Harvard Preview

The Bulldogs travel to Cambridge for the 140th playing of The Game. Kickoff is slated for 12 PM ET and the game will air on ESPNU.

Harvard enters the contest with an 8-1 record and has secured at least a share of the Ivy League Championship. The Crimson’s lone loss came in Week 1 of Ivy League play as Brown staged an improbable comeback aided by Harvard’s miscues. Holy Cross, Dartmouth, and Penn all lost close contests to Harvard that came down to the wire.

Harvard’s offense is led by junior QB Jaden Craig (6’2”, 215 lbs.) who was knocked out last week at Penn after absorbing a crushing blow from a Quaker linebacker. Craig has made impressive strides in his passing abilities from a year ago with a 63.3% completion rate for 20 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions on the season. If Craig is unable to play in The Game, Harvard has a great second option in senior Charles DePrima (6’2”, 195 lbs.). DePrima is a run-first quarterback that is so athletic that he’s seen substantial playing time at wide receiver with dedicated running plays designed for him. DePrima has the rushing abilities of Nolan Grooms and will take off downfield at the slightest hint of pressure. In the passing game, DePrima tends to stare down a single receiver without scanning the field, although this rarely backfires on him as his receiving weapons typically leave defenders in the dust. Senior RB Shane McLaughlin (5’11”, 200 lbs.) was a 1st Team All-Ivy performer last year and is back in action after injuries limited his season. Sophomore RB Xaviah Bascon (5’9”, 190 lbs.) leads the Crimson in rushing with 520 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and 4 rushing touchdowns. DePrima is heavily used inside the red zone and leads the Crimson in rushing touchdowns with 7. Junior WR Cooper Barkate (6’1”, 195 lbs.) rivals Pantelis in talent and has been unstoppable for Harvard with 55 catches for 915 yards and 9 touchdowns. Senior WR Scott Woods II (5’8”, 180 lbs.) could be the most agile receiver faced all season and has posted 47 catches for 485 yards and 2 touchdowns. Harvard always seems to have top talent at the tight end position and this year’s team is no different. Sophomore TE Seamus Gilmartin (6’4”, 215 lbs.) has torched opposing safeties and linebackers all season with 376 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Junior TE Ryan Osborne (6’0”, 220 lbs.) had 3 touchdown receptions over the first 5 weeks of play. Harvard’s offensive line averages 281.0 lbs. across the board and has only allowed 12 sacks all season. Senior OL Austin Gentle (6’3”, 295 lbs.) was a 2nd Team All-Ivy selection in 2023, while senior Mike Entwistle (6’2”, 295 lbs.) earned an Honorable Mention All-Ivy nod in 2023. Craig typically has ample time to throw without pressure, although run blocking has not been perfect with just 3.8 rushing yards per attempt. Yale’s defense will need to set hard edges to keep DePrima and company from exploiting the outside runs. The pass rush will need to generate substantial pressure to make the Crimson’s quarterbacks uncomfortable, while the safeties and corners will need to keep all passing threats in front of them. Harvard loves to pull out the trick plays in The Game, so staying true to assignments is key.

Harvard’s defense isn’t flashy but has limited opponents to only 329.7 yards per game and has been excellent on 3rd downs with just a 38.2% conversion rate for opposing offenses. Junior S Ty Bartrum (6’1”, 195 lbs.) leads the Crimson with 75 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and an interception. Bartum was a 2nd Team All-Ivy player in 2023 and appears to be a lock for the 1st Team in 2024. Sophomore DB Austin-Jake Guillory (6’1”, 180 lbs.) leads Harvard in interceptions with 2 to go along with 48 tackles. Senior LB Mitchell Gonser (6’0”, 220 lbs.) leads the linebacking corps and racked up 9 tackles against the Bulldogs a year ago. Senior LB Marcus Alexander (6’1”, 225 lbs.) has played well in his first year as a starter with 42 tackles and 2 sacks. Senior DE Jacob Psyk (6’3”, 260 lbs.) has thrashed opposing offensive linemen on his way to 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Senior DT Tyler Huenemann (6’3”, 285 lbs.) is a returning starter from 2023 and is second on the team with 2.5 sacks on the season. Harvard’s defense has been stout all-around with opponents averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and a 61.1% passing completion percentage. If Yale’s pass blocking can hold up, there should be favorable matchups for Yale’s receivers versus Harvard’s cornerbacks (with or without Pantelis in the lineup). Penn was able to find success in the run game with Hosley posting 143 yards a week ago, so Yale will need to find ways to open holes for Pitsenberger and Peterson to keep defenders stacked in the box and susceptible to the big plays.

Freshman K Kieran Corr (6’3”, 180 lbs.) is 5 of 8 on field goal attempts this season with a long of just 34 yards. Harvard brought in freshman K Dylan Fingersh (5’10”, 170 lbs.) to secure the win at Penn last week with a 21-yard field goal. Senior P Sebastien Tasko (6’1”, 180 lbs.) averages just under 40.0 yards per punt with 2 punts over 50 yards this season. Woods is dangerous as a punt returner with a 14.8-yard punt return average. Bascon has the ability to go the distance on kick returns with a long return of 46 yards this season.

Go Bulldogs! Beat the Crimson!