Football Goes for Seventh Straight Win Over Yale

Last year, Yale finished dead last in the Ivy League. But it didn’t seem that way when the Bulldogs came to Cambridge.

With its opponents putting up a tremendous fight, Harvard found itself trailing by four points with less than five minutes remaining in The Game.

In the end, the Crimson converted two late touchdowns to prevail, 34-24. Though it won The Game, Harvard learned from the showdown that past results do not matter. At Harvard-Yale, anything can happen.

Teams will debut new offensive looks, play with an intensity unmatched in earlier conference matchups, and pull out all the stops to achieve a season-making victory.

“In the first half [last year], we had to make a lot of adjustments,” Crimson coach Tim Murphy said. “We expect the same thing. What do we expect? We’re not sure. So expect the unexpected.”

The storied rivalry will continue this Saturday when Harvard (8-1, 5-1 Ivy) travels to New Haven for the 130th rendition of The Game. Just like last year, the Crimson is the better team, currently in second place in the Ancient Eight and one play away from an undefeated record.

But the 2012 matchup proved that the Bulldogs (5-4, 3-3) can contend with any Harvard squad. And this year, the Crimson will go up against a much-improved Yale team.

Entering the final game of the season with the potential to finish over .500 for the first time since 2010, the Bulldogs have demonstrated their offensive capability in recent weeks. Yale rode a last-minute touchdown to a 24-17 victory over Brown two games ago, and the team scored over 50 points against Columbia a week earlier.

Last year, the Bulldogs struggled to put a quarterback on the field, but their approach this year resembles that of quarterback by committee. Four different players dropped back to pass against Brown.

Henry Furman led the way with two touchdown passes in that game and has 10 total on the season. Sophomore Morgan Roberts, a transfer from Clemson, is also a competent pocket presence and will likely see snaps against the Crimson.

Yale’s biggest offensive threat, however, is another member of the backfield. A preseason All-American, junior running back Tyler Varga is likely to suit up against Harvard after missing the past four games with an injury.

In Varga’s absence, Yale heavily relied upon wide receiver Deon Randall. The junior is averaging over 80 receiving yards a game and has caught eight touchdowns—three of which came in the Bulldogs’ win over Cornell in the second week of the season.

With the Harvard defense ranking last in the Ivy League against the pass, Randall and his fellow receivers may be targeted frequently come Saturday.

“[Yale is] just better everywhere,” Murphy said. “They’re relatively young on defense, but it’s an impressive unit. They’re extremely athletic with great potential.”

Plagued by injuries all season, the Crimson will once again rely on a starting lineup in flux. The return of senior defensive tackle Nnamdi Obukwelu aided a battered Harvard defense last week against Penn. But as one player came in, another went out, as junior defensive back Norman Hayes exited with a leg injury.

The main focus on the Crimson sideline heading into the annual showdown will be consistency. Fueled by a strong Hempel performance and the return of senior tight end Cam Brate, who caught the first touchdown against the Quakers last Saturday, Harvard held a 38-point lead early in the third quarter.

But things went downhill from there. The Crimson did not convert a first down on its final five drives and allowed 30 straight Penn points in what was nearly the biggest comeback in college football history.

“We really took it to Penn [in the first half], but we kind of took the foot off the pedal a little bit,” Brate said. “That’s something that we definitely can’t do this week in the Yale game. Momentum, once you lose it, it is hard to get back.”

Harvard has dominated The Game’s recent history, having won 11 of the past 12 contests. The Crimson will look to extend a six-game winning streak over its longtime rivals in front of a packed house on Saturday.

But history has also shown it won’t be easy. And that’s been the theme of Harvard’s season. When players have gone down to injury, others have stepped up to shoulder a bigger load.

“Usually we’re at 8-1 at Harvard going to New Haven, and we’re rolling,” Murphy said. “We’re not rolling. We’re just a really tough team. I’ll take that any day.”

Indeed, the Crimson will need another team effort in New Haven if its 36 seniors are to end their careers on a high note.

“Beating Yale is always beautiful,” said senior defensive back D.J. Monroe. “The glory of going out on top, winning my last game, would be a memory I [would] have for a lifetime.”

—Staff writer David Steinbach can be reached at david.steinbach@thecrimson.com.