Not an Option

Perhaps it’s a bit too soon to proclaim the void left by Dante Balestracci ’04 “filled.”

Then again, the hole left by the four-time All-Ivy selection was at middle linebacker, and tomorrow runs up the middle figure to be the least of Harvard’s concerns.

“As Rick Pitino said, ‘Larry Bird isn’t coming back through that door’ and neither is Dante,” said Crimson coach Tim Murphy. “I am confident we will get it done with the people we have.”

The personnel Murphy has at his disposal to combat Lafayette’s option offense gives him good reason to be.

Because the quarterback quickly escapes the pocket with a running back in tow, Harvard will play what Murphy calls “assignment football,” with specific pre-planned coverage duties for every member of the defense.

“Our defense is a team defensive concept,” senior linebacker Bobby Everett said. “With stopping the option, everyone has a job to do. It’s all a team concept, and we have to play together.”

Primary responsibilities, though, will fall heavily on the linebacking corps and secondary.

When the Leopards’ quarterback—Pat Davis or Brad Maurer—rolls out, he will be looking to isolate a single cornerback and draw that coverage before shoveling the ball to a sweeping back.

To guard against this, the Crimson linebackers will need to quickly read the play, then provide support for the corner, so that no matter who he chooses to tackle, no player is left uncovered for a large gain.

“They’re the first team we’ll see that runs the option exclusively,” Everett said. “So we’ll have to be ready for it and identify certain formations they come out in.”

Pure physical ability will not be the issue. Everett, senior Sean Tracy and junior Matt Thomas are all fast linebackers capable of quickly changing direction in pursuit of the ball, and Harvard’s cornerbacks had plenty of practice honing their tackling skills last weekend.

But because the Crimson’s most immediate opponents in the Ivy League run pro-set offenses similar to Murphy’s—not option sets—familiarity will be lacking. Should a single player fail to make an appropriate read, the entire defense will be left vulnerable.

That’s not to say Harvard is coming in blind. Watching game film always helps, the option isn’t unique to Lafayette and the Leopards exclusive use of the scheme removes some of the guessing. And the Crimson defense sure wants to silence those detractors who won’t stop talking about that void.

“We took a giant step back last week,” Everett said. “This game isn’t any different than last week. We face that criticism every game we play. We’re always going to be doubted by the media until we put together a strong of good games, which we haven’t done yet.”

—TIMOTHY J. McGINN