The Game is what every Harvard student lives and breathes for. The days leading up to the weekend are infused with a sense of urgency, anticipation, and an air of gravitas, coming from the nearly 150 years of competition that have preceded this very moment. In our own ways, each of us will follow John F. Kennedy’s 1961 instruction this weekend to “participate in the vigorous life.”
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What’s it like to cover The Game?
CRIMSON WRITERS LOOK BACK ALUMNI PERSPECTIVES
Recent Crimson stars reminisce
TRADITIONS ON DECK
A look at other schools’ rivalry rituals
Whether you’re an alum returning to relive old glory, a Crimson football standout hoping to lead the charge to vanquish the Elis, or a current student cheering on your classmates and friends, Harvard-Yale is something to be cherished by everyone affiliated with either school. From the points, to the pranks, to the pageantry, The Game tears us away from our books for a weekend so that we can devote ourselves to all that is special about college sports.
As thousands of people pour into Harvard Square this weekend, we urge you to breathe in the magic of The Game and take a moment to appreciate the pinnacle of athletic competition unfolding before you. In these pages are accounts of the time-honored traditions of the weekend, the history of the storied matchup, and a breakdown of the current squads so that you know how to best cheer from the stands.
Fans with ties to both schools
DIVIDED ALLEGIANCES WHAT TO DO AFTER
When the final whistle blows
DATA DIVE
What the numbers say about who will win
Whatever your motive may be in making the journey to Cambridge this weekend, we want to thank you for making this day and this moment so special. Savor it.
Roll Sports, KAF & JKS
JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
HARVARD
They’re (B)eating the Dogs!
BY KATHARINE A. FORST AND JACK K. SILVERS CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
We know the drill, it’s our third time roasting
Pitted us against the same writer, to that we are toasting
A little sparse with your roast last year
You probably shed a tear at our jeer
You should have seen us boasting
Rhodes Scholars just dropped
Your numbers sorta flopped
Currier House tied your entire school
Maybe next year you can use as fuel
That our eight to your three had you topped
Copying our course load with a class on Beyonce
We had one on Taylor first, which we won’t downplay
Our athletes list their majors, it’s a nice look
Your athletes only study the playbook
Though you’ll still lose, to fans’ dismay
Our endowment returns blow yours out of the water
Stick to the S&P, it’ll help your future alma mater
Head of the Charles brings thousands to our river
Round two along the banks, prepare your liver
You’re gonna need to medicate after this slaughter
Your QB’s a nice guy, Southern boy
But our boy Psyk will throw him around like a toy
Psyched you guys out, that loss to Cornell
Reno didn’t choose the right passer, you could tell
Jordan’s implosion, fans will enjoy
Couldn’t keep pace with Lions, you fell
All signs point to another round of yips, time will tell
Taking a page from women’s soccer
Ended your season short, not much of a shocker
Round two, triumph in the Stadium, we smell
Mason Shipp seems awfully concerned with cleaning
And while not letting messes linger is well-meaning
His TikTok tips aren’t even viral
He should focus on tracking down the football’s spiral
If the team’s that dirty maybe they should be quarantining
When the guy only has 11 yards a snatch
With those numbers he stands no match
For our guy Shipman, he’ll be cleaning
The floor with your Shipp, it’ll be demeaning
Capsize the Bulldog boat, talk about overmatch
This year, the Ivy chip is in our trophy case
No sharing it this year, you can’t save face
When we win today it will be the first time
Since 2014 that we finish the climb
Leaving you behind, without a trace
Trump may have missed with his debate line
But this weekend, we’ll all be drinking wine
To wash down our main course, so sweet
A celebration of our amazing feat On Bulldogs, the Crimson will dine
WE DIDN’T NEED the same amount of words as The Crimson did to get our point across.
BY SPENCER KING AND KAITLYN POHLY YALE DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Ha! The Crimson still thinks they’re top-tier.
A shame your idea of fun is sitting around one can of beer. For
Real, what the heck is a Final’s Club? We’re
Very ready for yet another dub,
And it’s strange that you can’t choose a quarterback
Reno knows your offense is weak, defense lacks any sacks.
Does Craig even know how to rush the ball?
Surely Harvard will take the fall.
U say you’re “prestigious,” you’re “first in the game.” How
Cute, our degrees look just the same
Kiss Grant on his way to your end zone
Simply put, short and sweet, you’re about to get owned.
No. 17 Harvard Looks to Beat Yale, Win Ivy Title Outright
By PRAVEEN KUMAR AND JO B. LEMANN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
When the final whistle blew against the University of Pennsylvania Quakers last weekend, Harvard’s football team (8-1, 5-1 Ivy) secured a share of the Ivy League title for the second year in a row — but the Crimson did not leave Philadelphia unscathed.
Junior quarterback Jaden Craig suffered a scary injury during the first quarter of the game when he was stretchered off the field after taking a helicopter hit. While Craig returned to the sidelines by the second quarter, his status remains unclear for Harvard’s matchup against the Yale Bulldogs (6-3, 3-3 Ivy) this weekend.
Craig’s backup, senior utility man Charles DePrima took over and used his strong ground
game to power Harvard to a remarkable comeback victory over the Quakers that ended with a game-winning field goal.
The Crimson demonstrated its ability to overcome adversity last weekend, and Head Coach Andrew Aurich said his squad will need to bring the same energy against Yale if it doesn’t want to settle for sharing the Ivy title.
“To get what I came here to get, we have to fucking win next week,” Aurich shouted to his players from a bench on the sidelines in Philadelphia.
“So we can be happy that we got a share, but we are not done,” he added.
For Harvard players, those words — and the potential to win the title outright for the first time in a decade — will be top of mind when the Crimson faces off against the Bulldogs in the 140th playing of The Game.
For many of the Crimson’s players, it might feel like déjà vu: for the second year in a row, a Harvard victory would guarantee its first
solo Ivy League title since 2014. The Crimson fell short last season, stalling at Yale’s 33-yard line on what could have been a game-winning drive.
Still, captain and running back Shane McLaughlin said the team won’t let the pressure affect them.
“I just think our team has done such a great job this year of taking ownership in the magnitude of each game we play,” McLaughlin said. “We’ve prepared for each game like it’s an Ivy League Championship, because that’s what’s on the line.”
“And in that way, our preparation is mirroring every other Ivy League game that we played this year,” he added.
The Crimson’s offense, however, may have to prepare to play under a different quarterback for the first time this weekend depending on whether Craig is able to play.
Aurich remained coy about Craig’s status during an interview on Wednesday, refusing to
say whether his star quarterback will be available against Yale.
“He’s going through the protocol with the medical staff to try to get cleared, but ultimately they have to make the choice and clear him,” Aurich said. “We’re following them and their guidance on it.”
Aurich also declined to comment on the specific nature of Craig’s injury, citing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. But the power of the tackle on Craig — and the way he hit his head on the ground — sparked concerns of a concussion.
According to Harvard’s concussion protocol, if Craig does have a concussion, he would need to pass a symptom checklist test, a balance test, and meet his baseline cognitive testing.
With Craig potentially absent from the gridiron, senior quarterback Charles DePrima would take his place for a second week in a row.
An offense led by DePrima would look
Senior offensive lineman Austin Gentle stares down at a Princeton player during the squad’s 2024 win over the Tigers. KAYLA H. LE — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
PAGE DESIGNED BY SAMI E. TURNER — CRIMSON DESIGNER
Senior linebacker Mitchell Gonser will be a player to watch in the Harvard-Yale matchup. NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
DePrima, Craig, and Jordan: The QBs Who Will Change The Game
By PRAVEEN KUMAR AND JACK K. SILVERS CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
As Harvard’s star quartertility if Craig returns.
Both Crimson quarterbacks, hailing from the Garden State, could not have had more different journeys to the highest stage in Ivy League football than their Yale coun-
League than Jordan. A native of Montclair, N.J., Craig was named to the all-state team during his junior and senior years while at Seton Hall Prep.
After receiv- ing an offer
and got in contact with Coach Lamb, who’s the quarterback coach, and Coach Fein, who was my area recruiter, and Coach Murph, here and there,” Craig said. “And I just fell in love right away.”
Yale quarterback Grant Jordan scrambles in a game against Central Connecticut State. COURTESY OF YALE ATHLETICS
At Jesuit, Jordan’s development into a college-level quarterback was gradual, as he didn’t have the chance to start until he was a senior. So, Jordan only had JV film to back up his college football dream — a dream that seemed increasingly distant.
But, in an ironic twist of fate, a connection to the Crimson revived his college football aspirations. Jordan’s father remembered the path of Paul Stanton Jr. — a fellow Jesuit alum who was recruited to Harvard in 2012 and went on to rush for the sec ond-most touchdowns in Harvard histo ry — and suggested Grant attend an Ivy League camp.
The summer after his junior year, he made frequent trips from Louisiana to the Northeast to attend all eight Ivy Leagues schools’ camps. After those trips, Yale was at the top of his list.
“When I came here, I felt how special the program was,” Jordan said. The rest is history.
Growing Pains
All three quarterbacks, even seniors DeP rima and Jordan — who are likely play ing in their final collegiate game on Sat urday — have fewer than 15 starts under their belts. Each has developed signifi cantly even over that small sample.
Craig knew coming out of high school that he relied too much on his scrambling ability. This was reflected in his up-anddown play last season across three starts, when he recorded seven touchdowns on the ground, but just four via the air.
This season, he’s grown immensely as a pocket passer, posting a higher completion percentage (63.2 percent), yards per attempt (9.1) and passer rating (166.5). Where he’s gone this season, Harvard has gone: the only Crimson loss, against Brown, is also the sole time that he threw for under 200 yards.
“The game just gets slower every game. I think I see more of the field. I just see things better,” said Craig, about his development this season.
He also credits his growth to his bur geoning connection with junior Cooper Barkate, his roommate, best friend, and, in Craig’s view, “the best receiver in the FCS.”
Despite being pulled from the starting quarterback role last season, DePrima has been integral to the offense’s success. The senior has still had the opportunity to con tribute to the offense in a myriad of ways this season, a chance that he’s embraced.
for whatever position I had to play.”
After his impressive performance against UPenn last week, DePrima could start the game, come in as relief for Craig midway through, or continue to play all over the field, stealing the defense’s attention away from Craig and Barkate.
In contrast, Jordan will be the undisputed starter for Yale going into Saturday, after he emerged from a crowded quarterback room early on in the season for Coach
“We lost because of me,” Craig said. “That’s a brutal feeling as a competitor and as a quarterback.”
that I really just wish I had back, and if I just he ven
single year,” DePrima said. “This place is going to be a great atmosphere.”
Jordan knows something about raucous crowds from growing up and attending games with over 100,000 other fans at LSU.
“Those games were always packed out. So having that last game where the student body shows up is awesome. We love being able to represent Yale on the field,” the senior said.
“It wasn’t really much of a transition. To be an efficient quarterback, you have to really know what everybody’s doing,” DePrima said. “I was always just going to be ready
The Game In Sight
For Craig, The Game represents a chance for redemption after last year’s nail-biter loss.
Craig summed up the experience each quarterback will have, taking snaps in a stadium packed to the brim, 30,000-strong: “The best game of the year.”
praveen.kumar@thecrimson.com
jack.silvers@thecrimson.com
Andrew Aurich hopes to have two quarterbacks available for The Game: Craig and DePrima. NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
The Crimson vs. The Bulldogs, Position by Position
By PRAVEEN KUMAR AND JO B. LEMANN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
As 30,000 students, alumni, and fans pour into Harvard Stadium on Saturday, one thing will be on everyone’s mind: victory. However, the 140th playing of The Game won’t be decided by the crowd, but by the 22 players on the field at any given time. With the two Ivy League powerhouses usually playing a gritty, close game, which team has the edge on paper?
Quarterback
At the quarterback position, Harvard junior Jaden Craig will face off against Yale senior
Grant Jordan. Through eight games, Craig has thrown for 2138 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just two interceptions, with a completion percentage of 63 percent. Jordan has thrown for 1651 yards, 20 touchdowns, and three interceptions, with a completion percentage of 67 percent.
While both quarterbacks are extremely accurate from the pocket, Craig boasts a higher yards-per-attempt. However, Jordan’s pocket presence is deceiving because the senior poses more of a dual-threat. As the third leading rusher for the Bulldogs, Jordan has rushed for 287 yards and five touchdowns, demonstrating his ability to create plays on the ground. Craig, meanwhile, has struggled to accurately throw the ball when flushed out
Harvard’s X-factor, senior utility-man Charles DePrima, will also take snaps under center. The Crimson’s opening day starter from 2023, has turned into an “everything” man for the offense. He’s thrown a pair of touchdown passes, rushed for 400 yards and six touch-downs, and has even caught eight catches for 148 yards and a touchdown. In a revival of the Joe Restic era of Harvard football, Head Coach Andrew Aurich has made it known that the best players on his roster will see the field. DePrima’s presence could throw a wrench into Yale’s defensive plans. In the red zone, Harvard has leaned on DePrima over Craig, due to the former’s unique ability to dash past defenders around the edge and scramble for touchdowns.
tempted 306 rushes compared to Yale’s 286. However, a big determinant of the run game’s efficacy on Saturday will be the performance of the respective offensive lines.
Offensive Line
Despite losing star Kiran Amegadajie to the third round of the NFL draft, Yale’s offensive line has been extremely impressive. The physical and aggressive unit, led by 300 lb senior Bennie Anderson, has only allowed five sacks on the season, giving Jordan the time and space needed to make clean throws from the pocket.
At the
ning back position, both teams rely on several backs to ry the load. For the son, captain Shane Laughlin, who has
eral weeks, has only racked up 134 yards
proach in attacking the defensive line. In his absence, sophomore Xaviah Bascon has stepped up with a uniquely-mature level of patience, waiting for holes to open up in the line. The sophomore has rushed
cased their depth in the backfield. Junior Josh Pitsenberger, the primary back, has 517 rushing yards, averaging over five yards per
ney have also run for over 300 and 200 yards, respectively.
In this matchup of depth, fresh legs will be key. Through eight games, Harvard has at-
The offensive line for the Crimson was a big question mark at the beginning of the year, but has since developed into an imposing unit. The line, powered by senior Austin Gentle and junior Aidan Kilstrom, has allowed 11 sacks on the season. With constant substitutions yielding fresher reps, the team only allowed one sack to a beefy Columbia defensive line.
Tight Ends
At the tight end position, the Elis leverage seniors Ry Yates, Luke Foster, and Ryan Belk primarily for blocking. The group only has a combined nine catches on the season, often needing its wide receivers to get open in the field.
Meanwhile, the Crimson wins on depth, with sophomore Seamus Gilmartin enjoying a breakout season with 16 catches for 358 yards and four touchdowns. Junior Ryan Osborne is used more frequently for blocking during both running and pass protection. Harvard often utilizes two tight end sets, enabling Osborne and Gilmartin to take the field together throughout the game.
Wide Receivers
On the hashes, Yale has a particularly deep wide receiver room compared to Harvard’s top-heavy contingent. The Bulldogs boast five receivers with over 100 receiving yards, including senior David Pantelis, who has emerged as a star for the offense. With 725 yards through the air, Pantelis’s elusiveness has allowed him
Quarterback Charles P. DePrima ’25 surges into the end zone for the go-ahead score against UPenn on Nov. 16. NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
to slip past defenders and create separation over the middle time and time again, creating easy targets for Jordan to hit.
On the other side, Harvard’s superstar wide receiver Cooper Barkate has been a force to reckon with. Averaging nearly 100 yards per game, Barkate attracts constant double coverage due to his ability to generate separation and break tackles. Craig’s other top target in the slot, senior Scott Woods II, has flashed his craftiness throughout the season. The Crimson’s one-two punch on the outside could create matchup problems for Yale’s secondary throughout The Game.
Defensive Line
In the trenches, Yale’s defensive line has struggled to stop the run, but it isn’t lacking in star power. Senior Tamatoa McDonough has recorded three sacks and four-and-a-half tackles for loss on the season. The unit has recorded 12 sacks, but has given up over 165 yards per game on the ground, presenting a poised Harvard rushing game with a vulnerability ripe for exploiting.
er group of seniors Eric Little, Mitchell Gonser, and Marcus Alexander, has been pivotal in clamping down opposing offenses this year.
While not quite as solid as Harvard’s group, following an injury that sidelined captain Dean Shaffer, senior Inumidun Ayo-Durojaiye has risen to the challenge of leading Yale’s unit with 45 total tackles on the season for the Elis. The linebacker group held its own against lumbia, but struggled in its game against Brown, giving up
tor these past two months, and with Brandon Webster nabbing two interceptions in just his second game back from injury in Yale’s matchup against Brown, Yale’s secondary could prove to be a tough match-up.
Yale’s secondary features star sophomore Abu Kamara, who sits atop the league with 55 solo tackles this season. Fellow sophomore
Meanwhile, Harvard’s secondary has been the signature piece of its defense this season. Junior Ty Bartrum — a physical player with powerful-yet-clean tackles — has been a leader on the turf. Sophomore Damien Henderson has also been a thorn in the side of many Harvard opponents, often breaking up key plays throughout the season. With two interceptions in the game against Columbia, sophomore Austin-Jake Guilory is also poised to be an important contributor.
Special Teams
Harvard’s freshman kicker Kieran Corr has gone five-for-seven on field goal attempts this season, but has yet to test his range. Mostly due to windy conditions, Aurich hasn’t let Corr kick from past 50 yards. Fellow freshman Dylan Fingersh replaced Corr due to injury against UPenn, nailing his only attempt.
While Corr has overcome his freshman nerves, Yale’s kicker Nick Conforti has struggled, going just two-for-six on kicks beyond 40 yards. The kicking matchup could be significant in what is expected to be a close game between the squads, and will likely play a huge factor in both teams’ fourth-down strategies as the clock winds down.
Cooper H. Barkate ’26 prepares to squeeze the football in Harvard’s win over Princeton on Oct. 26. NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Aidan J. Kilstrom ’26 lifts Charles P. DePrima ’25 after DePrima scored three times against UPenn. NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Hometown Heroes
JADEN CRAIG QUARTERBACK
The 6’2”, 215 lb Seton Hall Prep product has been an imposing force at the helm of the Crimson’s offense so far this season. Former Head Coach Tim Murphy has touted the Montclair, N.J. superstar as being the best quarterback on Harvard’s roster since former Crimson star Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05.
COOPER
BARKATE WIDE RECEIVER
The West Coast Weapon. The junior wide receiver makes his presence known on the field not just in the form of his towering 6’1”, 195 lb frame, but in his improbable catches that seem to defy the laws of physics. The Mater Dei High School alum will be a player to watch as he gets the crowd on its feet and looks to add to his nine scores on the season so far.
MITCHELL GONSER LINEBACKER
A season-high nine tackles against Yale last year. That is what the super-senior linebacker will hope to recreate in this year’s game.
The 6’0”, 220 lb local out of Medfield, Mass. has been a fixture on the Harvard lineup since his sophomore year. Starting in all 10 games last season with a whopping 48 tackles, the Milton Academy grad will keep the Bulldogs on their toes.
By KATHARINE A. FORST CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
CHARLES DEPRIMA QB(WR)
There must be something in the New Jersey water contributing to Aurich’s quarterback talent. The 6’2”, 195 lb senior hailing from Oakland, N.J. is too much of an offensive threat to not have him on the field. Despite playing second-fiddle to Craig at the QB position this season, Aurich continues to develop DePrima’s talents as an all-around utility force.
SHANE
MC-LAUGHLIN RUNNINGBACK
Named to the First Team All-Ivy and First Team FCS Football Central All-Ivy honor rolls following his standout junior campaign, the captain will look to make his mark in his last-ever collegiate contest. Despite being injured for most of the season, the 5’11” 200 lb speedster will be of major use to Craig and his running-heavy offense.
SAFETY
The junior from Pomeroy, Ohio certainly is a safe player for Aurich to count on. The 6’1”, 195 lb safety was named to the First Team All-Ivy and First Team FCS Football Central All-Ivy honor rolls after a star sophomore season. Bartrum led the team in tackles last season with 78 and finished the fall semester with the sixth-most tackles in the Ivy League. The duo of Gonser and Bartrum will be key in this matchup.
JADEN CRAIG — COURTESY OF HARVARD ATHLETICS
CHARLES DEPROMA — COURTESY OF HARVARD ATHLETICS
COOPER BARKATE — COURTESY OF HARVARD ATHLETICS
SHANE MCLAUGHLIN — COURTESY OF HARVARD ATHLETICS
MITCHELL GONSER — COURTESY OF HARVARD ATHLETICS
TY BARTRUM — COURTESY OF HARVARD ATHLETICS
A Brief Guide to Football
By
The Start
The game will begin with a coin toss, whereby the visiting team will choose heads or tails. The winner of the coin toss will decide whether it wants to receive the ball to start the first half or defer the option to receive the ball to the second half.
The Structure
The two teams will battle through 60 arduous minutes of play, broken down into four 15-minute quarters. In an attempt to level the playing field, they will change which direction they are attacking after every quarter.
Gameplay in football is structured in drives, and within each drive is a series of individual plays. At the start of the game, one team will receive the opening kickoff and start its first drive. It will have four downs, or plays, to move the ball and cover the 10-yard distance between the line of scrimmage (where the previous play ended) and the first down line, which resets the down counter to first down. When a team reaches fourth down and has not gained a first down, there are three options:
1. It may have its punter kick the ball to the other team.
2. It may attempt to kick a field goal through the goalposts if the team is within “field-goal range,” (which is typically around the 25-yard line of the opposing team at the collegiate level).
3. Or, it may “go for it” and attempt to reach the first down line again.
However, if it attempts to secure a firstdown but fails to reach the marker, the other team receives the ball where the previous play began, making “going for it” a riskier maneuver.
The Scoring
Teams can score in one of three ways.
1. When a team is able to move the ball on offense far enough into the other team’s territory, but is unable to reach the end zone, it may send its kicker out to try and kick the ball through the goalposts for a field goal, worth three points.
2. If the offense is able to catch or run the ball into the end zone, it scores a touchdown, worth six points, and can either kick an extra point or attempt a one-play twopoint conversion from the three-yard line.
3. Defenses can also score, as they can
return interceptions (when the defense catches the offense’s pass) or fumbles (when a runner on offense loses the ball) for touchdowns. If they tackle the opposing offense in the end zone that the other team is defending, it can score a safety, which is worth two points.
The Strategy
On offense, teams employ two types of plays as part of their gameplan. The quarterback — the offense’s most important player — receives the ball from the center (in an exchange called the snap), and will either hand the ball to a running back, attempt to throw the ball to a pass catcher, or keep the ball himself and run. When a pass is incomplete, the next down begins at the same point on the field as the previous play. The defense will attempt to inter-
Harvard takes down the Tigers. CHASE W. MCCANN— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
AARON SHUCHMAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
cept or break up the quarterback’s passes by knocking the ball away from receivers, tackling the ball carrier as quickly as possible, or tackling the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for a sack.
There are several key positions that impact the course of the game. Quarterbacks run the offense and call plays in coordination with the coaching staff. Quarterbacks can throw the ball to their wide receivers, who line up along the sidelines at the start of the play, and tight ends, who also line up closer to the middle of the field. Running backs take handoffs or catch passes from the quarterback, and often line up next to the quarterback behind the offensive line. The offensive line is made up of tackles that protect the ends of the offensive line, guards, who line up just in side of the tackles, and the center, who is in the middle of the line and snaps the ball to the quarterback to start the play. The of fensive linemen are the largest players on the team and are responsible for protect ing the quarterback from defensive pres sure, creating space for running backs to gain yardage, and blocking for ball carri ers down the field.
On defense, the defensive line is com posed of defensive tackles, who line up op posite the center and guards, and defensive ends, who line up opposite the tackles. The defensive line is re sible for stop ping the op posing team’s running game and putting pres sure on the quar seeking to disrupt his passes or tackle him before he can throw the ball for a sack. Behind the defensive line are lineback ers, who chase down ball carriers, rush the quarterback, and cover wide receiv ers and tight ends. Behind the linebackers is the secondary, made up of cornerbacks and safeties. Cornerbacks line up opposite wide receivers and attempt to intercept or disrupt passes, while safeties support cor nerbacks in coverage and cover the deep part of the field. Defenses can be set up in man coverage, where each defender cov ers a specific offensive player, or zone cov erage, where each defender covers an area of the field.
sides, neutral zone infractions, and illegal formations, which concern player movement before the play begins. Each of these penalties is a five yard penalty. A particularly damaging penalty on offense is holding, whereby an offensive player (usually an offensive lineman) illegally pulls on the jersey of a defensive player to keep him from reaching the quarterback or a ball carrier. Holding, a 10-yard penalty, can often wipe out large gains by the offense.
A damaging defensive penalty is pass interference (offensive pass interference is less common), which occurs when a defensive player trips, tackles, or impedes the movement of a receiver before the ball arrives. This is a 15-yard penalty, and defensive teams can also commit roughing the
ciding games. Coaches can challenge official rulings, such as a runner reaching a first-down line or the goal line, whether a pass was caught, or whether a player was in bounds, which prompts a video review by the referees. However, unless there is clear and convincing evidence that the ruling on the field was incorrect, the initial decision stands as the final ruling. In college, a particularly important replay review concerns “targeting” penalties. Targeting is a foul committed when a defensive player uses the crown of their helmet to initiate contact with the head or neck area of a defenseless offensive player. Targeting is a 15-yard penalty, and the player who committed the foul is ejected for the remainder of the game if the penalty is con-
Overtime
College football overtime, which occurs if the game is still tied at the end of the fourth quarter, starts with a coin toss as well. In the first overtime period, each team starts on the opponent’s 25-yard line and attempts to score a touchdown, with the order of possession determined by the coin toss. In the first overtime period, the teams can choose whether to kick an extra point or attempt a two-point conversion, but if the game requires a second overtime period, teams must attempt a two-point conversion. If the game remains tied after two overtime periods, the teams alternate attempting two-point conversions until one team scores and the other team fails. This “sudden death” scenario is perhaps the most exciting way that a college football game can end — and it has happened just once in the 149-year history of The Game,
Teams can also commit penalties, which are indicated by a yellow flag that a refer ee will throw on the field. There are pro cedural penalties, such as false starts, off-
Junior wide receiver Cooper Barkate takes it himself. NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
History:
Game
By JACK CANAVAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
When one thinks of a football rivalry, what might immediately come to mind are the dramatic showdowns between top SEC schools like Alabama and Auburn. But, the precedent for those games actually stems back to the oldest football rivalry in the United States. Developed as a sport amongst the Ancient Eight universities scattered along the Eastern seaboard, the storied history of the Harvard-Yale football series dates back over 150 years and is the second-oldest and third most-played football showdown in collegiate history.
The traditional legacy of The Game has become a staple in the lives of both Harvard and Yale students over the years. Alternating between New Haven, Conn. and Cambridge, Mass., thousands of students trek 132.6 miles by car, bus, and train to swarm the opposing campus for a weekend rivalry that extends beyond the Stadium.
The Crimson won the first ever matchup in 1875, 4-0. This fateful clash marked the beginning of one of sports’ most cherished rivalries.
Writing the Rules
The cerebral aptitude of the Harvard and Yale players certainly was put to the test during the first few renditions of “The Game,” as the kinks of the competition were worked through. At its inception, the sport looked a bit different than its modern counterpart.
As one of the first collegiate programs and first formal football programs to exist, Harvard called the early sport “foot-ball,” and labeled trips into the end zone as single-point “goals” rather than touchdowns. Members of each team were also allowed to run, throw, and kick the ball in an effort that essentially hybridized soccer and rugby. While there were disagreements between the two programs as to the number of players that should be allowed on the field — the two schools found themselves arguing over whether 15 or 11 was proper protocol — compromises were soon struck.
Evolving Fandom
The game was initially fairly democratized, with 50 cent tickets rivaling today’s exorbitant ticket fees that can often sail over $150 for a single General Admission seat.
The initial game, however, brough much
less fanfare than today’s hoopla-filled weekend. The first game at Harvard, which took place two years after the inaugural game, looked a bit different too. Harvard Stadium was not constructed until 1903, so the Crimson’s home games were played at a variety of different venues, with most matches taking place on Jarvis Field, which was situated at the Harvard Law School campus deep in Cambridge. With less gravitas surrounding the matchup, the focus remained solely on football.
As more extracurricular activity began to be associated with The Game, the attitude toward the weekend began to shift as well. Starting in 1900, the Harvard and Yale Glee Clubs have held annual joint concerts, with locations being shifted between Boston, Cambridge, and New Haven throughout the years. This year’s concert will occur at Sanders Theater on Nov. 22 at 8 p.m..
Lifetime Record
During The Game’s lifespan, many ebbs and flows have occurred within the Harvard-Yale rivalry and within football itself. The Crimson, despite winning its inaugural match, stumbled to a 3-14-1 record in its first 18 cracks at The Game, and was unable to tame the Bulldogs on its home turf until 1901. Harvard eventually won its first game in Harvard Stadium in 1913, part of a dominant 1910s where the Crimson won five of eight games played and tied two (two games were canceled in 1917-1918 due to World War I).
As the decades progressed, the rivalry continued to evolve, cementing its place not only in college sports but also in American tradition. The 1920s saw a surge in the popularity of college football across the nation, and The Game became a must-see event, drawing alumni, families, and fans alike to either Cambridge or New Haven. One notable clash from this period came in 1923, when Harvard claimed victory in a hard-fought 13-0 shutout, redeeming a string of earlier losses and setting the stage for a more competitive series in the years to follow.
The 1930s brought a new level of athleticism and strategy to the gridiron, with both teams refining their playbooks. But as Harvard and Yale prepared to face off in 1943, the war in Europe and the Pacific left college campuses in tumult, and The Game was canceled for two consecutive years. When play resumed in 1945, the players who returned to the field were not only students, but veterans, reinforcing a sense of resilience and camaraderie to a rivalry often marked by friendly competition.
Memorable Moments
Since that brief gap in the action, there have been numerous memorable battles between the two schools during the 20th and 21st centuries. Harvard’s 1968 victory, later dubbed “The Tie,” would go down as one of the most dramatic in the rivalry’s history. In a nail-biting match-up that saw Yale dominate for most of the game, Harvard rallied in the final minutes, scoring 16 points to tie the game 2929. The Harvard Crimson famously reported on the game with the bold headline: “Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29.” This result became legendary in the lore of both schools, embodying the rivalry’s unpredictability.
In the following years, the rivalry saw more thrilling showdowns. During the 1983 game, dubbed the “Perfect Season Game,” Harvard came into the final matchup undefeated. With an electrifying crowd on its feet, the Crimson defended its winning streak and achieved a perfect season with a resounding 16-7 victory over Yale. This game symbolized the enduring spirit of competition the tradition bringts, pushing both schools to excel in the face of immense pressure and sky-high expectations.
Moving into the 21st century, The Game continued to make history. In 2004, Harvard faced Yale in the 121st meeting, and once again, the Crimson dominated the field, securing a 35-3 victory in Cambridge. The win not only extended Harvard’s winning streak to four years but also showcased the evolving athletic prowess and strategic depth of Ivy League football.
Most recently, the 2019 game was memorable for its intensity on the field — when football was being played and during breaks in the action. As the two teams battled into double overtime, student protestors stormed the field at halftime to preach fossil fuel divestment on their respective schools, capturing national attention and adding a modern political twist to the storied rivalry. Yale went on to win the game 50-43 in a thrilling finish.
A brief intermission also occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, and in the time since, the all-time record has settled to favor Yale at 70-61-8.
Despite a heart-wrenching 23-18 loss in last year’s rendition, which forced the squad to relinquish its outright Ivy League title for a share of the pot, the Crimson will play on its home turf with the chance of bringing bragging rights — and an outright Ivy League title — back to Cambridge, as it continues to deepen a rivalry more than a century in the making.
jack.canavan@thecrimson.com
Top 10 Harvard-Yale
#6: STRANGLED DOG (HARVARD 4 - YALE 0)
Future Hall of Fame Coach Percy Haugton ’1899 is said to have strangled a bulldog to death with his bare hands prior to kickoff, a tactic so horrifyingly effective that Harvard went on to beat the Bulldogs and claim the national (yes, national) title on a game-winning field goal made by a fullback.
1908
1894
#8: THE GRITTY GAME (HARVARD 4, YALE 12)
Perhaps the most brutal college football game ever played. The game itself was a low-scoring snoozefest, but the “Bloodbath in Hampden Park” produced a rash of injuries from dirty tackles and brawls: a broken leg, a shattered collarbone, several head injuries, and one comatose player. The Game was outlawed until 1896 in an effort to woo the public back in favor of the rivalry.
1915
#7: PACK THE BOWL (HARVARD 9 - YALE 0)
World War I was won and The Game was back. With 80,000 fans in attendance at the Yale Bowl, the rowdy environment proved the perfect backdrop for an immaculate Harvard performance in the 39th Game.
16 points in 42 seconds. One of the most iconic front-page headlines in the history of The Crimson (which later became the title of a 2008 documentary about the contest, “Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29”). A botched onside kick recovery from Yale; a heave from Frank Champi ’70; a prayer. This game had it all, earning it the title of the Greatest Rendition of The Game.
In a game that the New York Tribune called a “slaughter,” three-time AllAmerican halfback Eddie Mahan ’16 scored four touchdowns and kicked four extra points to fuel the largest blowout in the history of The Game.
Games Over 149 Years
#4: VEGAS ODDS DEFIED (HARVARD 22 - YALE 7)
Yale was undefeated, and a 14-point favorite — but someone forgot to tell Harvard. A stifling defensive line and a chip on its shoulder fueled a shocking Harvard victory that The Crimson described as a “total Harvard party from the start.”
#3: BACK FROM COVID, WALK OFF TD (HARVARD 34 - YALE 31)
After a COVID-cancellation in 2020, the return of The Game lived up to the anticipation. With the Class of 2025 in attendance for its first trip to New Haven, current seniors took in a miraculous last-second comeback, capped by a walk-off touchdown to Kym Wimberly ’23 in the back of the endzone.
#2: TRIPLE OT (HARVARD 30 - YALE 24)
The marathon of marathons. For almost four hours the Crimson and the Bulldogs duked it out in New Haven, with Harvard erasing a 21-3 deficit to force the game into overtime. Dawson took his 258th carry of the season into the endzone and secured the victory for the Crimson.
1979 2005 2021 2004 2014
#10: FITZMAGIC AND THE UNDEFEATED CRIMSON (HARVARD 35 - YALE 3)
More commonly known for the infamous placard prank, this game featured star power galore for the Crimson, from Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05 to fellow soon-to-be-professional Clifton Dawson ’07 — who was perhaps the Crimson’s greatest running back. Bigyardage rushing plays from Dawson, Fitzmagic slinging dimes, and a 100-yard pick-six from Ricky Williamson ’05, clinching an undefeated season for the Crimson and an outright Ivy League title, all add allure to this iconic edition of The Game.
#9: COLLEGE GAMEDAY (HARVARD 31 - YALE 24)
Lee Corso and ESPN’s College GameDay paid a visit to Harvard Stadium, and they picked the right day. After the Crimson blew a 24-7 fourth-quarter lead, quarterback Conner Hempel ’15 led a game-winning drive, punctuated by a 35-yard dart to star receiver Andrew Fischer ’16. Harvard Stadium erupted — and Corso’s pregame pick went bust.
In Photos: Harvard Football’s 2024 Season
By CRIMSON MULTIMEDIA STAFF
KACY BAO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
SUDHISH M. SWAIN — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Sept. 28 — Harvard vs. Brown (L, 28-31)
Sept. 21 — Harvard vs. Stetson (W, 35-0)
Oct. 4 — Harvard vs. UNH (W, 28-23)
Oct. 4 — Harvard vs. UNH (W, 28-23)
Oct. 11 — Harvard vs. Cornell (W, 38-20)
Oct. 19 — Harvard vs. Holy Cross (W, 35-34)
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
SEMS POLAT — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
KAYLA H. LE — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
CHASE W. MCCANN — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Oct. 26 — Harvard vs. Princeton (W, 45-13)
Oct. 19 — Harvard vs. Holy Cross (W, 35-34)
Oct. 26 — Harvard vs. Princeton (W, 45-13) Nov. 2 — Harvard vs. Dartmouth (W, 31-27)
Nov. 2 — Harvard vs. Dartmouth (W, 31-27)
Nov. 9 — Harvard vs. Columbia (W, 26-6)
Nov. 9 — Harvard vs. Columbia (W, 26-6)
Nov. 16 — Harvard vs. Penn (W, 31-28)
The Games That Weren’t: 9 Canceled Harvard-Yales
By KATHARINE A. FORST CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
The raucous cries of noble Crimson supporters will soon fill Harvard Square. The pouring in of thousands of Harvard alumni to participate in the rogue mischief and storied traditions of The Game is a constant that current students can count upon year over year. Or so they might think.
In the 149 years that Harvard has showed out to solidify its superiority over its Ancient Eight counterpart, there have been nine fateful years in which the Harvard faithful have been denied their revelry. This recounting of those nine canceled contests features war, disease, and all the
other bizarre ways in which football can be prohibited — at great cost to fans of the past, and great wonder to those of us in the present.
1877
Most do not know the extent to which the Ancient Eight conference shaped the rules of football. In 1875, the first game was fought between the two teams, but each squad carried with it an entirely unique set of rules and procedures. Yale, in an act of goodwill, played by Harvard’s rules, which allowed for passing, running, and throwing the ball rather than just kicking. The Cambridge cohort also valued the depth of its roster, pleading with its New Haven brother to allow for 15 men
from each bench to battle on the grass at once. Yale, unfamiliar with the rules, was easily walloped four goals (at this point, the game of football was still a rough rugby-soccer combination) to nil.
The kinks in the system were partially worked through in 1876, but it was the lineup dispute that came back to haunt the New Haven college. In 1877, Yale insisted that the two programs play with a lighter first line of 11 players from each team rather than 15. However, the athletic association to which Harvard reported barred the school from competing in the game unless the two programs played with the allotted 15. In 1878, Yale again made the concession to allow for 15 members, and the two schools played along this guideline until the 11-member lines were for -
mally adopted by the association in 1880. While the Varsity programs were unable to compete during this year, the freshman squads battled in New Haven with lines of 11. With the “the politeness and hospitality of Yale” being “deeply appreciated, and after the handsome supper given to our eleven, both teams parted on the best of terms with a ‘Good by till Thanksgiving,’” a traveling Crimson editor noted.
1885
Too dangerous. That is what Harvard faculty declared the sport, pulling the football team from the athletic association in an effort to protect the next class of brilliant minds from the dangerous brutality
The Harvard football team in 1912, five years before World War I would cancel The Game. THE HARVARD CRIMSON STAFF
of the game. However, the students would not let this stand. Despite being unable to play intercollegiate contests against rivals Yale and Princeton, a squad led by one M. M. Kimball, class of 1886, who led the 1884 team, rallied together to play — despite directly contradicting the faculty’s instruction.
Kimball’s rallying cry around the “revival of the good old game” would inspire over 50 men to assemble on Jarvis field. “Never before,” The Crimson wrote, “have so many candidates presented themselves, or has so much enthusiasm been manifested by the players.” Despite the show of support, the team was only able to play intra-team scrimmages, local high schools, and out-of-conference teams.
When presented with a last-ditch opportunity to play the Elis on neutral ground, then-Harvard President Charles W. Eliot refused to let his cherished Crimson cross state lines to keep the tradition alive. While the squad refused to participate, a group of other schools — Yale, Princeton, UPenn, and Wesleyan — were establishing a reputable league on their own. Eliot lauded the effort and said the school might rejoin after seeing the success of the programs that season. Those teams carried the fate of the Crimson on their strong shoulders, ultimately succeeding in swaying Harvard’s leadership to again let the footballs fly.
1888
Two years of hard-fought competition ensued after the 1885 break. It seems that after years of deferring to its Boston rival, Yale’s spirit of concession had come to a halt. Another break in yearly play seemed likely to plague the Crimson and stymie any momentum it might make amongst the competitive ranks of the Ancient Eight. This time it was not the directive of President Eliot, but the Harvard Athletic Committee’s interdiction.
In the spirit of alternating the home team with each contest, the 1888 rendition of The Game should have been played in Cambridge. However, the Yale management relied on a league technicality that stated that the first and second ranked teams in the league – Harvard and Yale – would play in New York on Thanksgiving Day, knowing that the Crimson would be unable to make the journey due to its faculty’s objections. It was reported in the New York Times that when an intercollegiate athletic council decided on the New York site the previous summer, Harvard failed to make an objection — instead
waiting until the weeks leading up to The Game to make its opposition known.
According to The Crimson, the Elis not only failed to offer a neutral site that might be amenable to Harvard’s athletic association, but went so far as to decree that if Harvard failed to make the journey, the game would be forfeited in favor of the Bulldogs. Harvard acquiesced, but not without pleading. Its appeals were simply ignored.
1895 and 1896
“Bloodbath.” “Massacre.” These are just some of the honorifics attached to the 1894 rendition of The Game, which was also bestowed the moniker of The Springfield Massacre. Neither the Elis nor the Crimson would accept responsibility for starting the violent brawl or take ownership of the flagrant fouls that injured several players on both benches.
Yale, sanctimonious in its position that it was Harvard who should take blame for the failed display of sportsmanship, insisted on silence. The New York Times reported that Harvard’s captain had attempted to draft a letter to send to the Elis’ administration, but that the school thwarted his attempts at brokering a peace deal.
The Bulldogs suggested that the two schools adjourn and refrain from playing for one or two years until the horror at the bloody 1894 matchup had faded from public memory.
While the issues surrounding the game were initially settled in the spring of 1895, the matter was reopened in June of that year, as newspapers began to report that the Crimson had ceremoniously held out an olive branch of peace to the Bulldogs, suggesting that the programs divide the league in two over the disputes surrounding the game.
Though this was never officially offered as a solution in writing — as neither program was keen on having a paper trail associated with the controversial decision to split the Ancient Eight — private conversations between officials at both universities concluded that Harvard would not offer an apology and that the Elis would not ask for anything of the sort. In doing so, both schools would be visibly absolved of the sin of transgression.
Later, in discussions surrounding the proposal — which never came into fruition, thereby saving the integrity of the time-honored rivalry — it was decided that letters should be passed between the Elis’ captain Sam Thorne and the Crimson’s
captain Arthur H. Brewer, class of 1896, as a means of brokering peace between the squads.
“There is a price Yale will not pay for college sports. She considers them worth preserving only with competitors in whose sportsmanship she has confidence and who have reciprocal confidence in her sportsmanship,” wrote Thorne in his letter to Brewer, justifying the Bulldogs’ anger towards their rival. “This word means to her clean, honorable, forbearing rivalry on every field.”
The pen pals reached an agreement to meet and discuss the possibility of hosting another football game. But Harvard’s athletic leaders deemed the act of contrition insufficient, and the hiatus extended for two years until play resumed in 1897.
1917 and 1918
Yale has a noble saying: “For God, for country, and for Yale.” During the twoyear span of 1917 and 1918, the football players for both schools found themselves fighting a battle bigger than football, defending their country in a period of unprecedented geopolitical instability.
Inter-collegiate sports came to an abrupt halt for both teams as the young
The team in 1912 beat Yale 20-0, one of 17 shutout victories for the Crimson in the history of The Game. THE HARVARD CRIMSON STAFF
men composing both rosters found themselves thrust into The Great War.
Arnold Horween, class of 1921, and Ralph Horween, class of 1920 — standout football players for the Harvard program who both served in the Navy and later went on to play professionally for the Chicago Cardinals — were amongst the dozens of men who found their collegiate careers stalled during the fighting.
Despite the reprieve, this particular set of classes produced some of Harvard’s most accomplished phenoms. Eddie Casey, class of 1819, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968 and the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2019. Casey was named the MVP of the 1920 Rose Bowl contest in which Harvard toppled Oregon 7-6 — the only bowl game appearance in Harvard history. He would later go on to play professionally before coaching the Crimson team and two professional teams: the Boston Bears and the Boston Redskins.
Arnold Horween and his brother Ralph were the last pair of Jewish broth -
ers to play in the NFL before Geoff and Mitchell Schwartz in the early 2000s. Arnold, who played professionally for four seasons while acting as a player-coach for the Cardinals, had a prolific coaching career following his stint as a player, assuming the job of Harvard’s head coach from 1925 to 1930. Ralph also transitioned from player to coach, but unlike his brother, spent the whole of his coaching career with Cardinals.
A Nov. 1, 1918 article in The Crimson captured the patriotic spirit which made even the most American of sports secondary to the primary goal of winning the war. “Since the existence of football as a University enterprise is not compatable with the best interests of the Nation during the present crisis,” the unnamed but loquacious writer wrote, “let us drown our regrets and, after the Kaiser has been securely caged, we will again take up successfully our yearly task of taming the Tiger and the Bulldog.”
Following the conclusion of the war, Harvard took the task of besting its An -
cient Eight rivals Yale and Princeton to heart, and would not pause again until the nation’s involvement in the Second World War in 1943.
1943 and 1944
Ibid.
Intercollegiate athletics were postponed for the Harvard benches following the school’s withdrawal from the Central Office for Eastern Intercollegiate Athletics in the spring of 1943. While schools were able to selectively offer up rosters for individual sports — with the Elis, for example, choosing to register an ice hockey team but not a fleet of crews — Harvard withdrew its programs entirely from competition amid the height of the war.
The freshman football team — and players still registered for coursework at the College, rather than serving overseas — competed against local schools like Tufts, but no formal varsity team was established for the years of 1943 and 1944.
2020
A global pandemic. Social distancing. Stringent precautions taken to ensure the health and safety of the entire nation. Extenuating circumstances that even the long legacy of The Game could not overcome.
This was the first game since World War II to be missed, and the most recent in memory for supporters of either bench. A true testament of the lasting mark of The Game manifested in the outpouring of support from both schools to come together and keep the spirit of the weekend alive outside of the gridiron.
One Yale student, who helped to organize an online roast-off between the two schools that fall, even commented to the Yale Daily News that the event was “better than football.” Thus, even when football could not be played, some of The Game’s traditions have never stopped — Elis being foolish among them.
Early football was little more than a mix of soccer and rugby. THE HARVARD CRIMSON STAFF
Crimson Beat Reporters Look Back on The Game
Everyone familiar with The Game knows that it is a time-honored tradition that celebrates the camaraderie of tens of thousands of Crimsonites and Yalies every year on the fateful Saturday before Thanksgiving.
But, what does The Game represent to those on the inside? To those reporting on the inner workings of Harvard sports every day while on campus? To those who dedicated their most-fun four years to writing countless articles, laboring over how to accurately portray the nuance of a win or a loss? To those who dedicated every Friday and Saturday night to gaining the trust of their athletes and coaches and teams to represent Harvard athletics with grace and dignity?
By reminiscing about the days when they covered numerous Harvard athletic programs, here we present the stories of four of our own alumni at The Crimson who pioneered the paper’s sports section. Looking back to their experience celebrating winning Harvard football teams and covering losing teams with sympathetic-yet-honest candor, these four reporters share why they eagerly await the glorious day year after year.
Evan Thomas III ’73 is a prominent journalist, historian, and author of 11 books — one of which he co-authored with Walter S. Isaacson ’74. Joining The Crimson his freshman year, Thomas began by covering the men’s ice hockey and football teams, as well as penning a regular column, “On the Bench.”
Beginning his reporting career at The Bergen Record before moving to Time Magazine and ultimately Newsweek — where he stayed for 24 years — Thomas quickly earned a reputation as a seasoned and honest reporter.
Later a member of the teaching staffs at Harvard and Princeton between 2003 and 2014, Thomas holds the unique position of having experienced the Harvard-Yale rivalry as a student, beat reporter, alumni, and faculty member.
“Well, I certainly loved the heart of the Harvard-Yale game,” Thomas quipped.
Something that makes Harvard-Yale weekend special for Thomas is that it is a remnant of an age in which football rang supreme on the Harvard social calendar. He remembers the team selling out Harvard Stadium — which seats 40,000 comfortably — for the Harvard-Dartmouth game, which is astounding in comparison to the mere 4,000 people who were in attendance at the Yale-Dartmouth game at the Yale Bowl — which seats 60,000 — this season.
“We didn’t know who the game was going to get,” he said, of that time. “It felt like it mattered and it was big time.”
About the Harvard-Yale rivalry itself, Thomas jokingly said, “It’s a big alumni weekend and I think the kids, you guys, treat it as the one weekend a year where you can pretend to be actual college students and drink a lot and pretend that you go to Michigan.”
“You look at the Harvard student section and it will have 6, 7, 8, 10,000 people in it at the Harvard-Yale game,” he added. “In a regular game, 10 people.”
The first Ancient Eight rivalry, as Thomas points out, still carries the schedule: last year’s attendance was 51,127 — by far the most of any Harvard or Yale game all season.
Bennett “Ben” Beach ’71 is a professional journalist and recreational runner, holding numerous running accolades including the most Boston Marathon finishes completed in under 2:40 minutes, for which he is tied with Johnny Kelley. Beach also at one time held the record for the most consecutive Boston Marathon finishes, with 54. Before his professional writing career, which included stints at several prominent publications from Time Magazine to USA Today, Beach learned the tricks of the trade while serving as the Sports Editor of The Crimson.
Beach’s love for sports doesn’t merely manifest in his numerous bylines floating through The Crimson’s archives — many of which are unattributed to him as
By KATHARINE A. FORST CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
A column by Ben Beach ’68 for The Crimson. KATHARINE A. FORST — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
his peers noted that he would often write under pseudonyms when articles went unclaimed, so as to not make the paper read as a one-man production — but also in his love for being present at each and every game.
“Harvard Stadium is just a special place,” he said.
While Beach revealed his fondness for the Stadium, he admitted that he loves going to most places where sporting events are held (even the Yale Bowl). Beach is known for having hosted a tailgate at The Game — whether it be at Harvard or Yale — every single year since his graduation from the College in 1971, and he has not missed a single game since 1966. What keeps him coming back?
“Well, it’s a great chance to see old friends,” he said. “Those of us who had a good experience at college love reliving that, sitting up in the stands and sort of thinking back to the days when we were students, and how much we enjoyed that.”
Outside of being a reunion, Beach also noted that on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, anything can happen out on the turf.
“The games are so unpredictable, that’s another feature of them,” he said. “And appreciating the tradition. We’ve been playing this game for so long, and it’s the game that caps off the season. And
if you’ve had a poor season, and you can beat Yale, or beat Harvard if you’re the Yale team, then that’s a great moment.”
Robert “Bob” Marshall ’68 joined the Peace Corps upon graduation from the College where he taught English in Libya and Tunisia before returning to higher education at Columbia to earn his J.D. Upon his second graduation, Marshall joined Time Magazine as a lawyer, working his way through the ranks to assume the responsibilities of General Counsel. Never losing his passion for sports and sports writing, Marshall ingrained himself as an integral part of the Time staff, with his role extending far beyond the typical in-house counsel. Using the skills he learned as Sports Chair of The Crimson to help edit articles and field topic ideas.
Marshall published a book titled Diary of a Yankee-Hater in 1981, and subsequently helped edit a second book about Lawrence Park — his hometown in Westchester County, N.Y., now known as Bronxville — which was an artist’s colony turned Wall Street mavens’ homestead just 30 minutes outside of New York City. While Marshall has been highly accomplished since leaving 14 Plympton Street, the gravitas and tradition of Harvard-Yale weekend keeps him returning to campus year after year.
While the former Sports Editor, who
mainly covered the soccer team for The Crimson, looks back fondly on the weekend, he admitted that an aspect of what got him and his peers excited was that “we were told it was important.”
“Alumni would come back, alumni would talk about it,” he added.
While The Game does receive a lot of external hype that adds to the overall gravitas of the weekend, Marshall said that what truly makes the game different is that fact that it “was really the only away game that a number of people would go to.”
John Powers ’70 is fondly called the “dean of Olympic journalists.” He is the epitome of a die-hard sports fan. Powers, a long-time writer at the Boston Globe, has covered every Olympic games since 1976 — with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, when the U.S. boycott of the games led to the Soviet Union denying American reporters visas.
Powers attributes some of his success as the lynchpin of American Olympics coverage to his work at The Crimson, where he was tasked with covering essentially every sport on Harvard’s roster. From writing detailed pieces about the crew teams’ regattas, to features on the fencing team, Powers established himself as a nuanced weapon for the Globe’s sportswriting staff.
Acknowledging that his early years at the Globe were part of a golden age of sports journalism in which he garnered unparalleled access to different Boston teams — he was notably a primary reporter following the Boston Celtics for several years — Powers looks back on his time at The Crimson fondly. While he never covered The Game directly in his year on The Crimson’s staff, he certainly played a part in making the games during his tenure at 14 Plympton Street ones to remember.
Powers lauds the sportsmanship between the two teams that affords the players a level of mutual respect that distinguishes this particular football rivalry from any other.
“I remember the year before 29-29 in 1968,” he began, “Yale had its breakup banquet the following Monday and they invited Vic Gatto, who was the next year’s captain to come down and talk,” he continued, referring to the hero of that epic contest, running back Vic Gatto ’69.
“And Vic told me later, ‘Can you imagine that happening at any place where he wouldn’t be obnoxious?’” he furthered.
“There is a respect level there that isn’t there for a lot of other rivalries.”
To Powers, what keeps fans coming back to The Game year after is not just the joy of reuniting with old peers, but the harkening back to a time when The Game was the ultimate social event for an entire group of people along the eastern seaboard.
“A lot of it goes back to when it was an enormous social event, back before TV, back before Hollywood. They used to send reporters to Grand Central Station to see the Harvard and Yale fans coming
An article by Evan Thomas ’73 for the 1972 Harvard-Yale edition of The Crimson. KATHARINE A. FORST — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
One of John Powers’ ’70 Crimson columns. KATHARINE A. FORST — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
back from New Haven” he said.
Powers recalled a story he had heard about a former Crimson football standout, George Owen Jr., Class of 1923.
“He made a run back of a punt,” he recounted. “He basically ran through the whole Yale team with the ball. So Harvard wins, and they all went down to New York, and they went to a vaudeville show that night. And I think one of the comedians, might have been Eddie Cantor, is running around the stage being chased by chorus girls, and he stops in the middle and he says ‘I’m George Owens at Yale Bowl.’”
“It had just happened that afternoon. Everybody knew about that,” he said, amazed.
The profound impact of The Game, even at a time without television and the luxury of instantaneous news, has not just influenced fans, it has also maintained a grip on national media outlets as well. Which, Powers and Beach used to their favor in a prank that will go down in Crimson history.
It was a stunt so elaborate that several local and national news stations fell prey to their diabolical prank. Their trick? A fake YDN parody with the headline “Disease Strikes 16 Eli Football Starters; Bulldogs Forced to Forfeit Harvard Game,” accompanied by a subheading reading “Cheerleaders May Be Source.”
The reason the paper was such an outlandish ploy was this: 1969 was the first year Yale went co-educational, and the duo suggestively insinuated that the reason for the “cancellation” was the rampant spread of a venereal disease through the Yale bench as a result of the new fraternization.
To make the edition believable, the duo mimicked the typeface used on the YDN printing press and configured their spoof paper to mirror the Elis’ font, format, and style. They printed up thousands of copies of the paper, which they were set to deliver the morning of the game to Yale’s dormitories, colleges, and dining halls.
“Those were printed on Plympton Street and then one of the staffers ran them down to New Haven because we had been down there on Friday,” Powers remembered. “The Crimson played a touch football game against the Yalie Daily on the Old Campus.”
Before the runner was able to make his delivery, though, they needed to ensure sure the ruse was not immediately deniable. To do so, they infiltrated
the YDN headquarters. Beach recalled sneaking into the Yale Daily News office the night before the game so that he might have unfiltered access to the building the next morning. Powers would join him by climbing through an unattended window that Beach left unlocked.
“I went down on Friday night, and I had gotten to know a couple of the staffers,” Beach said. “I went over there in the late afternoon and started hanging out. And then as they all were departing, they didn’t all leave at once, I just sort of squirreled myself away so they wouldn’t know I was still there.”
“They all left, locked the building, and I was in the President’s office. And then at about 5 or 6 a.m. John Powers arrived,” he continued.
In true Harvard fashion, they had thought through every possible hole in their plan. The pair called the wire service at the New York Times and the New Haven Register, amongst others, and told them that the game had been canceled. Beach would call and inform the papers, pretending to be the president of the YDN, and when the papers called for confirmation, Powers would slyly answer their phones and assuage their fears that they had been spoofed.
While the pair speak with glee about their most lasting memory of The Game, their prank also inspired a whole new class of Crimson writers to join the Sports Board. Thomas was so inspired by his predecessors after hearing the tale that he immediately knew he wanted to be part of the organization.
“I thought this is fun, I want to join The Crimson. And so I did,” said Thomas about seeing the YDN social disease parody.
In fact, the staff was so inspired that it continued with the mischievous tradition during Thomas’s junior year, running a story which stated that the new city of New Haven had “condemned the Yale Bowl” to “create affordable housing” for the city.
From dastardly pranks to timeless tales to life-long friendships made along the way, these four writers provided coverage that can all be summed up in one word: inspired. During their stints on The Crimson and in their professional writing, they’ve continued to channel the spirit of The Game to produce inspired coverage in places far afield from Cambridge and New Haven.
katharine.forst@thecrimson.com
Ben Beach ’71 poses with his typewriter at 14 Plympton Street. COURTESY OF BEN BEACH
The Unique Magic of HarvardYale, in Alumni’s Words
By OSCAR E. MERCADO AND ISABEL C. SMAIL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
For over a century, the Harvard-Yale rivalry has been a cornerstone of college football history, captivating students, alumni, and fans alike. For the Ivy League, The
Jones’ Perspective
For Jones, now a defensive end on the Kansas City Chiefs, The Game was a thrilling experience. The Atlanta, Ga. native served as the 148th captain of the Harvard football team during his senior year. Due to Covid-19 cancellations, the 2022 game was the first and only contest between the historic rivals that Jones
ing a season-high 10 total tackles and forcing a fumble. Unfortunately for Jones, the Crimson as a whole didn’t notch the same storybook ending, with Harvard narrowly falling to the Bulldogs 19-14. Despite the loss, Jones emphasized that the rivalry brought out the best in both teams and their supporters, ranking The Game alongside the nation’s most iconic matchups.
are playing really hard. Both teams are at their best in this game.
“So, I think it’s up there with the classic rivalry games that you’d expect to see,” he added. “It’s just really cool to have the atmosphere at Harvard at an Ivy League school where that isn’t necessarily always the case.”
The anticipation of The Game permeates
Crimson fans erupt into cheers and shouts during the football game. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
ng pecial at Harvard Stadium.”
For Jones, his most memorable Harvard-Yale moment was during the 34-31 thriller in 2021, a game defined by fading daylight and a dramatic finish. The Yale Bowl, which notoriously lacks stadium lights, proved to be a tough playing environment for both teams, as The Game dwindled into the fourth quarter under a darkening sky. But, Harvard was able to see the light, and an impressive touchdown grab from Kym Wimberly ’23 late in the fourth quarter will forever be a moment etched in Jones’s memory.
“It was so dark, you could barely see the ball,” Jones recalled. “But my roommate, Kym Wimberly, ran the walk-off touchdown. Knowing all the work he put in made it really special.”
That play, which will live on in the minds of Crimson fans for decades, was also a significant memory for Borguet, who was a major contributor to the offense that fateful day, which, coupled with his other laurels, sent him well on his way to establishing himself as a Crimson running back legend.
Aidan Borguet: Tradition and Passion
Borguet’s connection to The Game runs deep,
dating back to his breakout performance as a freshman in 2019. He delivered the greatest individual rushing performance in The Game’s history, toting the rock 11 times for 269 yards — an average of almost 25 yards a carry — and four touchdowns on the day. His superhuman effort kept the Crimson in the game, but ultimately the Bulldogs prevailed 50-43 in double overtime.
Despite his first-year heroics, the 2019 Game was not Borguet’s favorite during his time at Harvard. Like Jones, his favorite play was the game winning touchdown pass from Luke Emge ’23 to Wimberly.
“We won in dramatic fashion,” said Borguet of the 2021 win. “The team is all together and we got to celebrate the win. It was really great.”
“I would love to say my freshman year performance was my favorite, but we lost the game, so that becomes null and void,” he added.
For Borguet, the magic of the rivalry lies in its historic traditions and passion.
“Tradition is what sets the stage, but passion is what makes it worth it,” Borguet explained. “The passion from the students, players, and alumni. Everybody takes it as an opportunity to come back, see the game, and
be with people you haven’t seen in a while. I think it’s more than a game, it’s a whole event for the schools to come together and have a good time.”
Preparing for The Game requires a balance of focus and celebration. While the players approach it like any other matchup, the energy around campus is electric.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on in the periphery,” Borguet said. “A lot of fan involvement and student engagement, which is something we appreciate and have felt the push to want us to win the game. But, as a team, you want to stay within your identity. I think the best way to go about it was to approach it as you would any other game, so those moments don’t rattle you. You can just go in there and play your game.”
Both players experienced exhilarating wins and losses in The Game, but they are also a part of a select cohort of players who faced a cancellation of the rivalry due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The last Harvard-Yale game to be canceled before 2020 was during World War II.
Reflecting on how the rivalry evolved amidst the pandemic, Borguet noted a renewed appreciation for The Game.
“There were more fans at the 2021 game than 2019,” Borguet said. “It really showed
how much we did miss that atmosphere and how much the whole school was excited to be back, fans and alumni. Losing it for a year may have sparked a new appreciation for it and it’s something that is not as easily taken for granted now.”
Maintaining the Magic
From thrilling overtime wins to historic celebrations, the Harvard-Yale rivalry remains a defining tradition within college athletics. For players like Jones and Borguet, The Game is more than a football competition — it’s an experience etched in their memories forever. As the next generation of Crimson players takes the field, they carry forward the legacy of perserverance and zealous play that makes Harvard-Yale such a unique rivalry.
Jones, the former Crimson captain, offered some advice to the Harvard players heading into the 140th edition of The Game.
“Really enjoy the moment, soak it all in, and have fun with it,” he said. “It’s an unreal environment, so relish that moment. Leave nothing, no regrets, leave no stone unturned.”
oscar.mercado@thecrimson.com
Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05, an iconic football alumni, was honored at the Harvard-Princeton game this season
NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
150 Anniversary Healdine 1-2
Bringing Harvard-Yale Traditions Into the Present
By DANIEL HOCHBERG AND REED M. TRIMBLE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
What keeps Harvard grads coming back to Cambridge the Saturday before Thanksgiving year over year? Some might argue that it’s to catch a glimpse of the last bit of fall foliage still clinging to the branches along the Charles River. But more than the stunning New England landscape, fans come to watch the Crimson take down its biggest foe — the Elis of Yale — as part of a storied, nearly150-year-old rivalry.
But time-tested traditions can some -
times stand to see some updates, and even The Game could stand an injection of some newfound fun. Whether it be a classic tune pumped through the loudspeakers, or a group of dapper Harvard students dressed in their penguin suits on Cumnock, there are tons of ways to reintroduce a feeling of lighthearted fun and reinvigorated sense of buy-in around the day.
The Crimson set out to highlight a few clever ploys orchestrated by other colleges on their gameday that might liven up the stands this Harvard-Yale weekend.
Auburn’s Toilet Papered Trees
TP’ing trees isn’t something that should be relegated to middle school-aged Hal -
loween shenanigans, especially when it’s done in the spirit of supporting your home team. For instance, lining the streets of Auburn University’s Toomer Corner is a set of trees outside the Tigers’ stadium at the University of Alabama. After a big win — especially over its most hated rival, the Crimson Tide (no, not the Crimson) — the Auburn faithful cover these trees in toilet paper. Harvard has no shortage of big, beautiful trees near the stadium that are ripe for the same treatment. Why not celebrate our victory in the best way college students know how? Head down to your building manager’s office with your roommates and collect your allotted two rolls, because we are going to need a lot of that good stuff come Saturday.
A Millennial Classic: Pumping The Killers Through the Loudspeaker
Everyone knows the chorus. It’s a houseparty anthem that gets everyone up on their feet, shouting the lyrics in seconds. Let’s not leave this banger to be used solely at the tailgate — Boston College and the University of Michigan, two certified Fun Schools, certainly don’t relegate “Mr. Brightside” to the fringes of campus.
Get a DJ on the aux and pull out a classic song at the start of the fourth quarter to re-engage and re-energize the crowd that’s been cheering its heart out for 45 minutes. What if Harvard even embraced this mellifluous mayhem, but with a song of its own? Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” comes to
The Harvard University Band provides the soundtrack for each iteration of The Game. KAYLA H. LE — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
mind instantly. It is fun and upbeat, along with already being a Boston sports staple at Fenway Park. If the fans sing it loud and proud, it would be enough to give the team a jolt of energy after a long game, especially in a season in which Harvard has tended to leave its fate to the waning moments of each game.
Eye of the Tiger, Eye on the Bulldogs
Another great mid-game song is The Eyes of Texas, the University of Texas’ fight song. After every game, win or lose, its football team finds the student section and sings it together.
Why don’t we clear our throats, dust off our pipes, and join in the music making? Let’s not leave the fun to the band and the Harvard Krokodiloes, talented as they are. We have “10,000 Men of Harvard,” and the players already sing it with each other after victories. Why don’t the fans join in on the fun and let our team know, vocally, how much we appreciate them?
Tailgate
Mania: Make Mignone Field Look Like a Yard Sale
The tailgate itself leaves much to the imag-
ination. While fun, it can feel monotonous. Let’s make the most of the two school-sanctioned hours before the first whistle blows, and let our creative spirits fly. Of course, we won’t forget to include the obligatory scattering of U-Hauls that serve as elevated surfaces for the students to relive their childhood playground dreams. But let’s do something different.
With rain on the horizon, let’s be practical yet fun: more tents. Cram as many popup tents as humanly possible into whatever space the Harvard administration decides to bestow upon its faithful fans, and make Cumnock resemble the magically-tented grounds at the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter.
While we’re at it, and out of the elements, let’s add another new idea: make it fancy. We all have suits and ties laying in the back of our closets collecting dust. Harvard and Yale are old and historic institutions with decorated, eloquent pasts. Why not bring that energy to the tailgate?
Before we watch Craig pass it into the endzone, let’s enjoy some tray-passed cocktails and canapes. For once, let sport coats augment one of the oldest sporting rivalries in the nation.
Vanderbilt Victory: Flood the Field
While Vanderbilt University overthrowing Alabama, a football powerhouse, earlier this college football season should not hold any more importance than the Crimson potentially taking down the Elis, the Commodores’ celebration at the end of the game certainly caught national attention.
A Crimson victory should certainly elicit a similar level of excitement from its loyal fanbase, but its response to a win should be more civil. Rushing the field, tearing down the goalposts, and causing mayhem on the turf only brings a fleeting feeling of joy to the students involved. Not worth it.
What’s more worth it? Filing home one by one down the steps to finish your weekend p-sets. Think about it, grades are forever and that moment of glory will fade.
As Joan Didion aptly put it “Time passes. Memory fades, memory adjusts, memory conforms to what we think we remember.”
Sike: that would be antithetical to the injection of fun. While memories certainly do fade, let’s make a tradition of our own. Let’s leave the goalposts standing – that’s the Harvard of the South’s thing – and embrace our team on the field. Let’s keep it sportsmanlike in the face of defeat; after all, we
are the Ancient Eight.
Dethroning the Bulldogs
Finally, the most important tradition of all: winning. It began for Harvard in the very first contest against the Bulldogs, circa 1875, and has extended throughout the years. The last few years, Yale has built up a well of confidence — the Elis have won five of the last seven — but it is not too late to reestablish the oldest tradition, once and for all.
Sweet victory for the Crimson would cement the new leadership of Head Coach Andrew Aurich, bringing back the luster of a bygone era of Harvard football.
Closing It Out
Harvard has spirit, but not enough. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel — other schools and other sporting venues have already created a roadmap. By taking a cue from some of the other elite programs around the country, the spirit of Harvard-Yale can be channeled into a bombastic present-day experience.
Harvard’s Cheerleading Team at the Game. KAYLA H. LE — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
The fans get up on their feet to cheer for the Crimson. KAYLA H. LE — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Does Your Blood Run Blue or Crimson?
By LUKE LAWSON AND HUGO NUNEZ
For athletes and sports fans, rivalry games are the true litmus test of their true allegiances. The cheers are the loudest, the wins mean the most, and the losses hit the hardest. Yankees vs. Red Sox, Auburn vs. Alabama, the Lakers and the Celtics — the list goes on and on. These heated, passionate games are what keep sports fans returning to the stadium each season.
But, the real test of an allegiance comes from a fan who has ties to two teams. What makes them choose one over the other? Can they express an affinity for both?
For those with ties to the Ancient Eight, the Harvard-Yale rivalry runs deep. The oldest football rivalry in the nation, it is divisive, and it bubbles over once a year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. What complicates the cheering section at The Game even more, though, and pushes its fans to sit along the 50-yard line, is that many fans find themselves secretly cheering for both benches.
Though Ted Lasso wisely said that, “if God wanted games to end in a tie, she wouldn’t have invented numbers,” there will be numerous fans in Harvard Stadium who will disregard this advice. They will cheer just as loudly for touchdown catches from junior Cooper Barkate as they do for sacks courtesy of Bulldogs’ se -
There are several categories that a fan with dual allegiances might fall into. A student who has attended both universities for undergrad and graduate programs, a student who has a sibling at the opposing school, or an alumni whose spouse or child chose to wear the opposing team’s colors.
It might seem as though undergraduate loyalties would reign supreme — those four years do tend to stand out the brightest and be marked by the most boisterous tailgates. But Irvin Yi ’23, a current student at Yale Medical School, said that he is bleeding blue this weekend.
“Some people say, obviously you want to go with your undergrad team,” Yi explained. “But now that I’m presently at Yale, it feels harder to do that.”
While Yi declared himself an honorary Eli, he did so from the comfort of New Haven. Perhaps it was the security of being surrounded by other Yalies, but Yi confessed that despite his gung ho an -
nior Tamatoa McDonough.
CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
NICOLE M. HERNÁNDEZ ABUD — CRIMSON DESIGNER
swer, he still finds himself torn about which team to back on Saturday.
“I wore a Harvard crew neck under a Yale one,” said Yi about his attire for last year’s rendition of The Game. “And I think I’ll do something similar this year.”
I
wore a Harvard crew
neck
under
a Yale
And I think I’ll do something similar this
On the Harvard side, Myron Zhang, a teaching fellow for the popular class Gen Ed 1200: “Justice,” gave a more diplomatic answer that revealed his split loyalties.
“I don’t have any favorites. I love both institutions I’ve been to. I’m a loyal partisan of both,” Zhang said. “And in this age of polarization, I think we need people who understand the other side.”
While he jokingly tried to evade declaring his allegiance, Zhang complicated his ties to The Game even further by revealing that he holds long-term affinity for comrades at both schools. While he proudly called himself an Eli for his four undergraduate years, he dedicated his freshman summer to studying at Harvard Beijing Academy, which was frequented by both Yalies and Harvard students — rendering him sympathetic to the Crimson’s plight each November while still an undergraduate.
To Zhang, The Game serves more as a reunion than a divisive sporting event pitting two student sections against one another.
Despite holding differing positions on their allegiances, both graduate students admitted that — although still serving as an exciting social event — the experience was more awe-inspiring while they were undergraduates at their respective colleges.
Zhang further emphasized this by explaining that his peers who did not attend either university for their undergraduate degrees approach The Game with a unique excitement.
The Game is “sometimes a much bigger deal outside these walls than inside the walls,” he said. “We can see the real thing and realize it’s not that big of a deal, but outside it takes up the imagination.”
Cole Cleary, a senior on Harvard’s baseball team and a former member of the Harvard football team, provides a unique test case for the divided allegiance theory. The rivalry isn’t relegated to just one day of the year for Cleary and his family; it extends throughout the year beyond the football turf and to the baseball diamond.
Hailing from a family of six, Cole Cleary is the youngest of three brothers. Five of the Clearys attended Harvard, following in the footsteps of their father Bill Cleary ’85, a Crimson hockey legend.
But, one of the four boys — Quinn Cleary, the second youngest of the bunch — deviated from his family’s footsteps to join the Bulldogs’ baseball roster.
Cole Cleary revealed that his brother chose the Connecticut school over Harvard because he was extended an oppor -
I love both institutions I’ve been to. I’m a loyal partisan of both. In this age of polarization, I think we need people who understand the other side.
Myron
tunity to play D-I baseball for the Elis out of high school. Cole Cleary was not recruited to the Crimson’s baseball team, but became a two-sport athlete for Harvard mid-way through his career, walk -
ing onto the baseball team and pitching in 16 games last season.
Despite the rivalry, Cole Cleary cites Quinn Cleary as one of the biggest influences in his life. Specifically, Quinn Cleary acted as a quasi-pitching coach for his brother, helping him
Harvard-Yale is a special time for our family because it’s a day where we can come together and celebrate. I look forward to the tradition year after year.
Forst
earn a spot on Harvard’s baseball team –his true dream coming out of high school. In a culmination of the mentorship, Cole Cleary pitched against his Bulldog brother in a Mother’s Day showdown between Harvard and Yale earlier this year, showing the real depth of the Harvard-Yale bond.
While this is the first year that Cole Cleary will be able to attend The Game as a fan – he has only ever participated as an athlete – he looks forward to his brother joining him for the celebrations.
Personal division. Sibling rivalry. What could divide a person more? For Edward Forst ’82, having children attending both schools provides an answer.
Forst, a former Crimson editor and executive vice president of the University, has to navigate that tricky terrain each fall.
While three of his children attended
Harvard — including his daughter, Crimson Sports chair Katharine Forst ’25 — one of his sons attended Yale.
Despite seeing two of his sons compete against one another on the lacrosse field as members of the Yale and Harvard teams, Forst has never wavered from his Crimson loyalty in late November.
“I love all of my kids equally. But on the Saturday before Thanksgiving one of my sons is an orphan,” Forst said half-jokingly.
Despite his dedication to his alma mater, Forst added that The Game is about more than just the rivalry, it’s about the tradition of families, friends, and more gathering annually for the event.
“Harvard-Yale is a special time for our family because it’s a day where we can come together and celebrate,” he said.
“While we might sit along the 50-yard line for two hours in the stadium, the rest of the day and weekend is a reunion, and I look forward to the tradition year after year.”
At its core, the Harvard-Yale weekend serves as a beacon for a civil rivalry in which members from both sides come together to celebrate a time-honored tradition. Unlike other schools, where rivalry games are a week of hate and vitriol that bubble over in the stadium, Harvard-Yale is much closer to a week of unity between the two Ancient Eight schools — outside of the gridiron, that is.
By THOMAS G. HARRIS AND REED M. TRIMBLE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Well, you’ve gotten to the end of another Harvard-Yale. Congratulations on watching four quarters of amazing football, thanks in part to Dean of Students Thomas Dunne’s “safe” tailgate ending at half past noon. Since Harvard has
definitely won by now, it’s time to begin the celebration. As soon as the clock hits zero, many students will sprint down towards the field — despite the risk of bruises or broken ankles — and run towards the 50-yard line. If you happen to find yourself on the turf after the Crimson’s decisive victory, locate the football player that was your freshman roommate, the one that sits next to you in Stat 100 (or Stat 110, smarty pants!), or the one you met that one time in the dhall, and give them a bear hug.
At many schools, students will also rush to take down the goal post. This tradition hasn’t yet made its way to Harvard, possibly because our intellectually gifted peers know better than to endanger themselves by climbing to high and precarious positions. If our goal post winds up on the ground, however, it’d probably appreciate a tour of our beautiful campus. The post might be hungry after years of work, so now’s the chance to let it finally try some
Shake Shack. Of course it needs to see Harvard Square and the Yard. And don’t you dare forget the Quad!
As the hours tick on and the rush of either Sprite or your three school-sanctioned drinks wears off, you have a decision to make: keep the party going, or start healing. We’ll break down both options.
Keep the Party Going
Oftentimes, the football team puts to -
Grendel’s Den is a humble watering hole a mere 10 minute walk from Harvard Stadium. ALEXANDER L. JAFFE — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
gether a ‘post-game.’ No longer gladiators hurling the pigskin, they are free to party. While most of campus makes the sane decision to take Advil, drink some water, and go to bed, the rest of Boston parties on, unaware of our petty Ivy League squabble. It’s still a Saturday night, so there are plenty of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs happy to receive you if you’re of age.
Some Yalies will also choose to spend the night in Boston, wandering around the streets of Fenway while thinking about how much worse their lives are in New Haven. Falling in love with a Yalie isn’t unheard of, so you could try your luck at recreating Romeo & Juliet. That being said, a relationship with someone of such scholastic inferiority may be difficult to maintain.
You can take your star crossed lover to one of Harvard Square’s fine dining establishments, but make sure to cover the bill, as they might still be licking their wounds following the traumatic loss. If you’re feeling as though they might be The One and that you might be so bold as to suggest they travel home with you to meet your family during the Thanksgiving break, take them to Toscano for a classier night out on the town.
But if you think the romance might be a fleeting, heat-of-the-moment dalliance spurred on by the crazed emotions of the weekend, we suggest Grendel’s Den as an appropriate place for your post-game canoodling. While not quite the same level of intimacy as the romantic Toscano, the privacy of the tables coupled with the high probability of seeing your fellow Crimsonites makes it the perfect mixture of low-lit ambiance and a public display of Crimson superiority.
Start the Healing Process
Even if you are able to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and rally for an evening of revelry, your party-to-sleep ratio is probably dangerously unbalanced.
Unfortunately, acting like Dionysus is not very good for your body. After the adrenaline wears off, your feeling of indestructibility will start to falter. Drink lots of water, eat plenty, and sleep. Potassium is supposed to help with headaches, and they do make supplements for these things. Consider investing in some of those. Thank God for the 24-hour CVS pharmacy (of which New Haven has zero). Shower, for the sake of your classmates — including your correspondents.
While you might be nursing an ear-splitting headache, rejoice in the
fact that tomorrow is Sunday, another whole day off! Take advantage of the day by catching up on the enormous amount of work you have allowed to build up over the last few days, or take a leisurely walk to the total serenity of Walden Pond (are there even ponds in New Haven?). Luckily, there’s only two days of class before the fun starts anew. You will be reveling in turkey and even more football in just a few short — but very long-feeling — days.
Yale students, this section is for you. Al though Eli’s boys couldn’t secure the win on the field, keep your heads up: at least you’re not in New Haven! After the game, walk back to Harvard Square (that’s right, no shuttle necessary to get to and from our athletic center), and buy your self a pick-me-up meal. Walk around our urban utopia and re mind yourself that Thanks giving is just a few short days away.
When you return to Yale, try not to beat yourself up too hard. Misery loves com pany, so be sure to head to Toad’s, where you will find all five of the other glum Yale foot ball fans. Head to Frank Pepe’s to grab a slice — pizza always numbs the sorrow of defeat. Ad mittedly, New Haven bagels are better than those of Boston, so try to rel -
ish in that small victory the morning after.
In the Coming Weeks
When you’re finishing up classes and preparing to take finals, you’ll remember this weekend fondly, whether you’re an Eli or a Cantab. There are few things in the world that are better than a college rivalry. A celebration of friendly conflict, a closely-fought battle, and an American game
that owes its roots to these schools — all describe Harvard-Yale.
After the game, be sure to cherish that experience, and relish in the unique opportunity that you and 30,000 others had to come to Soldier’s Field road together and be a part of American history. Go make this weekend one that you will never forget.
The Harvard flag is waved high. NICHOLAS T. JACOBSSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Harvard fans storm the Yale Bowl in 2021. ANGELA DELA CRUZ — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Deconstructing Harvard-Yale: What Wins The Game?
By PRAVEEN KUMAR CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
In what will be the most electric and heated atmosphere of the Ivy League football season, the 140th playing of the Harvard-Yale game deserves a magnifying glass to untangle the recent history of the storied rivalry. When thinking about The Game this weekend, many of us are pondering the same question: What does it actually take to win?
Offensive and Defensive Production
First, let’s take a look at some simple offensive and defensive production statistics.
Despite entering the 2017 game with a more explosive offense and oppressive defense, the Crimson fell to the Elis by 21 points in a 24-3 blowout. In 2018 and 2021,
when Harvard prevailed, the Crimson boasted a stronger defensive efficiency, despite having a weaker per-play offensive production.
In 2019, 2022, and 2023, Yale’s stronger offense, powered by strong quarterback play, willed the Bulldogs to victory in one-possession games that went down to the wire.
Surprisingly enough, in the scatterplot below, four of the last six victors (Yale 2017, Har-
vard 2021, Yale 2022, Yale 2023) are grouped in the top left cluster, demonstrating that overall production throughout the season, as opposed to per-play production, might not be indicative of performance during the game.
In 2024, the Bulldogs and the Crimson are both averaging nearly six yards per offensive play. On the defensive side of the ball, Harvard is allowing just under five yards per play compared to nearly six for Yale.
With the Crimson seemingly poised to capitalize on a weaker Bulldogs defense, the matchup of the Elis offense against Harvard’s defense could set the tone for the afternoon.
The main takeaway? Defensive production is key for the Crimson, while offensive efficiency matters more for the Bulldogs. The game will likely be decided by whichever one of these units takes over when both are on the field.
The Down That Matters
Looking deeper into specific downs, it’s clear that since 2017 there has been a moderately strong positive linear association between converting third downs and winning the football game across the Ivy
League.
On the defensive side of the ball, similarly, both teams’ winning percentage falls rapidly as its opponents convert a higher percentage of their third downs. The line of best fit indicates that even a 10 percent increase in opponent conversion rate decreases winning percentage by 10 points.
Do these trends hold for Harvard and Yale specifically? Looking at the scatterplot below, Yale’s offense has historically delivered under high-pressure third down situations, owning a higher conversion rate every year since 2017.
However, it appears that Harvard’s defensive third down play significantly impacts the outcome of The Game. The Crimson has won both times it has held its
opponents to a conversion rate of under 30 percentage points throughout the season. However, when that opponent conversion percentage creeps above this threshold, Harvard has struggled significantly more against Yale, dropping each of those contests in 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2023, as shown below.
In the 2024 season, Harvard’s defense has allowed a 35.4 percent conversion rate, while the Elis have converted 45.8 percent of their third downs. As the Crimson’s defense has struggled to get to the quarterback throughout the year, Yale quarterback Grant Jordan’s mobility will be key in extending drives for the Bulldogs.
Thus, Harvard’s third down approach
could very well change the trajectory of the game. Yet again, third downs when Harvard’s defense and Yale’s offense are on the field will be a big determinant of the flow of the game. If Jordan can move the sticks for the Bulldogs in the big moments, it could be the difference in the game.
Every playing of The Game is unique, with packed student sections and the accompanying adrenaline raising the level of play on both sides. However, common trends in crucial areas — per-play efficiency and third down conversions — have repeatedly indicated which team will come out on top, and this year should be no different.
