The change was made to accommodate ESPNU, which broadcast the game.

Murphy told The Crimson in early April that his defense had held the upper hand in practice as the offense struggled to cope with key injuries and departures, and it appeared Saturday that attempts to close the gap between the two sides had come up short, prompting the lineup shakeup.

“ESPN, you know, they had a game down at Mississippi State that ended up 7-0 and it really wasn’t a great game for TV,” Murphy said. “So obviously, we were very fortunate to have them here. It’s an honor to have them come. They could televise just about anybody and they did our game. So we thought it would add a little bit more excitement and playmaking to the game, and it did.”

FOURTH AND FOUR

Freshman Steve Williams scored White’s first touchdown, returning a kickoff 88 yards. Junior cornerback Keith Howell appeared to have Williams in his grasp at the Crimson 20, but Williams slipped the ankle tackle then burst across the goal line...Sophomore Clifton Dawson rushed for 64 yards on 12 carries. He did not play in the second half...2005 captain Erik Grimm and sophomores Mike Berg and Sam Workman were particularly effective on the defensive line, tossing in two tackles for a loss apiece and four combined sacks...Harvard’s graduating seniors were presented with their Ivy League championship rings during a special halftime ceremony.

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.