"Their offense was a lot better than I expected." Crimson linebacker Joe Azelby said. "I thought their backs ran harder than any backs I've seen this year."
But Azelby and his defensive mates deserve credit for keeping the Crimson in the game. In the second quarter, the Quakers reached first and goal at the three, and after four straight running plays, the Harvard defense had stopped them cold at the one-yard line. In addition, Penn quarterback Gary Vura twice guided his team to a first down within the Harvard 12 and was forced to settle for a Shulman field goal each time.
And late in the second quarter, Crimson cornerback John Dailey hauled in a Vura pass, in the end zone for his seventh interception of the year and the team's 23rd, to tie a school mark set by the 1967 Harvard squad. The record fell in the third quarter, when Azelby picked off another errant Vura delivery at the goal line.
It wasn't until the final 10 minutes that the Multiflex did anything except cause trouble for the Crimson defense. But in those last minutes, the Harvard team staged perhaps the most dramatic Ivy League comeback effort since the 1968 squad tied Yale, 29-29 in The Game.
Capitalizing on Penn miscues similar to those Harvard had committed earlier, the Crimson scored three TDs within seven-and-a-half minutes to take a 21-20 lead with just 1:28 left to play.
After Bruno Perdoni recovered a Steve Rubin fumble at the Penn 27. Allard (11 complete in 21 attempts for 115 yards passing) drove his team to the three-yard line in four plays and then tossed the ball to tight end Peter Quartararo in the end zone for the Crimson's first TD.
A minute and 16 seconds later, adjuster Louis Varsames fell on a partially blocked Quaker punt at the Penn 43 to set up another quick scoring drive that ended with a four-yard Allard pass to wingback Steve Ernst.
The Quakers nearly halted Harvard's final drive. A seven-play series, featuring a spectacular one-handed catch by split end John O'Brien for a 24-yard gain, brought the Crimson to first and goal at the Penn two. But three plays later. Penn had moved Harvard back to the three.
On fourth down, Allard rolled right, taking fullback Mike Granger with him on the option Granger, who busted through Quaker tackles all afternoon for 92 yards on 15 carries, took the pitch from Allard and bulled his way into the end zone to tie the game. Jim Villanueva's extra point made it 21-20, Harvard.
"It was something to be proud of," Harvard team Captain Greg Brown said later of the comeback. "We played like champions."