The result of Saturday’s Game may very well depend on which unit has a better showing—the electric Yale offense or the staunch Harvard defense.
“Our strength has been a typical Harvard football team’s strength,” Murphy said. “We’ve been very mentally tough, very resilient. This senior class, these upperclassmen have won 10 straight road games over the past couple years.”
After leading Harvard to a share of the Ivy League championship last season, senior quarterback Conner Hempel has been plagued with injuries throughout the 2014 campaign. Junior Scott Hosch has proved himself to be a capable replacement, guiding the Crimson to six victories as the starter.
But the team put on its best offensive showcase of the season—a 49-7 drubbing at Princeton—in the only game Hempel started without leaving due to injury.
According to Murphy, Hempel—who threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two more in that win over the Tigers—will be a game-time decision on Saturday.
When Harvard has struggled through the air, it has successfully turned to its ground game. After a breakout 2013 season—including a four-touchdown performance against Yale—junior running back Paul Stanton has cemented his status as one of the top backs in the conference. And he only seems to be getting stronger as the season goes on.
Assisted by a strong offensive line, Stanton set a new career high with 180 rushing yards in a win over Dartmouth on Nov. 1. The junior surpassed that mark last Saturday against Penn, rushing for 235 yards and three of the Crimson’s four touchdowns.
Stanton’s performance was critical in the tense 34-24 victory over the Quakers. Despite trailing by a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Harvard ultimately had enough in it to escape Philadelphia with its unblemished record and at least a share of the Ivy League title.
The last time the Crimson and Bulldogs met in a contest of such magnitude was 2007. Both teams entered the day unbeaten in conference play, but Harvard dominated from start to finish to secure a 37-6 victory along with the championship.
Nothing would be sweeter for the Crimson faithful than a similar result.
“When you come [to Harvard], this week seemed so far away,” Hodges said. “And now we’re finally here. All our hard work, everything we put in…it all comes to this.”
ESPN has bought into the hype, as its College GameDay crew will travel to Cambridge to broadcast live in front of Dillon Fieldhouse on Saturday morning. The program has not featured an Ivy League game since the Crimson squared off with Penn in 2002.
History is indeed on the line Saturday at Harvard Stadium. A Crimson win would notch the team’s third undefeated, untied season this century. Yale will be gunning for its first Ivy League co-championship since 2006.
“We don’t really think about our accumulated record at any point,” Hosch said. “But just to know that it’s a program as historic as Harvard and we’re able to make history this year, it’s something special.”
Yet not a single player on either team needs any extra motivation. It is Harvard-Yale, after all.
“The seniors, they know what’s at stake,” Murphy said. “You don’t have to ask them to raise the intensity. They’re ready to play.”
So buckle up. The 131st edition of The Game could be the most exciting one in a while.
—Staff writer David Steinbach can be reached at david.steinbach@thecrimson.com.