Sunday, November 20, 2016

Shocking Saturday

All that stuff about how teams from the second tier of the Ivy League standings don't beat teams above them? It went out the window on the final Saturday of the season.

Yale 21, Harvard 14
In an absolute shocker, Yale not only defeated Harvard for the first time since 2006 and just the second time since 2000, but also denied its arch-rival a share of its fourth consecutive Ivy League championship in a game played at Harvard Stadium. The Bulldogs, who played the Crimson to a statistical dead heat, broke a 14-all tie on a three-yard Kurt Rawlings touchdown pass to Reed Klubnik with 4:14 left in the game. Records: Harvard (7-3, 5-2 Ivy), Yale (3-7, 3-4 Ivy)

Penn 42, Cornell 20
Penn claimed a share of the Ivy League title along with Princeton aided by two rushing touchdowns apiece from quarterback Alek Torgersen and Tre Solomon. Torgersen also tossed a touchdown pass. Solomon ran for 173 yards while Torgersen completed 24-of-31 throws for 284 yards and a touchdown. The Quakers intercepted Dalton Banks three times and limited Cornell to 39 yards rushing. Records: Pennsylvania (7-3, 6-1 Ivy), Cornell (4-6, 2-5 Ivy)

Columbia 31, Brown 13
Anders Hill found freshman Josh Wainwright four times for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns before halftime alone as the Lions sprinted out to a 21-6 lead and cruised to the win. Alan Watson ran for 158 yards and a touchdown and Columbia picked off two passes while holding Brown to just 2-of-15 on third down. Records: Columbia (4-7, 2-5 Ivy), Brown (4-6, 3-4 Ivy)

New Hampshire 24, Maine 21
Morgan Ellman capped a 64-yard drive with a 21-yard field goal with seven seconds left to lift the Wildcats to the win and keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Dalton Crossan ran for 163 yards as New Hampshire lost its starting quarterback to injury in the first quarter but kept possession of the Brice-Cowell Musket for the sixth year in a row. UNH had a "pick six" for its nation's best seventh defensive touchdown of the year. Records: New Hampshire (7-4, 6-2 CAA), Maine (6-5, 5-3 CAA)

Towson 32, Rhode Island 31
Aidan O'Neill's 55-yard field goal as time expired capped a dramatic comeback for the Tigers. Morgan Mahalak, the Tigers' transfer quarterback from Oregon, drove them 80 yards in 55 seconds for a touchdown that made it 31-29 with 1:57 left. The two-point conversion to tie failed. Rhode Island recovered the ensuing onside kick and when the Rams failed to gain a first down they punted to the Towson 9 with 52 seconds left. Mahalak then hit passes of 18, 15 and 25 yards to set up the winning field goal. Records: Towson (4-7, 3-5 CAA), Rhode Island (2-9, 1-7 CAA)