he had shown growth in both production and the mental aspect of kicking.

“The main important thing that we really try to focus on during the week is just putting as much pressure on ourselves as possible, that way when it comes to the game on Saturday, we’ve kind of been in that situation before,” the sophomore said.

The training meant Corr was prepared for the big moment.

“I was very confident sending Kieran out there, just because I had watched him hit a field goal from that distance so many times in practice,” said Aurich.

“I try to go into every game as if I’m going to have to kick six field goals and 10 PATs,” Corr said.

All 8,256 spectators stood silently on their feet as the ball was snapped. With a clean snap, hold, and boot, the pigskin flew through the air and, with just enough height, sailed right above the middle of the crossbar, sending the team into a frenzy.

“It was a huge moment, just because it kept us undefeated,” he added. “It also secured us the Ivy League championship.”

For the Crimson’s seniors, the game-winning kick was a special final play to cap off their careers inside Harvard Stadium, marking the third straight year the team clinched a share of the conference title.

“They were so excited about how the ending happened,” Aurich said. “It was almost like this feeling of relief in the locker room, where they kind of all understood that we hadn’t played our best game and were able to sneak away with the win.”

“It was senior day, so it made the game extra special. I had so many family and friends there.” Craig said.

“To do it in that fashion just made it extra special.”

Corr’s game-winning kick marked the second consecutive season in which Harvard beat the boys from Benjamin Franklin’s school on a walk-off field goal. Last season, it was Corr’s classmate, Dylan Fingersh, who is typically the team’s punter, who ripped out the hearts of Quakers fans.

This season, Fingersh was the one holding the ball for Corr as he approached for his heroic kick.

Beating Penn in a dramatic fashion has become a bit of a tradition for the Crimson, as who could forget the team’s triple overtime, “Philly Special” victory in 2023.

So the question must be asked: was the comeback ever truly in doubt?

—Staff writer Praveen Kumar can be reached at [email protected].

—Staff writer Jo B. Lemann can be reached at [email protected].