No. 18/18 Football Cruises at Lafayette, 42-0, for 19th-Straight Victory

EASTON, Pa. -- Paul Stanton, Jr., scored two rushing touchdowns and amassed 123 yards on the ground, and Ben Braunecker made six receptions for a career-best 123 yards and one score, as the No. 18/18 Harvard football team won its program-record 13th-straight road game, topping Lafayette, 42-0, at Fisher Stadium Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, the Crimson picks up its 19th-consecutive win overall and improves to 5-0 on the season, while the Leopards slip to 1-6. Harvard's defense posted its second shutout of the season and has allowed only a total of three points in its last three games. This marks the first time since 1930 that the Crimson allowed a total of three points or less in three-straight contests.  Harvard has not allowed a touchdown in 188:41 (since fourth quarter vs. Brown Sept. 26) and has two shutouts for the first time since 2004. This is also Harvard's best offensive output through in the first five games of the season (221 points) since 1892 (231).

Scott Hosch, who is the first Harvard quarterback to begin his career 11-0, finished 17-of-29 for 272
yards and a score, while Harvard was paced defensively by Eric Medes who made a team-high seven tackles and had 2.0 tackles for a loss. Lafayette (1-6) was led by quarterback Drew Reed, who was 23-of-42 for 215 yards.

The Crimson outgained the Leopards, 500-197, and had four sacks.

On Harvard's second possession of the game, the Crimson took over on its own 35-yard line. On second and 5, Stanton rushed for 15 yards and absorbed a late hit out of bounds, moving the chains to the Lafayette 34. Following a 13-yard dash by Stanton, he ran the ball again for a 16-yard score making it 7-0 at 9:11 of the first quarter.

On the next Crimson drive, Hosch completed a 40-yard pass down the right sideline to Justice Shelton-Mosley, moving the ball from the Harvard 23 to the Lafayette 37. After Noah Reimers picked up a few first downs on the ground, Hosch found the endzone on a one-yard rush, as Harvard grabbed a 14-0 lead at 4:11.

In the final minutes of the half, Harvard took control at the Lafayette 39 after Sean Ahern partially deflected a punt. Following a 13- and 12-yard rush by Stanton to move the ball to the 1-yard line, Stanton got the ball again and scored his second TD of the day and 36th of his career, 21-0, with 22 seconds left. Stanton finished the first half with 15 rushes for 96 yards.
Midway through the third, the Crimson tacked on another score, as Hosch connected with Braunecker for a 32-yard touchdown reception at 9:55, 28-0. Later in the quarter, Seitu Smith II rushed for a six-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left in the frame, making it 35-0. Braunecker had four receptions for 73 yards on the scoring drive.

Harvard added a four-yard rushing TD by Reimers at 12:46 of the fourth, as the Crimson continued to roll, 42-0.

Harvard will return to the friendly confines of Harvard Stadium and host Princeton Saturday, Oct. 24 at 12 p.m. The game will be shown live on the American Sports Network and the Ivy League Digital Network.