Colgate at Harvard
CAMBRIDGE (Interstat) — Harvard will host Colgate on Saturday in an NCAA Football Championship Division game at Harvard Stadium. The Crimson enter at 2-0, while the Raiders are 4-1. Harvard has opened with two road wins, and Colgate has won four of its first five games.
Colgate is coming off a 28-21 win at Villanova. Quarterback Jake Stearney completed 15 of 21 passes for 158 yards and ran 11 times for 56 yards and three touchdowns. Caleb Naumann added 25 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown, plus three receptions for 14 yards. O’Shea Faison ran eight times for 29 yards and caught one pass for four yards. The Raiders’ most recent result was their fourth victory in five games.
Stearney has powered Colgate’s offense this season. In a win over Cornell, he completed 11 of 18 passes for 170 yards and ran four times for 15 yards and a touchdown. Against Holy Cross, he completed 13 of 21 passes for 278 yards and ran six times for 27 yards and four touchdowns. Colgate also defeated Holy Cross 35-10, beat Cornell 20-7, beat Fordham 24-14 and lost at Central Michigan 13-10. The Raiders will lean on Stearney’s passing and running.
Harvard has opened with wins over New Hampshire and Brown. In a 14-10 win at Brown, Charlie Smith completed 30 of 37 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Xaviah Bascon ran 15 times for 45 yards and caught one pass for two yards. Cole Allen ran seven times for 38 yards and caught three passes for three yards. Smith’s connection with his receivers helped Harvard hold off Brown.
Smith also guided Harvard past New Hampshire 31-7, completing 11 of 19 passes for 71 yards with a touchdown and one tackle. The Crimson will look to remain unbeaten. The Raiders will try to hand Harvard its first loss of the season and improve their road record. Colgate’s defense will face a Harvard offense that has protected the ball and found scoring chances.
Colgate’s schedule continues with a home game against Georgetown, followed by trips to Richmond and Lehigh. The Raiders also will face William & Mary, Lafayette and Bucknell. Harvard is set to visit Cornell and Dartmouth and host Holy Cross, Princeton, Columbia, Penn and Yale. Both teams will aim to build momentum in NCAA Football Championship Division play before their conference schedules unfold.
Interstat’s game simulator is projecting a final score of Harvard 43, Colgate 23.