Strenghs and Weaknesses...

Harvard has a clear advantage over Yale both in terms of record and talent. Here's the way the two teams match up position-by-position.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

Harvard: Sophomore quarterback Rich Linden has established himself as the best quarterback in the Ivy League. He has completed 57 percent of his passes for 1;978 yards and 15 touchdowns against only 10 interceptions. Linden has also run for five touchdowns and needs just 157 yards to set a school record for single-season passing yards. Although he sometimes makes questionable throws which result in turnovers, he has been the field general for one of the best offenses in Harvard history.

Yale: The Bulldogs' quarterback is also a sophomore, but Joe Walland has a vastly different story. He has completed only 40 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and four interceptions. Walland has split time with two others but will start tomorrow. He can scramble and is mobile, and Harvard had some trouble with running quarterbacks early in the season. Walland lacks experience, however, and was a cornerback until the last week of preseason.

ADVANTAGE: HARVARD

RUNNING BACKS:

Harvard: Sophomore running back Chris Menick has been a workhorse this season, rushing for 1100 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. Two more yards and another score would give him school records in both categories. Since junior Troy Jones hasn't played since he was injured in the second game of the season against Lehigh, Menick has shown that he can be the man.

Fullback Damon Jones has returned from injury to give Harvard yet another skill-position threat. He catches the ball well out of the backfield and can even be a breakaway threat when he carries the ball.

Yale: Captain Todd Scott, the starting middle linebacker, has been forced into the starting tailback role as well this season because of injuries. Three of the Bulldogs' top four rushers are out for the game as well as preseason favorites Jabbar Craigwell and Jeremy Garelick. Yale's remaining runners are bad, and even good teams have trouble running against Harvard.

ADVANTAGE: HARVARD

RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS:

Harvard: The Crimson is loaded with players who can catch the ball. Seniors Jared Chupaila and Colby Skelton can catch anything, and both always seem to be open on third-and-eight. Skelton holds the school record for most career receptions and receiving yards, and Chupaila is fourth in career receptions.

Sophomore Terence Patterson has the most catches on the team, and Harvard loves to get him the ball on reverses and wide receiver screens. He is a great athlete and scored three touchdowns against Dartmouth.

Junior tight end Chris Eitzmann is a massive 6'4 target in goalline situations. Senior Tom Giardi filled in capably when Eitzmann was injured but had occasional drops.

Yale: Since the Bulldogs don't throw the ball often, their receivers won't strike fear in anyone's hearts. Sophomore Jake Borden leads the team with just 19 receptions for 316 yards and three touchdowns.

ADVANTAGE: HARVARD

OFFENSIVE LINE:

Harvard: This is the best offensive line in the league, both in terms of opening holes for the run and protecting the quarterback for passing. It has veteran experience, with three juniors and two seniors. Left tackle Matt Birk is probably the best offensive lineman in the Ivies, and he outplayed Penn's star lineman Mitch Marrow last week. This line is huge, with an average of 277 pounds, so opponents wear down toward the end of games.

Yale: Yale's offensive line is also big, with left tackle Marek Rubin standing at 6-8 and tipping the scales at 280 pounds. Right guard Chris Ryan is 6-5 and 310 pounds, so the Bulldogs have some beef up front.

ADVANTAGE: HARVARD

OVERALL OFFENSE:

The Harvard offense without a doubt has a significant advantage over Yale's. The Crimson has averaged 31.5 points a game, while Yale has only mustered 9.6. The yardage totals reflect that, with Harvard holding a 226-119 advantage in passing and a 210.5-110.5 lead in rushing.

Harvard has already set a record for total offense with 3,933 yards. Four more first downs would give the Crimson a school mark in that category, and Harvard also set single-game records for total offense (623 yards), first downs (33), and plays (97) against Holy Cross.

This year's Crimson offense has a wealth of athletic talent which Murphy's previous teams did not have. When he arrived, he made defense his first priority and put his best athletes on that side of the ball, but he has recruited enough talent to flesh out the offense. The result has been a unit which constantly makes big plays, converts tough third-and fourth-down situations, and scores a lot of points.

ADVANTAGE: HARVARD