Image courtesy of Harvard Athletics

With three weeks left in the season, Harvard is now in the driver’s seat for the Ivy League title.

That’s because the Crimson traveled to Hanover, New Hampshire on Saturday, trailed by 10 points heading into the fourth quarter against unbeaten and 22nd-ranked Dartmouth and found a way to steal a 31-27 win.

Harvard (6-1, 3-1) got 311 yards passing and a touchdown from Jaden Craig, while ‘backup’ QB Charles DePrima had eight carries for 43 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner in the closing moments. Cooper Barkate continued to show he’s the best receiver in the league with seven catches for 124 yards. Scott Woods II added eight grabs for 54 yards and Seamus Gilmartin had four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.

“What I told the guys in the locker room was, I learned a lot about this team in that game,” said Harvard head coach Andrew Aurich. “We’ve had close games, but like, the amount of mental toughness to do what they did and focus that hard…we haven’t been challenged that way yet. That is really exciting for me because that’s what I’ve been trying to preach to these guys and that’s what we’ve been trying to build.

“To have the opportunity to do that was awesome.”

With 57 seconds left in the third quarter, Dartmouth (6-1, 3-1) went up 27-17 on a 72-yard TD pass from Jackson Proctor (18-25/235 yards/2 TD’s) to Daniel Haughton (2 catches, 82 yards).

A 16-yard touchdown run for DePrima capped a lengthy 14-play, 94-yard drive and cut it to 27-24 with 5:59 remaining. The Crimson defense forced a three-and-out and handed the offense back the ball at the Harvard 27 with 3:59 remaining. 10 plays later, DePrima had his third rushing touchdown – this time from nine yards out – for the game-winning score with just 27 seconds to go.

“I knew we were in a position where if we could get a stop and get the ball back to the offense, we were in good shape,” Aurich added.

“The offense does a great job putting together drives. When Coach Fein calls my number to finish it off, just got to make sure I stay ready,” said DePrima. “Very happy with how we executed on a few of those drives.”

Harvard opened the game with a seven-play, 42-yard drive that ended with DePrima’s first rushing tD of the day three minutes in. A Kieran Corr 32-yard field goal made it 10-0 Crimson after one. Dartmouth got two Owen Zalc field goals (37 and 54 yards) before a Sean Ward TD catch from a yard out with 1:47 left in the half made it 13-10 Big Green at the break.

Chris Corbo hauled in an 11-yard TD pass from Proctor with 3:03 remaining in the third to push it to 20-10, but Harvard quickly responded less than two minutes later when Gilmartin reeled in a 29-yard TD pass from Craig. The offensive flurry continued as Haughton caught his 72-yard TD 48 seconds later, giving Dartmouth its 10-point lead heading to the fourth.

Now, Harvard has games against Columbia – who is also 3-1 in the league – Penn and then Yale to close out the year. The math is simple. Win out and the Crimson take the Ivy League title outright. Lose any of those games and it could be another wild finish to crown a league champ on November 23rd.