The Crimson vs. The Bulldogs, Position by Position

As 30,000 students, alumni, and fans pour into Harvard Stadium on Saturday, one thing will be on everyone’s mind: victory. However, the 140th playing of The Game won’t be decided by the crowd, but by the 22 players on the field at any given time. While the two Ivy League powerhouses usually play a gritty, close game, which team has the edge on paper?

Quarterback

At the quarterback position, Harvard junior Jaden Craig will face off against Yale senior Grant Jordan. Through eight games, Craig has thrown for 2,138 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just two interceptions, with a completion percentage of 63 percent. Jordan has thrown for 1,651 yards, 20 touchdowns, and three interceptions, with a completion percentage of 67 percent.

While both quarterbacks are extremely accurate from the pocket, Craig boasts a higher yards-per-attempt. But don’t be fooled by Jordan’s pocket presence: The senior poses a dual-threat. As the third leading rusher for the Bulldogs, Jordan has rushed for 287 yards and five touchdowns, demonstrating his ability to create plays on the ground. Craig, meanwhile, has struggled to accurately throw the ball when flushed out of the pocket, a point of improvement for the junior heading into the contest.

Harvard’s X-factor, senior utility-man Charles DePrima, will also take snaps under center. The Crimson’s opening day starter from 2023 has turned into an “everything” man for the offense. He’s thrown a a pair of touchdown pass, rushed for 400 yards and six touchdowns, and has even caught eight catches for 148 yards and a touchdown. In a revival of the Joe Restic era of Harvard football, Head Coach Andrew Aurich has made it known that the best players on his roster will see the field.

DePrima’s presence could throw a wrench into Yale’s defensive plans. In the red zone, Harvard has leaned on DePrima over Craig, due to the former’s unique ability to dash past defenders around the edge and scramble for touchdowns.

Running Back

At the running back position, both teams rely on several players to carry the load. For the Crimson, team captain Shane McLaughlin — a traditional downhill runner — utilizes a physical approach in attacking the defensive line. Still, McLaughlin was sidelined the last several weeks before returning against UPenn, racking up only 217 yards on the ground this season. In his absence, sophomore Xaviah Bascon has stepped up with a uniquely mature level of patience, waiting for holes to open up in the line. The sophomore has rushed for 520 yards on 119 carries in the process.

On the flip side, the Elis have also showcased their depth in the backfield. Junior Josh Pitsenberger, the primary back, has 676 rushing yards, averaging more than five yards per carry. Seniors Tre Peterson and Nathan Denney have also run for more than 300 and 200 yards, respectively.

In this matchup of depth, fresh legs will be key. Through eight games, Harvard has attempted 350 rushes compared to Yale’s 333. Still, the impact of the running game on Saturday will be largely determined by the performance of the respective offensive lines.

Offensive Line

Despite losing star Kiran Amegadajie to the third round of the NFL draft, Yale’s offensive line has been extremely impressive. The physical and aggressive unit, led by 300-lb senior Bennie Anderson, has only allowed five sacks on the season, giving Jordan the time and space needed to make clean throws from the pocket.

The offensive line for the Crimson was a big question mark at the beginning of the year, but has developed into an imposing unit. The line, powered by senior Austin Gentle and junior Aidan Kilstrom, has allowed 11 sacks on the season. With constant substitutions yielding fresher reps, the team only allowed one sack to a beefy Columbia defensive line.

Tight Ends

At the tight end position, the Elis leverage seniors Ry Yates, Luke Foster, and Ryan Belk primarily for blocking. The group only has a combined nine catches on the season, often needing its wide receivers to get open in the field.

Meanwhile, the Crimson wins on depth, with sophomore Seamus Gilmartin enjoying a breakout season with 17 catches for 376 yards and four touchdowns. Junior Ryan Osborne is used more frequently for blocking during both running and pass protection plays. Harvard often utilizes two tight end sets, enabling Osborne and Gilmartin to take the field together throughout the game.

Wide Receiver

On the hashes, Yale has a particularly deep wide receiver room compared to Harvard’s top-heavy contingent. The Bulldogs boast five receivers with over 100 receiving yards, including senior David Pantelis, who has emerged as a slippery star for the offense. With 753 yards through the air, Pantelis’s elusiveness has allowed him to dart past defenders and create separation over the middle time and time again, creating easy targets for Jordan to hit.

On the other hand, Harvard’s superstar wide receiver Cooper Barkate has been a force to reckon with. Averaging nearly 100 yards per game, Barkate attracts constant double coverage due to his ability to generate separation and break tackles. Craig’s other top target in the slot, senior Scott Woods II, has flashed his craftiness throughout the season. The Crimson’s one-two punch on the outside could create matchup problems for Yale’s secondary throughout The Game.

Defensive Line

In the trenches, Yale’s defensive line has struggled to stop the run, but it isn’t lacking in star power. Senior Tamatoa McDonough has recorded five and a half sacks and seven tackles for loss on the season. As a whole, the unit has recorded 17 sacks, but has given up over 160 yards per game on the ground, presenting a potent Harvard rushing game with a vulnerability ripe for attack.

Another big question mark entering the season, Harvard’s defensive line has started to amp up its pressure on the quarterback. Senior Jacob Psyk has six-and-a-half sacks on the season, and nine different players have recorded one sack, totalling 18 as a team. As the Crimson rotates through its personnel quickly, expect to see at least eight to nine linemen constantly entering and leaving the game.

Linebackers

The glue of the Harvard defense, the linebacker group of seniors Eric Little, Mitchell Gonser, and Marcus Alexander has been pivotal in clamping down opposing offenses this year. With a mixture of defensive schemes, the unit has followed and attacked the ball.

Yale’s linebackers have shown themselves to be not quite as solid as Harvard’s group, especially following an injury that sidelined captain Dean Shaffer. Still, senior Inumidun Ayo-Durojaiye has risen to the challenge of leading Yale’s unit with 54 total tackles on the season for the Elis. The linebacker group held its own against both UPenn and Columbia, but struggled when matched with Brown’s fiercer passing attack, ultimately giving up 34 points.

Secondary

Yale’s secondary features star sophomore Abu Kamara, who sits atop the league with 76 solo tackles this season. Fellow sophomore Osize Daniyan has also been a key contributor these past two months, and with Brandon Webster nabbing two interceptions in the Yale-Brown matchup — only his second game back from injury — Yale’s secondary looks stronger now than it has for much of the season.

Meanwhile, Harvard’s secondary has been the signature piece of its defense this season. Junior Ty Bartrum — a physical player with powerful-yet-clean tackles — has been a leader on the turf. Sophomore Damien Henderson has also been a thorn in the side of Harvard’s opponents, often breaking up key plays throughout the season. With two interceptions in the game against Columbia, sophomore Austin-Jake Guilory is also poised to be an important contributor for Harvard’s secondary.

Special Teams

Harvard’s freshman kicker Kieran Corr has gone five-for-seven on field goal attempts this season, but has yet to test his range. Mostly due to windy conditions, Aurich hasn’t let Corr kick from past 50 yards. Fellow freshman Dylan Fingersh replaced Corr due to injury against UPenn, nailing his only field goal try.

Where Corr has overcome his freshman nerves, Yale’s kicker Nick Conforti has struggled thus far, going just two-for-six on kicks beyond 40 yards and not attempting a field goal since Nov. 1. The kicking matchup could be significant in what is expected to be a close game between the squads, and will play a huge factor in both teams’ fourth-down strategies as the clock winds down.

—Staff writer Praveen Kumar can be reached at praveen.kumar@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Jo B. Lemann can be reached at jo.lemann@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @Jo_Lemann.