SUPERLATIVES

By making game-changing plays on offense, defense and special teams, as captain Dante Balestracci did. The middle linebacker rushed for eight yards on a fake punt play, put constant smothering pressure on Yale QB Alvin Cowan, recording one-and-a-half sacks, and blocked an extra-point attempt. Not surprisingly, the jack-of-all-trades also recovered Yale’s fourth-quarter onsides kick.

Worst Way To Set All-Time School Offensive Records

Doing it and still having your team lose, like Cowan. The Bulldog quarterback threw for 438 yards and had 466 yards of total offense, both single-game records for a Yale player, but ultimately put only 19 points on the board.

Best Way To Avoid Ivy League Embarrassment

By winning. Harvard’s win leaves the Crimson in a four-way tie for second in the league with Yale, Dartmouth and Brown. Had Harvard lost Saturday, it would have finished the season tied with Columbia for second-to-last.

Best Show Of School Spirit

By the Crimson male cheerleaders, who chased down a Yalie who had stolen the squad’s Harvard flag. The two cheerleaders pursued the thief across the field and leaped into the Yale student section, where they tussled with the hometown crowd and successfully retrieved the banner.

Best Numbers To Have At The End Of The Day

The 10 digits that combine for the foxy WGN sideline reporter’s phone number, which former Harvard wide receiver Carl Morris ’03 appeared to snag during the game.