Princeton’s Jordan Culbreath has had a week to remember. In addition to running for over 100 yards for the first time in his career, the sophomore rushed for two touchdowns, including a 58-yard game winner against Cornell. That score landed him a spot on SportsCenter, while his overall efforts earned him Offensive Player of the Week honors.
On the defensive side of the ball, Harvard’s Doug Hewlett picked off Dartmouth quarterbacks three times on Saturday, making him the first Harvard player to record three interceptions in a game since 1967 and winning him the Defensive Player of the Week award.
Columbia once again picked up a Rookie of the Week award, as linebacker Alex Gross split the honor with Harvard’s Gino Gordon. Gross recorded 11 tackles against Yale, upping his team-leading total to 44. Gordon, meanwhile, picked up 64 yards on 15 carries in Harvard’s win over Dartmouth.
Cornell kick returner Bryan Walters rounded out the week’s honorees by winning the Special Teams Player of the Week award. The sophomore returned five kickoffs for 101 yards and four punts for 56 yards, while also catching 10 passes for 115 yards in a losing effort against Princeton.
Crimson Soldiers On Without Dawson
It’s not often that a team can lose the focal point of its offense and come back looking stronger than ever. But this season, Harvard has shown that there can be life after losing perhaps the best running back in Ivy League history.
Clifton Dawson’s graduation robbed the Crimson of the 121.3 yards per game that the senior averaged in 2006, along with his 20 touchdowns and 237 carries. So far, however, sophomore Cheng Ho has been able to shoulder the majority of the rushing load for Harvard. While not approaching Dawson’s prolific output, Ho has given the Crimson a solid option on the ground, running for 461 yards and three touchdowns in seven games. The sophomore has been especially strong in Harvard’s last two games, running for 113 yards in a 27-10 win over Princeton and for 114 yards in a back-and-forth 28-21 win against Dartmouth.
The Crimson has also found stability in the quarterback position, as senior Chris Pizzotti has emerged as one of the league’s top passers. Pizzotti boasts an efficiency rating of 144.71 to go with his 1,369 yards and seven touchdowns, while throwing the fewest interceptions in the league with four. It’s been a marked improvement from his 2006 campaign, in which Pizzotti split time with Liam O’Hagan behind center. And while O’Hagan and freshman Collier Winters offer more mobility at the position, Pizzotti seems to have established himself as the leader of the Crimson offense.
But as with Harvard teams of the past, the Crimson has built its wins on a solid defensive foundation. Harvard’s defense has been one of the best in the Ivy League, with the team allowing only 19 points per game on the season and shutting down opposing rushing offenses. Crimson opponents have run for a paltry 3.1 yards per carry against Harvard’s front seven, which is led by nose tackle Chuks Obi and defensive tackle Matt Curtis. Ivy League teams have found no relief through the air, however, as the tandem of cornerback Steven Williams and free safety Doug Hewlett has stifled opposing quarterbacks.
Of course, even with all the success that Harvard has had, it will take nothing short of a perfect game against Yale on Nov. 17 to bring an Ivy championship back to Cambridge.
Dougherty Makes the Most of Starting Job
Last season, Brown quarterback Michael Dougherty had a grand total of 47 yards on three completions, with 29 of those yards coming on one pass. This season, however, Dougherty has come out of nowhere to lead the nation in passing, throwing for 2,283 yards and 16 touchdowns. Those marks, along with his 326.1 yards-per-game average, lead the Ivy League.
What has helped Dougherty become one of the country’s top passers has been the work of his offensive line and wide receiver corps. Anchored by All-Ivy guard Jimmy Tull, Brown’s line has allowed only eight sacks all season. Meanwhile, the emergence of Paul Raymond and Buddy Farnham has given Dougherty the best 1-2 receiver combo in the league. With weapons like those and a solid running game, Dougherty is perfectly set up for success.
The reporter of this article can be reached at sports@columbiaspectator.com.