Can any team in the FCS truly beat Harvard? The Crimson are hot off another huge win, pushing their winning streak to 16 games now. However, the Georgetown Hoyas are coming off of a victory over an Ivy League team themselves this past weekend, and will look to take out more of their aggression on another preppy school.
Let’s take a look at how this upcoming Friday Night Lights special will pan out. Afterwards, check out our other preview for Yale vs. Lehigh, where the Bulldogs will try and continue to make a good case as the Ivy League’s best team that will be able to put an end to Harvard’s dominance.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Georgetown Hoyas vs. Harvard Crimson Preview
Where: Harvard Stadium, Cambridge
When: Friday, October 2, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Georgetown Hoyas vs. Harvard Crimson – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Georgetown Hoyas
The Georgetown Hoyas’ seesaw of a season continues with a 24-16 win over the Columbia Lions this past Saturday. The victory marks Columbia’s 23rd-straight loss dating back to the 2012 season, and also puts the Hoyas at 2-2 for the season, with alternating wins and losses in the process.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Georgetown needs to stay consistent for this year’s campaign, and they can do so with a huge road win this coming Friday night against the Crimson. It’s also a good thing that quarterback Kyle Nolan is starting to play with a little consistency himself.
Last Saturday, Nolan went 21-of-32 for 264 passing yards and a pair of scores, both caught by junior receiver Justin Hill, who finished the day with 118 yards on four catches. One of Hill’s touchdowns was an 80-yarder in the second half to put the Hoyas up for good. Prior to Nolan’s error-free game, he had thrown four picks already as he chucked his team to every battle at a staggering clip of 37 pass attempts per game.
But as good as the Hoyas’ passing game has been lately, not a whole lot can be said about their ground attack; Georgetown is just averaging 83.5 rushing yards per contest for the year. And if you’re leading rusher is your starting QB (Nolan led his team in Week 4 with 41 rushing yards and a TD on eight carries), then you have a big problem heading into your showdown in Harvard Stadium this Friday.
A balanced offense will go a long way for the Hoyas, who will be facing a Crimson D that has allowed just 18.5 points per game this season. The team had already shown a sign of weakness against another prominent Ivy League contender too, falling 31-10 to Dartmouth in Week 3.
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Betting on the Harvard Crimson
16 teams have tried, and 16 teams have failed.
Not even the Brown Bears could stop the steamrolling Harvard Crimson from earning their 16th-consecutive win dating back to the tail-end of the 2013 season. And once again, Harvard’s explosive offense proved to be supreme as seen in the team’s 53-27 thrashing of Brown last Saturday.
The Crimson are very fortunate to have new-and-improved senior quarterback Scott Hosch leading the offense this season. He was efficient in the win over the Bears, completing 12 of his 19 passes for 151 yards for three touchdowns – each to a different receiver. Hosch now has three passing TDs in each of his first couple of games this season, has given up just one pick, and is even completing over 65 percent of his passes thus far.
It’s not just Harvard’s passing game that’s clicking right now, as even the team’s ground attack has been potent all the same. Running back Paul Stanton picked up another rushing TD and another 80-plus-yard game on Saturday as the main piece in the Crimson’s running game, which is putting up 156.5 rushing yards per game for the year.
And if having a balanced offense (47.0 PPG – fourth-best in the FCS) wasn’t enough, the team’s D is wreaking havoc as well. Harvard caused four huge turnovers against Brown (three fumble recoveries and one interception), which provided enough momentum-shifting moments for the team to run away with a 37-0 lead by halftime.
Having said those praises for a team that’s often overlooked for being in the Ivy League, it’s no wonder anymore then as for why the Crimson are actually currently ranked 24th in the STATS FCS Top 25 and 25th in the FCS Coaches’ Poll, even though the team has played just two games this 2015.
Writer’s Prediction
Make it 17-in-a-row as Harvard deals another impressive beat down, 44-20.
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