A season-ending ACL injury to junior James Harvey and a debilitating high ankle sprain to junior Rodney Byrnes have seriously depleted Harvard’s receiving core. Freshman Corey Mazza has both size and speed but only caught one pass last week against Penn and is not a game-changing threat yet. Senior Matt Fratto is a big target with good hands at tight end, but he is often under utilized.

Yale senior Ron Benigno and junior Ralph Plumb have combined to make a formidable duo for the Bulldogs. The pair has combined for 80 catches, 1,163 yards and a whopping 15 touchdowns.

But Yale’s biggest weapon—literally—is its tight end, senior Nate Lawrie. Listed at 6’7 and weighing in at 256 pounds, Murphy calls him “an NFL prospect.” It will be a tall task, indeed, for Harvard’s undersized secondary to stay with Lawrie, who leads the team in catches (64) and receiving yards (678) on the year. Harvard could not handle Dartmouth senior tight end Casey Cramer when the Big Green knocked off the Crimson on November 1. If Yale uses Lawrie in a similar vein, lining him up as a wide receiver, it could mean big trouble for the Cantabs.

Benigno is 6’2 and Plumb is 6’4. They may just be too much for Harvard’s defensive backs to handle.

Edge: Yale

OFFENSIVE LINE

Harvard began the season with seven tackles. By the time Penn rolled around, the Crimson was down to two. Sophomores Bennett Kowalk and Will Rogers, juniors Mike Frey and Mike McKibben and senior James Baaken are all banged up. This has forced Murphy to make positional switches along the O-line all season long. Sophomore Will Johnson has been fantastic filling in for junior Andy Smith at center, who was injured for the first half of the year. Now Smith is back, starting at guard while Johnson stays at center. Senior Joe Traverso is All-Ivy worthy at guard and senior Joe Mujalli has been a rock at tackle.

“Our [seniors] have been our best players in games, and they have been the glue that has held this offense together,” Murphy said.

But Yale’s offensive front is not too shabby either. In fact, even Murphy calls it “arguably the best offensive line in the Ivy League.” The unit is anchored by junior left tackle Rory Hennessey, who earned himself an All-Ivy Honorable Mention last season. His bookend, senior Jake Kohl, is 6’4, 310 lbs. Freshman standout Ed McCarthy has moved into the starting lineup in his debut season as a Yalie—and at “only” 279 pounds, he’s one of the smallest members of a bruising line that has opened up plenty of holes for Carr this year. If Harvard was completely healthy, again, the edge would go to the Crimson. But with so many injuries, Yale gets the nod.

Edge: Yale

DEFENSIVE LINE

36 sacks, best in the Ivies. 15 interceptions, best in the Ivies (tied with Penn). Is Harvard’s defense fearsome? Just ask Yale’s quarterback.

“I think Harvard has one of, if not the, best defenses in the Ivies this year. They definitely pose a formidable challenge to us,” Cowan said.

A big part of that success has been the strong, consistent play of the defensive line. Senior defensive ends Brad Payne and Brian Garcia have combined for 10.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss. Murphy has rotated Payne, Garcia, senior Brendan McCafferty, juniors Matt McBurney and Coesen Ngweun and sophomores Doug Bennett and Eric Grimm throughout all four positions on the line.

“I really like the rotation because players can stay fresh throughout the game,” Payne said. “On offense, you know where the play is going, so you can conserve your energy a little better. As a defensive lineman, you’re going 1,000 miles an hour all the time, so we need to rotate to keep up a good pass rush.”