Especially late in the game, the D-line has to get to the quarterback. Sacks that come late in close games knock opponents out.
Blitzing is not the answer. If Harvard has to blitz consistently to get pressure on the passer, the defense will get beat down the field against Penn QB Gavin Hoffman and Yale's Peter Lee.
Okay, I know that earlier in this column I said that there are only two things that Harvard needs. Well, there is one other thing: field goals.
The Game will be close, as it always is, and I think that the outmatched-on-paper defenses for both teams will ride a wave of emotion to keep the score fairly low, while both offenses will suffer because of the same adrenaline high.
Defenses that ride an adrenaline high are toughest when their backs are against the wall in the red-zone.
If Harvard drives into the red-zone and comes away with no points against Yale, it could be fatal.
"We decided a couple of weeks ago to be a four-down team," Murphy said.
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