Harvard 26, Hampshire 13

HARVARD -- Gang tackling is great unless someone in the gang actually makes the tackle.

Hampshire played host Harvard to a 7-7 standstill into the third quarter of their Big Northern East showdown Friday, but two long runs that could have been stopped for short gains made all the difference in Harvard's 26-13 victory at Dan Horne Field.

The Hampshire defense had limited the prolific Harvard running game to 23 first-half yards and was holding its own against the Hornets in the third quarter. Then Hornets running back James Matteson got shifty.

Harvard had the ball at its own 43-yard line in a 7-7 game when Matteson took a pitch to the left, waited for blocking, made two tacklers miss, cut back and raced 50 yards to the Hampshire 7-yard line.

Hampshire's Evan Brenner saved a touchdown and the Whip-Pur defense held, forcing Ernesto Ramos to nail a 28-yard field goal that gave Harvard a 10-7 lead with 2:18 left in the third quarter.

The Hornets (5-1, 2-0) intercepted Trace Teboda's next pass at the Hampshire 27-yard line, but again the Whip-Pur defense stood tall, forcing Harvard to turn the ball over on downs at the Hampshire 11-yard line.

"I thought we played physical ball with a physical football team," Hampshire coach Dan Cavanaugh said. "I was happy with our defense especially."

But the Whips couldn't generate any offense on its next possession and a short punt gave Harvard the ball back in great field position at the Hampshire 37-yard line.

Two plays later Matteson took a pitch to the left side, waited patiently for two pulling linemen to move downfield ahead of him, then darted out of a pile of bodies and into the open for a 42-yard touchdown. Ramos' extra point gave Harvard a 17-7 lead with 8:55 left in the game.

"It's frustrating," Hampshire linebacker Joe Moore said. "We've got to wrap up when we're tackling. That was the difference in the ballgame. We made adjustments and they weren't doing much against us, but (Matteson) just slipped through somehow."

Matteson rushed scored twice and ran for 133 yards, 118 of them in the second half.

Hampshire didn't give itself a chance to get back in the game. The Whip-Purs (4-2, 1-1) fumbled the exchange on their next play from scrimmage and Mac McCormick recovered for Harvard at the Hampshire 18-yard line. The Whips lost the turnover battle 3-0.

Jimmy Cradic scored 4 plays later on a second effort from 3 yards out to put Harvard ahead 23-7 with 7:32 to play.

Hampshire cut the deficit to 23-13 with 5:35 remaining on a 1-yard score by Moore that was set up by a 50-yard pass play from Teboda to Brenner. But the onside kick was recovered by Harvard.

Hampshire's offense was held to 116 yards in the second half, mainly because Harvard took away tight end T.J. Burzak. The senior had 5 catches for 92 yards in the first half, but constant double teaming allowed him to make 1 second-half reception for 6 yards.