The Harvard Crimson went undefeated last year, but didn’t make it past the regular season because of a self-imposed postseason ban by members of the Ancient Eight. Nonetheless, the Crimson are going all in in their chase to cop their third-straight conference title. Will Harvard continue its dominance in the Ivy League? Or will coach Tim Murphy and his boys see the end of their conference supremacy?
Read on for an overview of Harvard’s key player this season along with the team’s key game, best and worst scenarios and a complete list of the Crimson’s 2015-2016 schedule.
For more about Ivy League football, click here for a preview of Yale’s season.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]2015-2016 Harvard College Football Preview
Overview
Does Harvard have what it takes to go undefeated once again? The answer will largely depend on whether the team’s strengths last season will remain as such. The Crimson went 10-0 last season behind an imposing defense and a run-heavy offense. Back then, Harvard ranked first in scoring defense (12.3 points per game) and 12th in total defense (306.5 total yards allowed per game) among all FCS teams.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]As for the offense, the Crimson banked on their rushing game that burned the turf for 230.5 yards per game, 14th overall. Harvard has lost a few cogs on their defense over the offseason namely, lineman Zach Hodges, linebacker Connor Sheehan and safety Norman Hayes, but that shouldn’t be too big a problem for the guys from Cambridge, as they expect to replace those players with excellent recruits and previous backups to go along with returning starters.
For one, the Crimson still has the likes of linebacker Jacob Lindsey (led the team with 63 tackles in 2014) and defensive end James Duberg (3.5 sacks).
On the offensive side of the ball, Harvard retains the services of explosive running back Paul Stanton, who had a breakout season a year ago. The talent in the backfield goes deeper than Stanton, though, with the Crimson backing him up with sophomore Semar Smith, who had 370 rushing yards and a touchdown in his rookie campaign. Quarterback Scott Hosch, meanwhile, is primed to be the team’s new starter following the departure of Conner Hempel. Hosch passed for 1,428 yards and eight touchdowns on 109 of 176 passing a year ago.
Key Player – Paul Stanton
Sure, Harvard’s strength largely lies on its stout defense, but the best individual on the team—offense or defense—is Paul Stanton. As mentioned, Stanton had a great 2014 season in which he lit up the stat sheets with 990 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in just nine games. On top of that, he covered a ridiculous 6.7 yards per carry.
Named as part of the 2014 All-Ivy League Team, Stanton is also a pass-catching threat having garnered 277 receiving yards on 29 receptions over the last couple of seasons. In Harvard’s 23-12 win over Dartmouth last year, Stanton proved how unstoppable he could be by rushing for 180 yards and two touchdowns and receiving for 55 yards.
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Key Game – @ Yale (Nov. 21)
Other than the fact that Yale is Harvard’s main rival, this matchup at the end of Crimson’s schedule might also decide the conference champion. Harvard defeated the Bulldogs at home last year, 31-24. Harvard is 8-0 SU in its last eight meetings with Yale.
Best/Worst Case Scenario for the Season
Best Case Scenario
It was just last season when the Crimson went undefeated. And with most of the team’s components back in the lineup, it’s fair to expect the same outcome of Harvard. At best, Crimson goes on another perfect 10-0 overall regular season.
Worst Case Scenario
While the backfield looks terrific with the tandem of Stanton and Smith, Harvard’s passing game left so much to be desired after ranking just sixth in the conference with 230.9 yards per game in 2014. The uncertainty in this aspect of Harvard’s game will be the one constant problem for the Crimson all season long.
Hosch remains the error-prone quarterback that threw seven picks a year ago, thus making Harvard’s offense one-dimensional. Harvard finishes the regular season with a 7-3 overall record.
Complete Schedule
| DATE | TIME | TIME |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Sept 19 | @ URI | 1:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, Sept 26 | vs. Brown | 7:00 PM ET |
| Friday, October 2 | vs Georgetown | 7:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, October 10 | @ Cornell | 12:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, October 17 | @Lafayette | 3:30 PM ET |
| Saturday, October 24 | vs. Princeton | 12:00 PM ET |
| Friday, October 30 | vs. Dartmouth | 7:30 PM ET |
| Saturday, November 7 | @ Columbia | 1:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, November 14 | vs. Penn | 12:00 PM ET |
| Saturday, November 21 | @ Yale | 2:30 PM ET |
Writer’s Prediction
Harvard ends the season with a 9-1 record.
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