NEW YORK -- Harvard jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and improved its Ivy League record to 5-0 with a 34-14 win over Columbia on a beautiful 50-degree day on Robert K. Kraft Field.
Austin Knowlin broke Columbia's career receiving mark late in the first quarter. The senior wide out now has 2,417 yards, breaking a 25-year old record formally held by Columbia's Bill Reggio '84CC. Knowlin also hold Columbia's career receptions mark with 201.
The Crimson took a short opening kickoff and marched 59 yards in nine plays. Treavor Scales' one-yard plunge gave Harvard a 7-0 lead 3:43 into the game.
After Harvard forced the Lions into a three-and-out, Columbia fumbled the snap on a punt attempt and Harvard recovered at the Columbia 12-yard line. On the very next play, Harvard quarterback Collier Winters found Kyle Juszczyk for a 12-yard touchdown to give the Crimson a 14-0 lead at the 9:36 mark.
Harvard went five plays for 79 yards and found the end zone for a third time in the first quarter when Gino Gordon scored on a six-yard run, giving the Crimson a 21-0 lead.
The Lions drove into Harvard territory three times early in the first half with a chance to cut into the Harvard lead, but an interception and a pair of fumbles cut short Columbia's scoring opportunities early.
Harvard's Patrick Long kicked a 28-yard field goal at the end of the half to put the Crimson up 24-0 and Harvard ultimately led 34-0 midway through the fourth quarter.
At that point, the Lions came back with two touchdowns to get on the scoreboard. The first came on a Zack Kourouma one-yard run after the Lions recovered a muffed punt deep in Harvard territory.
The Lions then moved down the field in six plays, driving 79 yards, punctuated by a 10-yard pass from Jerry Bell to Andrew Kennedy to close out the scoring. It was Bell's first collegiate touchdown pass.
"The outcome of this game surprised me" said Norries Wilson, Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football. "I thought we played about 45 minutes of football. The first fifteen minutes, we didn't play very well. You have to play 60 minutes to have an opportunitiy to win a football game."
Columbia is back in action next Saturday, November 14 at Cornell for a 12:30 p.m. start.
