Xaviah Bascon’s 2 TDs help Harvard beat FCS No. 16 UNH 28-23

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Xaviah Bascon had two 1-yard touchdown runs, Scott Woods II had four receptions for 93 yards — including a 65-yard TD catch-and-run — and Harvard beat New Hampshire 28-23 Friday night.

Bascon’s second TD run gave Harvard a 21-16 lead with 5:11 left in the third quarter. The Wildcats went three-and-out on their next two possessions before Harvard quarterback Jaden Craig ran for a 6-yard gain on third-and-7, limped off the field, and was replaced by Charles DePrima, who handed off to Bascon for a 1-yard run that moved the sticks. The next play, DePrima pulled the hand off on a zone-read and raced around the left end for a 16-yard TD run to make it a 12-point game with 11:15 to play.

New Hampshire (3-2), which went into the game ranked No. 16 in the FCS coaches poll, had won three games in a row following a season-opening 57-3 road loss to UCF of the Big 12.

Harvard (2-1) is 8-0 all-time against the Wildcats, including a 46-0 victory in the most recent matchup between the programs — 31,002 days ago, on Nov. 18, 1939.

Seth Morgan threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Burke that capped a 10-play, 82-yard drive on New Hampshire’s opening possession that took 5 minutes, 35 seconds off the clock. After Harvard punted for the second time, Morgan hit Joey Corcoran for a 14-yard gain on fourth-and-1 from the Wildcats’ 35 that set up a 52-yard field goal by Nick Mazzie made it 10-0 with about 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

Two plays later, Craig was hit as he lofted a pass to Woods at the 27, where broke a tackle and then raced the rest of the way for a 65-yard touchdown that trimmed Harvard’s deficit to 10-7 with 11:49 to go in the second quarter. The Wildcats responded with a seven-play, 64-yard drive but had to settle for another field goal, a 27-yarder.

After New Hampshire failed to convert a fourth-and-7 from near midfield, Craig connected with Cooper Barkate for a 51-yard gain that set up a 1-yard TD run by Bascon that gave the Crimson its first lead at 14-13 with 4:08 to play in the first half.

Marcus Alexander sacked Morgan for a 10-yard loss that eventually forced a 43-yard field goal by Mazzie as time in the second quarter expired to make it 16-14.

Logan Tomlinson scored on a 3-yard catch-and-run that trimmed New Hampshire’s deficit to 28-23 with 5:54 remaining.

The Wildcats have lost six consecutive road games when coming off a bye and are 4-9 overall when coming off a bye in the last 10 seasons.

Harvard has won back-to-back games against nationally ranked opponents. The Crimson beat then-No. 5 Holy Cross 38-28 last season at Polar Park, home of the Boston Red Sox Triple-A affiliate Worcester WooSox.