CAMBRIDGE – It was simply a case of too little, too late for the Northeastern football team in Saturday’s 28-20 loss at the hands of Harvard University in Harvard Stadium.
Two fourth-quarter touchdowns brought the Huskies within striking distance, but Harvard’s Dante Balestracci recovered the ensuing onside kick with 59 seconds remaining, sealing the Crimson victory.
“It went right through me,” the all-Ivy League Linebacker said. “I sat on it, and Matt [Frato] got on it.
“It has seemed to find its way to me the last couple of years,” he added.
The same cannot be said for the Huskies play the last couple of weeks. After dropping their second consecutive road contest, Northeastern stands at 4-2 (2-1 Atlantic-10) halfway through the season.
“We have to analyze the scenarios,” said Northeastern coach Don Brown. “We have good, high character guys and have to go back at it tomorrow.”
Still, almost none of that mattered after NU’s valiant performance in the final segment. After Husky signal caller Shawn Brady (19-47) threw his second interception of the afternoon to Harvard’s Ben Butler on a 4th-and-5, Liam Ezekiel made an excellent break on a Fitzpatrick pass the very next play, giving the Huskies a 1st and 10 at the Harvard 39-yard line. Brady then hit Quintin Mitchell (seven catches, 119 yards) in the middle of the field, who broke left for extra yardage to give NU a 1st and goal at the 3. A rush by Tim Gale and an illegal procedure penalty gave the visitors another 1st down at the 1. Gale then ran in the ball for the score. Miro Kesic’s kick capped the 28-second drive and made the score 28-13 in favor of Harvard.
The squads exchanged possession for five straight series (4 three-and-outs) before the Hounds made their final push. Brady completed a 15-yard pass to Mitchell, taking NU to midfield. Completions to Gale and again to Mitchell brought the team to Harvard’s 34 at the 2-minute warning. Two Brady misses and a holding call put Northeastern at 2nd and 20 at their own 43, but two Cory Parks receptions, the latter on 4th and 7, gave NU a 1st and 10 at the Crimson 23. Brady then threw his lone touchdown pass, a strike to Mitchell between two defenders. The extra point completed the 1:43 drive and sliced the deficit to eight with one minute remaining, setting up the onside kick.
Northeastern’s problems began and ended with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The junior standout threw for 244 yards and ran for 112, scoring four touchdowns. Junior wideout Brian Edwards had a career day, hauling in seven passes for 180 yards and two scores for the Crimson (3-0, 1-0 Ivy League).
“The big difference was Fitzpatrick,” Brown said. “He’s every bit as good as advertised.”
Ezekiel added, “We knew coming in that he was mobile. I thought we dealt with him decently. He’s very smart and played very well.”
For as good as Harvard was offensively, Northeastern was bad. The squad rushed for 91 yards on the ground, and Brady was under siege all afternoon (six sacks). The Dogs were out-gained in yardage (409-332) and converted only one of their last 14 third-down conversions after a 5 of 7 start.
“We didn’t get anything done offensively,” Brown said. “We were too anxious to make the big play. Offensively, we were in so many 3rd and longs.”
Brady concurred.
“We missed a lot of blocks, and didn’t throw and catch as well as we could have,” he said.
The visitors started the second half well, only to have the Crimson supply an emphatic response. Beginning with the ball at their own 20, the hosts proceeded to drive down the field, converting two consecutive third downs. With a 1st and 10 at the Husky 37, Fitzpatrick dropped back to pass, only to be sacked by junior linebacker Mike Hall. The ball popped loose, and NU lineman Scott Quimby recovered at the 40. Three straight passes to Parks (one completion, one pass interference penalty, and an incompletion) netted 35 yards. NU faced a 3rd and 6 after a Gale run. Parks ran a post pattern as Brady threw an out, leading to Kesic’s 42-yard field goal. The five-play, 34-yard drive made the score 21-6 with 10:53 remaining in the quarter.
Harvard countered with a two-play, 59-yard drive of their own. After a Northeastern 3-and-out, Harvard took over at their own 41-yard line. A reverse was followed by a 34-yard strike from Fitzpatrick to Edwards; the Adam Kingston PAT finished the trek. The drive lasted all of 18 seconds.
Things began ominously enough for the Huntington gridders, as freshman returner Shawnn Gyles muffed the opening kickoff at his own 21. Robert Balkema’s recovery paved the way for a five-play, 21-yard drive capped by Fitzpatrick’s first rushing touchdown of the day.
The Huskies scored for the first time almost seven minutes later. The squad converted two consecutive third downs, the second serving as a clinic in balance and concentration when Graham caught 28-yarder on a 3rd and 17. Three straight incompletions set up Kesic’s 44-yard field goal, and finished the 2:48 drive.
Harvard countered on the ensuing drive, taking the ball 76 yards in seven plays for a 14-3 advantage. The key play was on 1st and 10 at their own 24. Fitzpatrick froze the secondary on a bootleg play action, hitting Edwards for a 42-yard gain. Fitzpatrick capped the drive six plays later when he cut back on an option play for his second rushing touchdown.
The Crimson completed the first-half scoring when Fitzpatrick and Edwards connected again, this time on a 16-yard touchdown conversion. The 3:31 drive was highlighted by a 27-yard Ryan Tyler reception on 3rd and 15 on the HU 29, and a 21-yard Fitzpatrick sweep to the right on a 1st and 10 at Northeastern’s 44.
Still, Brown was content with his teams performance at the end, saying he was “pleased with the sense of urgency” his team displayed in the final segment.
It will be interesting to see how well that urgency carries over to Hempstead, N.Y. where NU will take on Hofstra. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
