Defense and the kicking game dominated the first half of the Game as the underdog Harvard football team emerged with a 7-3 lead.

Senior placekicker Mike Giampaolo pinned the Bulldogs deep in its own territory with a punt that was downed at the one-yard line--his second such punt of the half. The Crimson defense stalled the drive right there and Harvard took over at the Eli 21 with 1:56 left until halftime.

On third-and-six, senior quarterback Brad Wilford found no open receivers and took off down the right sideline. He eluded two tacklers, slashing his way to the nine. Two plays later, from the seven, Wilford again had to scramble in the backfield, but this time found senior tailback Troy Jones in the front left corner of the end zone to hand Harvard a 7-3 lead with :47 left in the second quarter.

Yale broke the ice on its second possession. On a drive that began on Harvard's 40-yard line, Bulldog senior quarterback Joe Walland hit wideout Eric Johnson exactly at the 30 for the initial first down of the game. The drive stalled, but placekicker Mike Murawczyk gave the Elis a 3-0 lead with a carrer long 44-yard field goal at x:xx of the first.

The Crimson had a golden opportunity to score earlier on a drive that began at the start of the second quarter. Wilford hit captain Chris Eitzmann over the middle and Eitzmann ran it to the Yale 44-yard line. Later, on second-and-eight from the Yale 27, senior wideout Terence Patterson made a beautiful one-handed catch on a floater down the right sideline and was tackled at the 6-yard line.

Harvard couldn't get the ball into the end zone, and on fourth down, Giampaolo sent the 23-yard chip shot wide right that would've tied the game.

Murawcyk missed a 42-yard kick as time expired in the half.