Dean's long TD pass in OT gets Harvard past Merrimack 28-21

Updated Sep. 16, 2022 11:24 p.m. ET

Associated Press

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Charlie Dean threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Aidan Borguet on the first play of overtime, and Harvard scored 21 unanswered points to beat Merrimack 28-21 on Friday night.

Borguet finished with 127 yards rushing and three touchdowns for Harvard in its season opener. His 48-yard scoring run pulled the Crimson to 21-14 with 4:31 remaining, and he tied it with a 5-yard touchdown run with about three minutes left.

It was Harvard's 11th consecutive season-opening win at home.

The Crimson tied the game 7-7 late in the first half when quarterback Dean faked a dive right then ran left untouched for a 2-yard touchdown. Dean threw for 162 yards and added 43 yards on the ground.

Jack Zergiotis was 22-of-42 passing for 218 yards and three touchdowns for Merrimack (1-2). He lofted a pass across midfield to a wide-open Jacari Carter that stretched the Merrimack (2-1) lead to 21-7 with 11:50 remaining. Carter finished with seven catches for 66 yards that also included a 5-yard TD catch early in the second quarter.

It was the first meeting between the schools located roughly 30 miles apart.

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