A Game breakdown: positions, stats & more

The 117th edition of The Game features an inexperienced upstart Harvard squad versus a veteran Yale team that is performing below expectations. Will the tandem of Harvard quarterback Neil Rose '02 and wide receiver Carl Morris '03 continue to impress against the best secondaries in the Ivy League? Can Yale running back Rashad Bartholomew, MC '01, fight through nagging injuries and the Harvard defensive line en route to breaking the career Yale rushing record? Is there any way receiver/punter Eric Johnson, JE '01, can come close to repeating his incredible performance against Harvard last year? Which team will be able to bounce back from last-minute losses last weekend that took them both out of the Ivy title hunt? We know what the celebrities think will happen (see page 4), but leave the real analysis to the people who know: the players and coaches who have faced the two teams. Below is a position-by-position breakdown based on input from past opponents.

Offense

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Fullback Jim Keppel, SY '02, earned first-team All Ivy status last year for his receiving prowess.

After suffering a disappointing loss to Holy Cross in the season opener, Harvard found itself headed by a promising but inexperienced quarterback, Neil Rose '02, and without the services of their top three running backs. Amazingly, though, they have still managed to put up over 470 yards per game in total offense, good for fourth in Div. I-AA. One of their major problems has been turnovers; they have given up 21 more than has Yale. The Bulldogs' recent poor performances against Brown and Princeton have caused their offensive numbers to slip, but by relying equally on their formidable passing and rushing attacks, they still currently rank 39th in Div. I-AA with an average of 394 yards per game. Princeton Coach Roger Hughes is quick to point out the differences in offensive styles of the two teams. "Yale's offense is not complex, but they execute very well," he said. "Harvard gives you more formations and motions. They do all their stuff in a no-huddle offense."

Quarterback

Rose and Yale quarterback Peter Lee, TD '02, both first-year starters, have exceeded expectations this year (see page 12). Rose ranks 18th in Div. I-AA in passing efficiency (141.7) and averages a Harvard-record 261 yards per game in the air. Lee is not far behind, ranking 26th in Div. I-AA in passing efficiency (135.0) and passing for 218 yards per game. Dartmouth quarterback Brian Mann '02 thinks Harvard has the advantage at signal caller. "Both quarterbacks can sit in the pocket and read the defense effectively, but the biggest difference between the two is the mobility of Rose," he said. Indeed, Rose has outgained Lee by nearly 200 yards on the ground. Lee has faltered recently, throwing only two touchdowns against five interceptions over the last two games, but Hughes knows that if defenses give him the time, "Lee will pick them  apart." Hughes makes no bones about the importance of this position. "The game is going to come down to whoever's quarterback plays better that day," he said.

Wide Receiver

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Ryan LoProto, SM '02, tied an Ivy record by returning two interceptions for touchdowns against Columbia.

Several different Harvard receivers have enjoyed the fruits of Har- vard's passing success. Four of them have caught more than 20 passes and average over 45 receiving yards per game. Harvard's standout at wide receiver, though, is Carl Morris '03. Though he only catches about five passes a game, he makes the most of them, averaging over 15 yards a reception. Yale counters with Eric Johnson, JE '01, who is averaging eight catches and almost 100 yards a game, third in Div. I-AA. Yale has had trouble spreading the wealth, though, as only Tommy McNamara, PC '01, and Johnson average over 20 yards per game receiving. "Harvard is faster in its overall team speed and many more players get involved in the offense," Mann said, "but Yale's Johnson is a big, strong kid with his size and toughness. It really depends how Harvard reacts to Johnson, especially since Yale has been focusing on him all season."

Offensive Line

The Bulldogs' veteran line has performed as expected this year, opening up huge holes for Bartholomew and allowing only 13 sacks on Lee. The Bulldogs are almost 20 pounds smaller, per man, than the Harvard line, but their athleticism has made other teams jealous. "We try to aspire to be like Yale's offensive line," said Dayton Coach Mike Kelley, after the Bulldogs racked up over 350 yards on the ground against his team. Harvard has not been too shabby either; their much-ridiculed rushing attack is now second in the Ivy League, and Rose has had plenty of time to rack up his gargantuan statistics. Their one flaw has been allowing opposing blitzers access to their quarterback—Rose has been sacked nine more times than Lee.

Running Backs

Harvard has no counterpart to Bartholomew, who will surpass Yale's single-season rushing mark with 52 yards—one third of his per-game average—against Harvard. They have no full-back that can block like Kon-rad Sopielnikow, TD '01, or catch like Jim Keppel, SY '02. In fact, their top three running backs are injured, and they have resorted to using the tandem of undersize sophomore tailbacks Nick Palazzo and Matt Lieszler. But these pint-sized neophytes are outgaining Yale's vaunted rushing attack and have been improving every week. Still, Hughes thinks that an injury-free Bartholomew will tip the scales for Yale. "If he is healthy, certainly Yale has the better tailback," Hughes said.

Defense

Yale leads the league in total defense, passing defense, pass efficiency defense, and turnovers gained. Heading into this week, the Ivy League was the highest scoring league in the country in Div. I, but Yale has only allowed 18 points per game. Harvard, ranked second in scoring defense in the league, has allowed almost 25. "The deciding factor on defense is age and experience," Mann said. "Harvard has a young and inexperienced team, which could be used against them. Yale has experienced players like [Peter] Mazza, [JE '01], who know what it takes to play in the big games."

Rushing Defense

"Harvard may have a slightly better defensive line than Yale," Hughes said, "but Yale's kids are disciplined and they play hard." Indeed, Harvard leads the league in rushing defense, allowing a stingy 111 yards per game, but Yale is close behind, giving up only 120. Backing up the Harvard line is linebacker Dante Balestracci '04, who in his first year is leading the Harvard team in tackles and has forced a couple of fumbles. Yale's linebackers are equally impressive, though, as Mazza is second in the league in tackles, and Chris Eger, PC '01, earned Ivy League defensive player of the week honors with his efforts against Dartmouth. Columbia running back Johnathan Reese '02, who currently leads the league in rushing yardage, declared that "Yale was more effective stopping the run. There were always three or four defenders tackling me." Brown's Michael Malan '02, ranked third in the league in rushing, added that Bartholomew should be able to take advantage of Harvard's inexperience. "They're pretty young on defense," he said. "I had a good day running against them. I'm sure if Bartholomew's healthy, he will do the same thing."

Passing Defense

COURTESY KAITY CHENG/HARVARD INDEPENDENT Harvard wide receiver Carl Morris '03 leads the Crimson with 15.1 yards per reception.

Yale has the clear edge here. Leading the league in all the defensive categories mentioned above, Yale also has more interceptions than any other team. "I'm sure Harvard will have their hands full trying to deal with Yale's safeties and cornerbacks," Malan said. "They held us to under 300 yards passing, the first time this year a team has done that." Yale is led by a veteran group of defensive backs, including All-Ivy picks Todd Tomich, TC '01, and Than Merrill, JE '01, along with strong safety Ryan LoProto, SM '02, and Josh Phillips, MC '01. Yale's pass rush has also been impressive, as Peter Maloney, PC '01, and Stuart Satullo, ES '03, are 1-2 in the league in sacks. The fact that Harvard gives up almost 70 more yards in the air per game than Yale may be partially explained by their defensive alignment. "Harvard plays more man-to-man defense and Yale plays more zone coverage," Columbia quarterback Jeff McCall '02 explained. This means that while opposing offenses can get away with short passes against Yale, there is more chance for them to break big plays against Harvard.

Special Teams

Two-time All-Ivy recipient Mike Murawczyk, MC '01, who had not missed a field goal inside 40 yards in 24 attempts before the start of this season, has missed more than half of his kicks this year. "He's had a great career," Yale Coach Jack Siedlecki said, "but not a great season." But Harvard has struggled even more than Yale has. Their two field goal kickers have missed nine of 12 kicks, including two potential game winners against Cornell and Penn. Harvard safety Dan Miree '02 leads the league in average kickoff return yards, and Yale's Tomich and Harvard's Morris are tied for sixth in average yards per punt return. Yale jack-of-all-trades Johnson leads the league in net punting average, while Harvard ranks seventh.

Photo of Yale quarteback Peter Lee, TD '02, by Julia Tiernan.

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