Brown running back Nick Hartigan may not be one-dimensional, but the system showcasing his talent certainly is—and Harvard’s defense knows it.

With fledgling quarterback Joseph DiGiacomo at its helm, the Bears’ offense relies heavily upon Hartigan, not just to log more than two dozen carries a contest or accumulate 100 yards, but to divert attention from and create opportunities for its unproven air attack.

“No question, he’s the catalyst for their offense, especially with a young quarterback,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “Our job at all costs is to stop the run. That may open us up to passing, but if you’re going to stop their offense, you’ve got to stop the run.”

Winning the battle at the line of scrimmage may not suffice, though, if the Crimson front seven intends to counter Hartigan’s strength.

Though his physical style may not make for the most aesthetically pleasing contest, the 6’2, 220-lb bruiser has earned his reputation as one of the top rushers in Division I-AA by plowing straight ahead—through a wall of defensive linemen if necessary.

“Hartigan’s a big body and he’s just going to try to run downhill at you,” said Harvard junior linebacker Matt Thomas. “If you don’t meet him in the backfield, he’s just going to try and fall forward to get two or three yards.”

To prevent even those shorter gains, Harvard will first need to apply sufficient pressure to the Bears’ offensive linemen and push the point of initial contact backwards until Hartigan can no longer advance the ball up the middle.

That penetration should not only cancel any gains earned by Hartigan’s success in falling forward, but also force him from his comfort zone—and towards the outside, where he might as well be a stationary target.

The Crimson hopes that, when he is running parallel to his blockers, Hartigan’s efforts to bring his weight to bear on potential tacklers will be rendered largely ineffective and his lack of speed exposed.

“Our game plan is just to attack the line of scrimmage and get him moving east-west, laterally, and not north-south,” Thomas said. “He’s much different than the back we saw last week in [Holy Cross’ Steve] Silva, who’s a speed back and can quickly turn the corner.”

But the chances that the Crimson can confine Hartigan—who led the Ivy League in rushing last season—to his own backfield are razor-thin. Ensuring that the damage he causes is minimized, however, will ultimately dictate whether or not the Harvard defense can call tomorrow’s efforts successful.

Hartigan won’t be flashy when he finds open space, and neither will the Crimson. He’ll try to bowl the nearest defender over, and Harvard will take care to gang-tackle him before he picks up any more steam.

“Maybe he’ll make a little shake, but he’s going north and south,” Thomas said. “You just have to meet him head on, wrap him up and make sure we drive him back. Every single play he has to land on his back, because if he lands forward that’s just an extra two or three yards we’re just conceding.”

—TIMOTHY J. McGINN