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Quarterbacks

There are many stars on Harvard’s roster, but none shine brighter than senior quarterback Jaden Craig. The Preseason Phil Steele All-Ivy First Teamer and All-American Third Teamer has more than lived up to his lofty billing. Craig now holds the Harvard record for most career passing touchdowns despite not seeing consistent action until the tail end of his sophomore season.

Craig’s stats back his hype. He surpassed his passing yardage from his junior year during the Crimson's last game against Penn. But that does not tell the full story. His 2,456 yards have come in less than the 36 quarters implied by a nine-game season. A victim of his own dominance, the Crimson’s large second-half leads have allowed the starters to sit for long periods of games and lessened their raw stats.

He has achieved those yards efficiently with a 64.4 percent completion rate and a 21-to-5 touchdown to interception ratio.

His legs have seen an uptick this season as well. Craig prefers to be a pocket passer but has picked up seven rushing touchdowns and 135 yards, including losses from sacks.

Yale’s sophomore quarterback Dante Reno has emerged as a very accurate passer, throwing for 1,767 yards and completing 150 of his 226 attempts. Less is asked of Reno than his Crimson counterpart, and he benefits from Yale’s strong run game, drawing the defense’s focus.

Reno has proven himself to be a solid bet and a good game manager for the Bulldogs. But there is a reason we wrote a draft profile on Jaden Craig. Many FBS teams would trade quarterbacks with Harvard, so it is no slight to Reno when we give the edge to Craig.

Advantage: Harvard

Running Backs

If Craig is the biggest star in The Game, Yale’s senior running back Joshua Pitsenberger might be the second.

Pitsenberger is the main option at back for the Bulldogs. His 1,095 rushing yards triple Yale’s next closest rusher, and his 217 carries dwarf backup and fellow senior Wilhelm Daal’s 59 rushes.

Recording 12 touchdowns on the season and 34 touchdowns in his career is impressive for Pitsenberger. But his most impressive aspect is his ball security. Pitsenberger has not fumbled the ball once, a remarkable feat for a four-year contributor.

While Yale’s rushing attack is a one-man show, the Crimson has a stable of running backs. Junior Xaviah Bascon, sophomore DJ Gordon, and junior Jordan Harris lead the room. The backs have recorded 571, 381, and 310 yards, respectively. Each back benefits from the shared playing time and stays fresh throughout the game.

Although Harvard benefits from a more diverse group of contributors and faces lighter boxes due to Craig’s prowess, Pitsenberger is one of the top players in the Ivy League.

Advantage: Yale

Receiving Weapons

The receiving matchup mirrors the running back matchup. Yale has the best individual weapon, but Harvard has the more well-rounded group.

The Bulldogs are a two-man receiving attack. Speedy senior Nico Brown leads the way with 789 yards and nine touchdowns this fall. Lanky sophomore Jaxton Santiago complements Brown with 515 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Yale only has one other receiver over 100 yards, senior Mason Shipp. The Bulldogs do not rely on their tight ends or running backs often in the passing game.

In contrast to Yale’s three 100-yard receivers, Harvard has eight. The Crimson is paced by sophomore receiver Brady Blackburn, who leads the team with 31 receptions and 621 yards. He comes in second behind junior tight end Seamus Gilmartin in touchdowns, with four to Gilmartin’s five.

Gilmartin is second on the team in receptions and yards. Gilmartin marks the well-rounded middle ground in the tight end room alongside the undersized, but speedy, senior Ryan Osborne and larger junior Logan Reska. The three tight ends have combined for 720 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Joining Blackburn at receiver are senior Cam Henry, senior Dean Boyd, freshman Ryan Tattersall, and senior Caydon Coffman. Each brings a unique skill to the equation. Henry is also a sprinter on the track team, and Tattersall towers over corners at 6-foot-6.

It is a testament to Harvard’s recruiting and depth that the Crimson could lose a superstar like Cooper Barkate to the transfer portal and still be this productive at receiver. Yale has a dynamic duo, but Harvard has a hydra. You can cut off one or two threats but six more will take their places.

Advantage: Harvard

Lines

If there’s one matchup that should have Aurich a little uneasy, it’s up front: Yale’s senior defensive lineman Ezekiel Larry leads all players in The Game with 9.5 sacks, topping the Ivy League. No one on either roster has gotten to the QB more often.

But if anyone is prepared to slow him down, it is the Harvard offensive line. Only senior guard Derek Osman found his way onto the preseason Ivy League first team, but he will likely be joined by junior tackle Spencer Doan.

The line struggled early in the season on obvious running downs but has fixed those issues throughout the year. The unit has excelled all season at giving Craig time to execute Harvard’s slow-developing passing concepts that yield big plays.

Harvard’s defense supplies its own headliner in Alex DeGrieck, a senior defensive end who has anchored the Crimson front. DeGrieck’s 6.0 sacks tie him for third in the conference, and his 7.5 tackles for loss put him firmly among the league’s most disruptive linemen.

He’s backed by sophomore Christian Nwosu and junior Josh Fedd, each with 3.0 sacks, giving Harvard a more committee-based pass rush.

Harvard’s defensive tackles have held and reset the line all season, leading to an Ivy League best rush defense. Yale sits right behind the Crimson at second in rush defense.

Harvard’s front has been sturdy throughout the year, but it sits squarely in the middle of the Ivy on third down, allowing opponents to convert about 44 percent of the time. Yale, on the other hand, counters with a league-best 33 percent stop rate, a nod towards the Bulldogs’ advantage in getting off the field.

The Bulldogs’ guard dogs on offense have excelled at their duties all year. The unit ties Harvard with only seven sacks allowed on the season. It must be factored in, however, that the Crimson has attempted nearly 50 more passes on the season. The unit also leads the Ivy League’s second-best rushing attack by yards, trailing only Harvard.

The old adage goes that games are won in the trenches, so it is no surprise that the top two teams in the Ivy League are both powerhouses on the line. While Yale has an advantage with 32 sacks to Harvard’s 20, both units are too strong to definitively declare one better than the other. It gets no easier on the offensive line, where the Crimson has a slight but not inarguable advantage.

This is the matchup to watch on Saturday. Can the Harvard defensive line hold steady and stop Pitsenberger? Can the Bulldogs pin back their ears and get after Craig in a way no team has all year?

Advantage: Tie

—Staff writer Reed M. Trimble can be reached at reed.trimble@thecrimson.com