Harvard Escapes with Thrilling Win Over Colgate
It looked like Harvard’s perfect season was on the verge of collapse. But then, in a dramatic turn of events, the Crimson snatched a 20-17 victory over Colgate on Saturday night in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
With just four seconds left and Harvard sitting at the Colgate 44-yard line, quarterback Charlie Smitth moved to his left and launched a pass that landed in the hands of Teigan Pelletier at the 5-yard line.
As two defenders from Colgate tried to tackle the towering tight end—who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 230 pounds—he managed to pitch the ball back in a lateral to freshman Nate Bailey, who dashed in from the 8-yard line to clinch the game, igniting cheers from the home crowd.
This remarkable win brings Harvard’s record to 3-0, placing them at the top of the Ivy League standings, while Colgate, a member of the Patriot League, dropped to 4-2.
Bailey had a standout performance, finishing with 197 receiving yards—the highest for a Crimson player since Kyle Juszczyk in 2012—and a touchdown on 16 receptions. Juszczyk, who is now in his 11th season with the 49ers, set a high bar for future performances.
Next up, Harvard will travel to play Cornell on Saturday and is currently ranked 20th in the Stats Perform poll. Colgate will be looking to bounce back when they host Georgetown on October 17, sitting at 22nd in the rankings.
Colgate seemed poised for a fifth win of the season after Jake Stearney spearheaded a 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped off by a 13-yard scoring pass to Matt Fogler, putting the Raiders ahead 17-14 with only 27 seconds remaining.
But there was still time for Harvard to pull off a last-minute win in what turned out to be a classic showdown.
This game wasn’t the only instance of dramatic Hail Mary plays in college football this season. Michigan also witnessed a thrilling moment when they narrowly overcame Western Michigan with a last-minute Hail Mary during their opener on September 5. That play was somewhat controversial, as the Wolverines’ quarterback Bryce Underwood originally seemed to have time run out on a prior attempt, but officials controversially gave them an extra second.
Later, the NCAA would clarify that proper replay protocols weren’t followed, further complicating the outcome of that match.
Despite that stroke of luck, Michigan (3-2) is currently facing struggles, having lost their last two games in the Big Ten against Iowa and Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Crimson aims to ride the wave of momentum from their unexpected victory into their next matchup.
