Harvard survived a major scare on Saturday when it eked past a battling Dartmouth side, 14-13, in a grueling showdown at Harvard Stadium. The Crimson battled back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to record their 20th consecutive win. Harvard will look to stretch that unbeaten run even further when it takes on Columbia in an intriguing clash at Robert K. Kraft Field.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this college football matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the Ivy League game between Yale and Brown.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Harvard Crimson vs. Columbia Lions Preview
Where: Robert K. Kraft Field, Manhattan
When: Saturday, November 7, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Harvard Crimson at Columbia Lions – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Harvard Crimson
Harvard’s title dreams are still very much alive after escaping with a narrow 14-13 victory over Dartmouth on Saturday. Scott Hosch threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to lift Harvard to the comeback victory. It was a fantastic result for the Crimson who took their first lead in this match with just 38 seconds remaining in the game clock.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Hosch finished the game with 276 yards passing, but also had two interceptions. His late-game heroics helped Harvard overcome a sluggish start which saw them trail Dartmouth, 10-0, at halftime. The Crimson were scoreless in the first half for the first time since 2010. They can ill afford that same kind of start when they face a revitalized Columbia side this coming Saturday.
To prevent this from happening again, the Crimson need their passing offense to take flight this weekend. They are 11th in the FCS in that department, averaging 302.4 yards per game this season. Hosch will have his work cut out for him, however, against a Columbia secondary that’s allowing just 201.0 yards per game through the air this campaign, 44th in the FCS.
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Betting on the Columbia Lions
Now that was a shock. Columbia nabbed its first Ivy League win in three years with a stunning 17-7 victory over Yale on Saturday. Cameron Nizialek kicked a career-long 40-yard field goal and ran 13 yards for a score on a fake field goal to help the Lions snap an 18-game Ivy League losing streak.
Key to the Lions’ upset victory was their phenomenal defense. They held the Bulldogs to just 120 total yards and five first downs – both season lows. That’s quite a feat for Columbia considering Yale came into the game averaging 405 total yards and more than 21 first downs per outing. The Lions will need to bring that same kind of defensive intensity this coming Saturday for them to record another upset against Harvard. It won’t be that easy, though, with Harvard possessing one of the league’s best offenses. The Crimson are ninth in the FCS in scoring, averaging 39.6 points per game this season.
It’s paramount for the Lions, then, that they neutralize the Crimson’s running game. They did that to great effect in their last game against Yale, limiting the Bulldogs to minus-14 rushing yards. Columbia’s defensive line was simply relentless in that game, racking up six sacks for 48 yards. They will need to replicate that showing against a Harvard offense that has already recorded 21 rushing touchdowns this year.
Writer’s Prediction
Harvard extends its winning streak to 22 games with a dominant 38-24 victory.
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