Harvard Secures Victory with Miraculous Hail Mary Play Against Colgate

Harvard's undefeated season hung in the balance as Colgate took a late lead, but a dramatic Hail Mary play secured a 20-17 victory for the Crimson on Saturday night in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

With four seconds remaining and Harvard at the Colgate 44-yard line, quarterback Charlie Smitth launched a pass that was caught by tight end Teigan Pelletier at the 5-yard line. Pelletier then lateraled the ball to freshman Nate Bailey, who ran it in from the 8-yard line for the game-winning touchdown as the home crowd erupted.

The miraculous play improved Harvard's record to 3-0, placing them in first place in the Ivy League. Colgate, a member of the Patriot League, fell to 4-2 with the loss.

Bailey had a standout performance, accumulating 197 receiving yards on 16 receptions, including the game-winning touchdown. This marks the most receiving yards for a Harvard player since Kyle Juszczyk in 2012.

Colgate appeared poised for victory after a 13-play, 75-yard drive that concluded with Jake Stearney's 13-yard touchdown pass to Matt Fogler, giving the Raiders a 17-14 lead with just 27 seconds left on the clock. However, this was not enough time to prevent Harvard's improbable comeback.

This finish echoes other dramatic endings in college football this season. Earlier in September, Michigan narrowly defeated Western Michigan 13-12 on a Hail Mary pass. In that game, Michigan's quarterback Bryce Underwood connected with JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown after an initial incompletion. Despite the NCAA later acknowledging an officiating error in that Michigan game, the result stood.

Harvard, currently ranked 20th in the Stats Perform poll, will travel to face Cornell next Saturday. Colgate, ranked 22nd, is set to host Georgetown on October 17th.