Playing for Pride

As the Harvard student body prepares for the festivities and excitement surrounding the 127th playing of The Game tomorrow at Harvard Stadium, one might think the Crimson football team would have difficulty staying similarly fired up after falling flat in its most important game of the season last week against Penn.

But despite losing its shot at an Ivy League title after its 34-14 dismantling in Philadelphia, Harvard (6-3, 4-2 Ivy) certainly still has a lot to play for against the Bulldogs.

For one, The Game represents an opportunity for the Crimson’s seniors to end their careers on a high note, and to finish a perfect 4-0 against Yale (7-2, 5-1). A win would also give the seniors the best record in the Ivies over their four years at Harvard, while earning the Crimson its 10th consecutive season with at least seven wins—a feat never accomplished in Ancient Eight history.

“It’s bittersweet,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy says. “More than anything, you want it to turn out right for [the seniors]...They’re such great kids. They’ve had such a big impact on our program...It’s tough to let go. It’s an emotional game.”

Another potentially motivating factor is that The Game offers the Crimson a chance to play spoiler. The Bulldogs need a win and a Quaker loss to earn a share of the Ivy title, and a Harvard victory would eliminate that possibility.

But most importantly, it’s easy for the Crimson’s players to stay motivated because the game is what it is—one of the greatest rivalries in all of college sports. Since the teams first met in 1875, Yale leads the all-time series 65-53-8. A Harvard win would move the team a little closer to .500 in a record book that goes back over a century, while giving its students highly-sought bragging rights over their New Haven counterparts at the sold-out contest tomorrow afternoon.

“I have no question the attitude’s going to be great,” Murphy says. “I think [the players] understand the meaning of this rivalry, how important it is to people, and especially the seniors...We’re playing for pride. Pride in our team, pride in our school, pride in our program.”

But for Harvard, pulling out a win will be no easy task with Yale boasting its best team since 2007, when the Bulldogs went 9-1 but lost the Ancient Eight title to the Crimson at The Game.

“Obviously we’re disappointed with the outcome [of the Penn game],” captain Collin Zych says. “But the ship rolls on...Considering the team [Yale] has this year, we can’t afford to come out and be flat. We need to make sure we’re completely focused.”

The Bulldogs are led at quarterback by junior Patrick Witt, who has thrown for a conference-high 2018 yards this season, along with 12 touchdowns offset by an equal number of interceptions. Yale’s aerial attack is complemented by a solid ground game led by Witt’s classmate Alex Thomas, who is third in the Ivies with 639 rushing yards and has found the endzone six times.

“[Thomas] had a great game against us last year,” Zych says. “[The Bulldogs] will come into this game thinking they can run the football. It’s a personal challenge to stop the run and get that out of their minds.”

Yale senior wideout Gio Christodoulou is fourth in the Ancient Eight with 520 receiving yards and has caught one touchdown pass. The Bulldogs offense has average 22.6 points per game, leaving them at sixth in the league.

For the Crimson, junior quarterback Collier Winters has been inconsistent since returning from injury five weeks ago and is coming off a three-interception performance against Penn. Classmate Adam Chrissis emerged as the team’s go-to target this season and has 477 receiving yards.

The true strength of the Harvard attack lies in the running game. Senior Gino Gordon passed the 1,000-yard mark last week and has the chance to take the league’s rushing title away from Dartmouth’s Nick Schwieger—whom he currently trails by five yards—in his final career game.

Gordon and company will be facing a Yale squad that ranks fourth in the conference in total defense. Bulldogs junior linebacker Jordan Haynes is third in the Ancient Eight with 88 tackles, while senior cornerback Adam Money is tied for second with three interceptions.

“They’ve got outstanding players at every level, so you can’t just account for one guy,” Murphy says of Yale’s defense. “We have to play our game, and that means everybody doing their job. We’re at our best when we’re pretty unpredictable.”

Zych leads the way for the second-ranked Crimson defense with 73 tackles and three interceptions, while senior defensive tackle Josué Ortiz is second in the conference with six sacks and first in tackles for loss.

If the game comes down to special teams, Harvard could have an advantage if they can control return man Chris Smith, a dangerous sophomore who has taken two kickoffs to the house this year. Yale punter Alex Barnes ranks second-to-last in the league with 36.3 yards per punt. Bulldog kicker Phillipe Panico is just 6-of-13 on the season, but has connected on all of his field goals inside of the 40-yard-line this season.

“They have our attention,” Murphy says of the Bulldogs. “Clearly this is one of the top teams in the Ivy League...They’re good on offense; they’re good on defense; they’re good on special teams. They don’t have any specific weaknesses.”

Last year, Harvard stunned Yale with two touchdowns in the final seven minutes after Bulldog coach Tom Williams called a now-infamous fake punt on fourth and 22 late in the fourth quarter. The game ended with a Gatorade bath for Murphy as Harvard students stormed the field, a conclusion the Crimson’s seniors hope to end their own careers with tomorrow.

“Our senior class has been lucky enough to beat Yale in our first three years,” Zych says. “That’s a big motivating factor for our seniors. On a personal note, it’s the last game I’ll play—more than likely the game that I will remember the most. So I need to make sure I do everything possible to play well so we can come out with a victory.”

—Staff writer Scott A. Sherman can be reached at ssherman13@college.harvard.edu.