Advantage: Harvard

Defense

Defensive Line

As a group, Harvard's defense is young, starting only two seniors. The defensive line is young as well, but deep. Led by senior defensive tackle R.D. Kern, the D-line has really improved over the last few games.

Against the Quakers, the defense tallied four sacks against a tough Penn offensive line. Junior defensive ends Marc Laborsky and Phil Scherrer are playmakers coming off the corner, and junior defensive tackle Ryan Fitzgerald plugs up the middle with Kern.

Harvard's league-leading rush defense is due in large part to the efforts of the guys up front.

Yale's defensive line, while it also has a good group of players, hasn't had quite the production of Harvard's D-line this year. Yale's rush defense is second in the league, averaging 122 yards per game allowed on the ground compared to 111 yards for Harvard.

Although the match-up is a close one, yet again, the nod has to go to the Crimson.

Advantage: Harvard

Linebackers

Linebacker was a real question mark for Harvard coming into this season. With two freshman linebackers thrust into starting roles, no one knew what to expect from Harvard here.

Luckily for the Crimson, both Dante Balestracci and Jeffrey Reiman have proved more than able to play at the Ivy League level.

Balestracci has settled himself into the middle linebacker spot vacated by Isaiah Kacyvenski '00, who was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks this past spring. Reiman sees time as the fourth linebacker when the Crimson is in an eight-man front.

Harvard's linebackers are a big part of the Crimson's league-leading rush defense.

Though the Crimson leads the league in rushing defense, the Elis lead the league in pass defense, having giving up only 194 yards per game and 13 touchdowns through the air this season.

This match-up is almost too close to call, but Balestracci is a real talent and will make big plays on Saturday.

Advantage: Harvard