Harvard football outsmarts Colgate on Hail Mary attempt to win game in final seconds

A quick-thinking lateral, after a brutal false start, helped the Harvard Crimson defeat the Colgate Raiders on Saturday night 20-17.

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Ryan Tattersall No. 22 of the Harvard Crimson celebrates his touchdown against the Yale Bulldogs in the first half of the 141st playing of The Game at Yale Bowl in New Haven, Conn., on Nov. 22, 2025. (Getty Images)

The Raiders thought they had a victory wrapped up when quarterback Jake Stearney threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Matt Fogler with 27 seconds left in the game. The Crimson had more than enough time to do something with the football and at least tie the game to force overtime.

Harvard quarterback Charlie Smith moved the ball up the field and gave kicker Francisco Moscoso a chance to tie the game with a long field goal. However, the Crimson special teams committed a false start penalty, causing Harvard to be moved out of field goal range.

Smith had one last snap. He took the ball and fired it downfield to Teigan Pelletier, who was well short of the end zone. Pelletier tried to carry multiple Raiders defenders on his back before he saw Nate Bailey and tossed him the football. Bailey rushed the ball into the end zone as time expired.

Harvard football head coach Andrew Aurich oversees practice at Harvard Stadium in Boston, Mass., on Sept. 9, 2025. (Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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Harvard won the game, moving to 3-0 on the year.

College football fans went wild as the clip went viral across social media.

Bailey finished with 16 catches for 197 yards and a touchdown. His receptions mark is the second-most in a single game in Harvard history – five short of Carl Owens and one better than Kyle Juszczyk. Smith finished with 369 passing yards and two touchdown passes.

Stearney was 21-of-39 with 188 passing yards and a touchdown pass. Fogler finished with 12 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown.

Harvard Crimson fans cheer on their team against the Yale Bulldogs in the first half of the 141st playing of "The Game" at Yale Bowl on Nov. 22, 2025, in New Haven, Conn. (Getty Images)

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