Story and photo courtesy of Harvard Athletics
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For the second consecutive week, senior running back Treavor Scales carried the No. 24 Harvard football team to a victory.
After rushing for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against San Diego, the Stone Mountain, Ga. native rushed for 136 yards and a career-high four touchdowns as Harvard (2-0, 1-0) defeated Brown, 45-31, at Brown Stadium.
Senior quarterback Colton Chapple completed 30-of-40 passes for 351 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 43 yards and a score, as well. Seitu Smith II caught eight passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, and Cameron Brate also made eight grabs for 72 yards.
Leading 17-10 at halftime, Harvard claimed a 24-10 lead with 5:12 to play in the third quarter behind a 10-yard touchdown run by Scales, with the All-Ivy back cutting back inside on an option run to avoid a tackler and ease into the end zone for his second score of the game. The drive covered 13 plays and 81 yards over 4:59 off the game clock as Harvard changed gears from a quick-strike offense in Week One to a methodical approach against the Bears.
An unsportsmanlike conduct call against the Crimson following the score provided Brown with outstanding field position however and the Bears remained in contention as Patrick Donnelly converted a six-play, 53-yard drive with a 12-yard play-action scoring pass to Jonah Fay with 2:17 to play in the quarter.
Harvard answered on its next drive, thanks to a nifty 35-yard diving catch along the near sideline from Andrew Berg down to Brown's three yard line. Two plays later, Colton Chapple kept the ball on a beautiful option keeper and went in untouched from six yards out as Harvard regained its 14-point advantage, 31-17.
Brown answered the call and also marched down the field to score easily, making it a 31-24 game. Another play-action pass held Harvard's linebackers and Donnelley found Alex Viox for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 12:56 to play.
Unfazed, Harvard dealt a huge blow on its next possession. With third-and-five from Brown's 36, the Bears brought an all-out blitz but Harvard countered with a seldom-used inside trap run and Scales streaked past the front line and went nearly untouched into the end zone to make it a 38-24 game.
Scales added an exclamation mark with a 20-yard touchdown run, dragging Brown players into the end zone with 4:12 on the clock as the Crimson made it a 45-24 game.
The Bears would score one more time with 1:51 left on a 12-yard pass from Donnelly to Stian Romberg to make the final score of 45-21.
While Harvard broke the game open in the second half, it appeared as though the Crimson would be in for a battle in the first half.
Brown marched right down the field on its opening drive, taking advantage of a fallen cornerback on the second play for a 43-yard gain down to Harvard's 27 yard line. Spiro Theodhosi capped the drive with a one-yard plunge on third and goal for an early lead.
Harvard also marched down the field after converting a key third down and long but a bad snap on the one yard line and a dropped pass in the end zone resulted in the visitors settling for a 22-yard field goal.
After a defensive stop, Harvard marched 98 yards on 17 plays covering 6:15 on the clock while converting several third downs with Scales capping the drive by leaping into the end zone from one yards out for a 10-7 lead.
On the ensuing drive, Josh Boyd forced a fumble and Harvard recovered on Brown's 35. Two plays later, Chapple found Seitu Smith II down the sideline and Smith leaped to catch the back-shoulder pass with precision for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead.
Brown got back into the game as Chapple fumbled on a scramble play late in the first half with the Bears recovering at Harvard's 17 yard line. The offense wasn't able to move but Alex Norocca converted a 42-yard field goal to make it a 17-10 game at the half.