Last weekend against Columbia was a good tune-up for a matchup with Ragone, as Lions quarterback Sean Brackett is a similar type of athlete, slotting in third in the league in total offense.

“The difference is Ragone has a much better supporting cast around him,” Murphy said.

“We’ve been doing a lot schematically to shut him down, but ultimately in comes down to playing with fundamentals and not making mental mistakes,” captain Alex Gedeon said.

Anchored by Gedeon at linebacker and his team-leading 75 tackles, the Crimson defense will also attempt to neutralize Colavita. The Quaker running back ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s matchup.

Overall, Harvard aims to continue its solid play that has led it to an undefeated Ivy League record so far.

“[We have been working on] just doing what we’ve been doing, the things we think most control winning football games,” Murphy said.  “That’s execution, taking care of the football, shutting down the run, creating turnovers on defense, field position with the kicking game, those things just don’t change.”

The contest is a must-win for Penn as well as a possible championship clincher for the Crimson.

“It’s going to be a big game,” Gedeon said. “There’s a lot on the line and both teams know that. We’ve been working all year for this and this our chance and opportunity to go out there and win.”