“During halftime, [defensive line coach Carlton] Hall came up to us, and it wasn’t a really fiery speech or anything, but he said we have to find something inside ourselves if we’re going to come back and win this game,” Burkhead said. “And that was really moving. I think everybody on the team really took it to heart. On the D-line, all year we’ve been persistent, fighting to get to the quarterback, and we wanted to win this game so bad. And really, I think that’s what made the difference in the end.”

SILENCE IN SOLDIERS FIELD

Diametrically opposed for most of the game, the two schools came together in terrified unity when a collision between Crimson senior running back Gino Gordon and Yale senior outside linebacker Jesse Reising left both players on the ground unable to get up.

Gordon was ultimately able to walk himself off the field, but Reising needed to be carted off to the emergency room in a stretcher. Bulldog coach Tom Williams later said that the measures were precautionary and that Reising is expected to be fine.

“Jesse is one of my close friends, and I never want to see something like that happen to my friend,” said Yale junior linebacker Jordan Haynes. “I’m glad to hear that Coach Williams said he was doing better. We just tried to rally around that and play for Jesse, but unfortunately it didn’t go our way.”

—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@fas.harvard.edu.