ITHACA, N.Y. – As they lined up in the victory formation with just over a minute to play, one of the Harvard offensive linemen let out a big sigh. Like the more than 8,000 fans at Schoellkopf Field, the Crimson knew they had survived a challenge from a worthy adversary. Time had run out on the Big Red.

Harvard made the plays when it needed to and held off a valiant effort from Cornell to earn a 34-24 victory on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson remained unbeaten at 4-0 (2-0 Ivy), while the Big Red slipped to 1-3 (0-2 Ivy).

A great part of the effort came from the throwing arm of senior quarterback Jeff Mathews. Mathews completed 39-of-56 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns. The 472 yards was the most by any individual in a game against the Crimson and the second-most total against Harvard in any game in their history. It was just the fifth-highest by Mathews in his outstanding career and the sixth-highest total in Cornell history total. He also ran in a score, his first rushing touchdown of the season. He has now accounted for 66 touchdowns in his Big Red career, another record.

And the records didn't end there. Needing just 172 passing yards to become the all-time leader in conference games, Mathews passed that in the second quarter. His 39 completions and 56 attempts were both just shy of his own career-best totals, while it was his seventh 400-yard passing game in his career, matching an Ivy League record. He moved into second place all by himself for career passing scores in Ivy history (60), and moved within four completions of the Ivy record in that category as well. His 456 yards of total offense was more than the Crimson posted as a team.

It wasn't just Mathews. Both Grant Gellatly (12 catches, 181 yards, touchdown) and Ty Bostain (12 catches, 112 yards) each surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark. For Bostain, it was the first time in his career hitting that plateau. For Gellatly, it was his seventh. Gellatly also moved into seventh place on the school's career receiving list and ended the day with 1,718 yards. His 141 catches also ranks seventh all-time, while his nine touchdowns now sits eighth.
 
The defense also did its job and was outstanding in spots. On Harvard's first six drives, only one went more than 41 yards. It surrendered just 85 rushing yards on 39 carries, the fewest surrendered by a Big Red defense since Bucknell had 59 yards on 33 carries to open the 2011 campaign.

Junior Michael Turner recorded his second interception of the season and his third in his career to end a Harvard drive in the first quarter, while JJ Fives had eight tackles and a sack in his first start of the year. Seniors Tre' Minor and Brett Buehler each were credited with eight tackles, while junior Shane McManamon and freshman Jackson Weber each had seven stops. Weber was making his first career start. Sophomore Brett Jones posted his first career sack.

Harvard had heroes of its own. In relief of injured quarterback Conner Hempel, Michael Pruneau completed 23-of-29 passes for 340 yards and two scores and also ran for a touchdown to get the Crimson on the board. He drove Harvard to a backbreaking touchdown drive late in the fourth after Cornell had gotten back within three points and 27-24 after a 2-yard Mathews plunge with 6:36 remaining. It looked like Cornell had all the momentum in the world before the Crimson embarked on a nine-play, 81-yard scoring drive that ended with Pruneau finding Cameron Brate for a 22-yard touchdown.

Harvard's special teams also played a huge role, as David Mothander kicked a pair of field goals, had four touchbacks in seven kickoff attempts and blocked a Cornell field goal attempt. In many ways, those plays were the difference in the game.

Harvard's first drive ended when Turner intercepted a Pruneau pass for his second takeaway of the season. After both teams went three-and-out, the Crimson's Eric Medes picked off a Matthews' pass to give the visitors the ball in the redzone. Three plays later, Pruneau scampered three yards untouched into the end zone and Mothander added the PAT to make it a 7-0 Harvard lead less than seven minutes into the contest.

After another Cornell punt, the Crimson used a 10-play, 36-yard drive that ate up nearly four minutes of clock, but was stalled by some timely plays by the Big Red defense. In the end, the visitors had to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Mothander to make it a 10-0 contest.

It was the most separation Harvard would get all day.

Cornell responded with a sustained drive of its own, the highlight of which came on a 34-yard completion to Gellatly that Mathews zipped over the middle and ended at the 1-yard line. A stout Harvard defense kept the Big Red out of the endzone, but John Wells connected on the 20-yard field goal attempt to put Cornell on the scoreboard. During the drive, Mathews was 7-for-9 with 74 yards.

The Big Red defense responded with another solid effort and forced a Crimson punt, but once again the home team was pinned deep in its own end and after a false start penalty stalled the drive on its own 11. Facing third-and-15, Mathews connected with Shapiro for a 29-yard gain to keep the drive alive. Another 20-yard completion, this time to Gellatly, put Cornell into Crimson territory for the second time in the game. Mathews had an opportunity to show off his strength during the drive, completing a 17-yard pass to Ty Bostain, despite being wrapped up by a Crimson defender, before breaking a tackle and running six yards to the Harvard 4-yard line.

The Big Red couldn't punch it in and Wells field goal attempt was blocked by Brian Owusu, setting up the Crimson near midfield. Pruneau connected with a wide-open Tyler Ott on the first play from scrimmage for a 32-yard gain, but the drive stalled and Harvard had to settle for a 28-yard field goal from Mothander to take the 13-3 lead with just 1:08 remaining before halftime.

That swing brought momentum back to the visitors, but the home team was far from done.

On the ensuing drive, Mathews became the Ivy League's all-time leading passer in Ancient Eight games with a 28-yard completion to Shapiro to put the Big Red at the Harvard 41-yard line with 40 seconds left in the opening half. After another 18-yard completion to Gellatly, Mathews ran eight yards to get to the Crimson 15 with 16.8 seconds to play, but the Big Red came away empty after a 32-yard try by Wells went wide left to end the half.

Cornell's first drive of the second half started with a bang as Gellatly made a catch in the flat, broke a tackle and sprinted 50 yards up the sideline before being taken down at the Harvard 25. Mathews ran five yards on the next play, but was hit late and the penalty moved the ball to the Crimson 10. Two plays later, a nine-yard strike to Gellatly gave Cornell its first touchdown of the day and Boomer Olsen hit the PAT to make it a 13-10 game.

Harvard responded with a seven-play, 61-yard drive that culminated in a 36-yard touchdown catch by Tyler Hamblin, his only reception of the day. Mothander added the extra-point and the visitors went back up, 20-10.

The see-saw battle continued, as a well-executed screen play opened a 12-play, 75-yard drive by the Big Red that ended with a 7-yard touchdown strike to Shapiro to make it a 20-17 contest with just under five minutes remaining in the third period.

The Big Red defense forced a punt, but a pair of costly penalties pinned the Big Red at its on 6-yard line and facing a third-and-28. Forced to punt, Harvard wasted little time in going 65 yards over seven plays, ending with a 2-yard rush up the gut by Paul Stanton Jr. for the score. Once again, Mothander's kick was true and the Crimson took the 27-17 lead with 12:39 to go in the contest.

Mathews went over 400 yards on the next drive, hitting Gellatly over the middle for a 17-yard gain to put Cornell at midfield. The Big Red continued the march as Bostain, Hagy and Lenz caught consecutive catches for a combined 28 yards before Reynold Kirton jumped a route and intercepted a Mathews pass on the Harvard 7-yard line. The offense disputed that the ball had hit the ground, but the call wasn't overturned.

Harvard was called for intentional grounding on the very next play, but was ruled as being outside of its own end zone when the play occurred to avoid a costly safety. Two plays later, the visitors were forced to punt, giving the Big Red outstanding field position at the Crimson 44. A catch by Bostain was followed by a 30-yard reception from Ben Rogers to put Cornell at the Harvard 5-yard line. A sack pushed Cornell back and facing third-and-10, the Big Red drew a pass interference call giving Cornell another shot. Mathews didn't waste any time taking advantage of the situation, bursting through the line from 2-yards out for the score. Olsen again added the PAT and the Big Red pulled within 27-24 with 6:36 to play.

Then Harvard, with all the momentum going toward Cornell, went on the march. After a 13-yard gain on Harvard's first pass, JJ Fives made a shoestring tackle that saved sure touchdown as he tripped up Ott at the Cornell 46 after a 22-yard gain. After a big pass breakup by Kendall Brown, the Crimson converted a third-and-7 to stay alive and moments later Pruneau hit Cameron Brate for a 22-yard touchdown that sealed the contest for Harvard.

A pair of incompletions were sandwiched around two sacks to turn it back over to the Crimson and Harvard took two knees to end the contest.

Cornell returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. when it travels to West Long Branch, N.J. for its non-conference finale against Monmouth.