“They’ve got outstanding players at every level, so you can’t just account for one guy,” Murphy says of Yale’s defense. “We have to play our game, and that means everybody doing their job. We’re at our best when we’re pretty unpredictable.”

Zych leads the way for the second-ranked Crimson defense with 73 tackles and three interceptions, while senior defensive tackle Josué Ortiz is second in the conference with six sacks and first in tackles for loss.

If the game comes down to special teams, Harvard could have an advantage if they can control return man Chris Smith, a dangerous sophomore who has taken two kickoffs to the house this year. Yale punter Alex Barnes ranks second-to-last in the league with 36.3 yards per punt. Bulldog kicker Phillipe Panico is just 6-of-13 on the season, but has connected on all of his field goals inside of the 40-yard-line this season.

“They have our attention,” Murphy says of the Bulldogs. “Clearly this is one of the top teams in the Ivy League...They’re good on offense; they’re good on defense; they’re good on special teams. They don’t have any specific weaknesses.”

Last year, Harvard stunned Yale with two touchdowns in the final seven minutes after Bulldog coach Tom Williams called a now-infamous fake punt on fourth and 22 late in the fourth quarter. The game ended with a Gatorade bath for Murphy as Harvard students stormed the field, a conclusion the Crimson’s seniors hope to end their own careers with tomorrow.

“Our senior class has been lucky enough to beat Yale in our first three years,” Zych says. “That’s a big motivating factor for our seniors. On a personal note, it’s the last game I’ll play—more than likely the game that I will remember the most. So I need to make sure I do everything possible to play well so we can come out with a victory.”

—Staff writer Scott A. Sherman can be reached at ssherman13@college.harvard.edu.