WHEN HARVARD RUNS THE BALL

The complexion of the Harvard ground attack has changed dramatically since the Crimson last squared off against Holy Cross. Gone is the running back by committee scheme which split touches equally between Clifton Dawson and Ryan Tyler. Dawson’s arrival as the Ivy League’s premier running back earned him the lion’s share of the carries even before Tyler switched to wide receiver late last season. With that move made permanent last spring, Dawson figures to be in the backfield for as many downs as his conditioning will allow. Though Harvard coach Tim Murphy’s offense is widely viewed as pass first, the Crimson will attempt to maximize Dawson’s touches to both exploit the Crusaders’ weak rushing defense and provide a respectable counterbalance to its dangerous air attack.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick should command similar respect for his running game. Coming off a season in which he missed three games due to injury, however, he will probably exercise more caution before leaving the pocket. Last year, Fitzpatrick led Harvard with 112 yards on 18 carries against Holy Cross. Though his numbers may be comparable this go around, the number of running plays called for him will likely decrease significantly. Murphy has impressed upon his captain the importance of having a healthy starting quarterback—a lesson easily learned after the Crimson’s mid-season woes last year—and urged Fitzpatrick to more selectively “pick his spots.” When he does, the Crusaders will discover little else has changed since last season. Fitzpatrick’s speed and elusiveness survived the knee injury which hobbled him during The Game last season, and opposing defenses will be hard pressed to contain him once he finds a seam in the open field.

Holy Cross features a 5-2 defense that places a premium on winning the battle at the line of scrimmage and snuffing out rushing attempts before they gain any steam. The unit, keyed by linebacker and team-leading tackler David Fitzpatrick, has enjoyed mixed results against the run thus far this season, surrendering 139 yards in its season opener against Duquesne before holding San Diego to just 79. But despite the statistical improvement, the Crusaders fared poorly last weekend with their backs against the wall, surrendering two rushing touchdowns from inside the 10-yard line. With a backfield arsenal far more impressive than either of Holy Cross’ early-season opponents, the Crimson should have a strong chance of matching the 293 yards and four touchdowns accumulated on the ground during the teams’ 2003 meeting.

WHEN HARVARD PASSES THE BALL

The last time Harvard and Holy Cross met, wide receiver Brian Edwards joked that he and his unit had been told by Harvard coach Tim Murphy to pray for man coverage. The football gods obliged and Edwards exploded for 152 yards on seven receptions, including one score, emphatically announcing his ascension to the upper echelon of Ivy receivers. The Crusaders would be foolish to commit such an egregious error twice, but it remains to be seen whether any strategy can prop up Holy Cross’ overmatched secondary against the Crimson’s passing game.

By all accounts, the combination of Edwards and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has lost none of its potency during the off-season. Edwards’ speed should allow him to slip behind the Crusaders’ coverage with relative ease, and if he is open, Fitzpatrick will have little difficulty finding him. The duo shamed several cornerbacks last season with perfectly placed balls lofted long down the middle of the field—often on broken plays—and Holy Cross’ secondary shouldn’t expect to do much better. If Edwards happens to catch a pass with defenders between him and the endzone, his elusiveness will leave would-be tacklers just as frustrated—and his yards after catch will leave coaches scratching their heads.

In the event the secondary commits too strongly to defending Edwards, Fitzpatrick won’t hesitate to connect with sophomore Corey Mazza, who has shined since the start of spring ball. The weight Mazza added in the off-season makes him difficult to bring down when running inside routes, and his speed along the sidelines nearly rivals the threat posed by Edwards’.

The only question up in the air is how devoted the Crimson offense is to working running back Clifton Dawson into its rotation out of the backfield. Murphy has said that he would consider any option that earned the sophomore speedster additional touches, and Dawson’s marked improvement upon his pass reception skills during the off-season make him yet another target for Fitzpatrick. If Dawson has difficulty making his presence felt on the ground, screen plays and passes to him in the flat will send the Crusaders back to square one.

The Holy Cross secondary has allowed 307.5 yards passing per game in 2004 while struggling to guard against “the big play,” surrendering three passing touchdowns of at least 30 yards in its first two games. Cornerbacks Ted Nugent (5’7) and Casey Gough (5’10) match up particularly poorly against Edwards (6’0) and Mazza (6’3) and will be vulnerable in single coverage situations.

WHEN HOLY CROSS RUNS THE BALL