Blocked Extra Point Allows Harvard to Nip Jayvees, 27-26

Friday, October 31, 2008

HANOVER, N.H. ? Freshman quarterback Conner Kempe scored on a four-yard keeper with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter, but the extra-point attempt was blocked allowing Harvard to hold on for a one-point win over the Big Green JV football team on Friday afternoon at Memorial Field, 27-26.

It was an eerie ending for the football game on Halloween as special teams nearly cost the Crimson before they came through in the end. Dartmouth trailed 27-20 with a little over three minutes to play, facing 4th-and-5 from the Harvard 30. But freshman Dan Rooney was sacked to end the drive, and it was up to the defense to get the ball back for the Big Green. Hold the defense did, and after burning a couple time outs, Harvard was forced to punt as the clock ran down past two minutes. That's when the strangeness took over.

The snap to the punter was high, but he was able to scoop up the ball and get away an admirable kick under the circumstances. But Dartmouth still had the ball at the Crimson 40. A Kempe incompletion was followed by a terrific reception by freshman tight end Alex Shulman at the four-yard line. Kempe ran it in from there, which was followed by the blocked PAT.

The Big Green were not finished yet, however, as they attempted an onside kick. In a ploy of misdirection, senior kicker Chuck Zodda aimed left, but pulled the ball back to the right to surprise Harvard. But before anyone could reach the bounding ball, it went out of bounds. The Crimson simply ran out the clock to end the game.

The game was tied at 20 in the fourth quarter when Harvard took the 27-20 lead with about eight minutes to play on a five-yard pass.

Statistical information will be available at a later time.

Schedules