Xaviah Bascon runs for 2 TDs, Harvard beats FCS No. 16 New Hampshire 28-23
Logan Tomlinson scores TD vs. Harvard
Logan Tomlinson scores TD vs. Harvard
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- — Xaviah Bascon had two 1-yard touchdown runs, Scott Woods II had four receptions for 93 yards — including a 65-yard TD catch-and-run — and Harvard beat New Hampshire 28-23 Friday night.
Bascon’s second TD run gave Harvard a 21-16 lead with 5:11 left in the third quarter. The Wildcats went three-and-out on their next two possessions before Harvard quarterback Jaden Craig ran for a 6-yard gain on third-and-7, limped off the field and was replaced by Charles DePrima, who handed off to Bascon for a 1-yard run that moved the sticks. The next play, DePrima pulled the hand off on a zone-read and raced around the left end for a 16-yard TD run to make it a 12-point game with 11:15 to play.
New Hampshire (3-2), which went into the game ranked No. 16 in the FCS coaches poll, had won three games in a row following a season-opening 57-3 road loss to UCF of the Big 12.
Harvard (2-1) is 8-0 all time against the Wildcats, including a 46-0 victory in the most recent matchup between the programs — 31,002 days ago, on Nov. 18, 1939.
Seth Morgan threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Burke that capped a 10-play, 82-yard drive on New Hampshire's opening possession that took 5 minutes, 35 seconds off the clock. After Harvard punted for the second time, Morgan hit Joey Corcoran for a 14-yard gain on fourth-and-1 from the Wildcats 35 that set up a 52-yard field goal by Nick Mazzie made it 10-0 with about 12 minutes remaining in the first half.
Two plays later, Craig was hit a he lofted a pass to Woods at the 27, where broke a tackle and then raced the rest of the way for a 65-yard touchdown that trimmed Harvard's deficit to 10-7 with 11:49 to go in the second quarter. The Wildcats responded with a seven-play, 64-yard drive but had to settle for another field goal, a 27-yarder.
After New Hampshire failed to convert a fourth-and-7 from near midfield, Craig connected with Cooper Barkate for a 51-yard gain that set up a 1-yard TD run by Bascon that gave the Crimson its first lead at 14-13 with 4:08 to play in the first half.
Marcus Alexander sacked Morgan for a 10-yard loss that eventually forced a 43-yard field goal by Mazzie as time in the second quarter expired to make it 16-14.
Logan Tomlinson scored on a 3-yard catch-and-run that trimmed New Hampshire's deficit to 28-23 with 5:54 remaining.
The Wildcats have lost six consecutive road games when coming off a bye and are 4-9 overall when coming off a bye in the last 10 seasons.
Harvard has won back-to-back games against nationally ranked opponents. The Crimson beat then-No. 5 Holy Cross 38-28 last season at Polar Park, home of the Boston Red Sox Triple-A affiliate Worcester WooSox.
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Game Information
2024 Coastal Athletic Association Standings
Team | CONF | OVR |
---|---|---|
Rhode Island | 5-0 | 8-1 |
Richmond | 5-0 | 7-2 |
Villanova | 4-1 | 7-2 |
Delaware | 4-1 | 7-1 |
Stony Brook | 4-1 | 7-2 |
William & Mary | 3-2 | 6-3 |
New Hampshire | 3-2 | 5-4 |
Towson | 2-3 | 4-5 |
Hampton | 2-3 | 5-4 |
Monmouth | 2-3 | 4-5 |
Maine | 2-3 | 4-5 |
Elon | 2-3 | 3-6 |
Campbell | 1-4 | 3-6 |
UAlbany | 1-4 | 3-6 |
Bryant | 0-5 | 2-7 |
North Carolina A&T | 0-5 | 1-8 |