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Update 3 OT thriller 41-35. Hempel played well till injury


With just over three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, it looked as if Harvard was down and out. Holy Cross had marched from its own nine-yard line down the field into Crimson territory. Then, on a second down, Crusaders quarterback Peter Pujals found wide receiver Nate Stanley streaking down the right sideline for a 20-yard touchdown completion. For the first time all game, Holy Cross had seized the lead, 21-14.

But Harvard quarterback junior Conner Hempel did not let that last long. On a crucial third down, Hempel dipped and dodged to evade several Crusaders defenders and pick up the first down. Three plays later, senior tight end Cam Brate found an opening in the back of the end zone. Just like that, the game was tied at 21. Harvard needed just under two and a half minutes to march 84 yards down the field.

“We had a play drawn up for [Brate],” Hempel said. “He beat one guy and was double-covered, but force it to Brate, that’s my motto. For a clutch play, you can throw it to Brate because he’s going to make it.”

In the first overtime, both teams punched the ball in for touchdowns. After Pujals converted a third-and-five pass for a score, Hempel responded with a short touchdown pass to senior tight end Tyler Ott.

The same thing happened in the second period of extra time. Stanton, who finished the game with 158 total yards and two touchdowns, pushed his way through the Crusaders line for the score. Pujals responded in turn with another touchdown pass.

Finally, in the third overtime, the Crimson defense made the crucial stop, and the Harvard offense would capitalize to seal the hard-fought victory.

The win was the team’s first at Holy Cross since 2005.

Nearly forgotten in the dramatic affair was that Hempel left the game midway through the first half with a hyperextended knee. The junior was replaced by senior Michael Pruneau, but Hempel returned to the game in the third quarter and seemed to be at full strength.

The Crusader defense didn’t seem to mind which of the two Crimson quarterbacks was in the game. Despite eventually coming out on top, the Harvard offense struggled to move the ball for much of the game. Holy Cross won the time of possession battle, controlling the ball for 35:21 in regulation, as the Crimson offense struggled to keep its defense off the field. At halftime, Harvard only accumulated 88 total yards. Through the end of the third quarter, Harvard had only thrown for a total of 80 yards.