Defensive Backs

Harvard's defensive backfield is much improved from last year's squad. Despite that improvement, there were shades of the 1999 team in the air last Saturday against Penn. As junior quarterback Gavin Hoffman worked his way down the field with less than two minutes remaining for the winning score, it seemed as if the Crimson defensive backs had forgotten what they had learned this season.

There was an important difference against Penn last Saturday compared to last season. On each of Hoffman's passes late in the game, a Harvard defensive player was in position to make a play on the ball. Last year, receivers would break free against a porous Crimson defense.

Junior cornerback Andy Fried, a converted wide receiver, has been playing well, while fellow junior Willie Alford has also been equally impressive at the other corner spot.

Senior Mike Brooks leads the secondary from his strong safety position and should play a large role in the Crimson's run defense on Saturday when he walks up to the line and the Crimson plays an eight-man front.

But Yale wouldn't have the league's leading pass defense if it didn't have the best defensive backs.

Their 17 interceptions this season are also the main reason why Yale leads the league in turnover ratio.

The match-up between Harvard's wideouts and Yale's defensive backs should be the marquee battle of the afternoon.

Advantage: Yale

Special Teams

It's all about field goals here.

Harvard has played well on special teams apart from field goals. For instance, freshman kicker Robbie Wright leads the league in point after attempts, converting on 31-of-31opportunities, while every other Ivy kicker has missed at least one.

The dearth of field goals, however, especially in light of last week's one-point loss to Penn and an earlier one-point loss to Cornell, looms large over the Crimson's entire season: Harvard is 3-for-12 in field goal tries this season.

Yale is better at kicking field goals, hitting 7-of-15 on the season.

Advantage: Yale