Crimson Sees Opportunity for Vengeance

Saturday’s 12 p.m. matchup between the no. 15 Harvard football team (5-0, 2-0 Ivy) and no. 21 Princeton (5-0, 2-0) at Princeton Stadium will be a battle for many things.

The Crimson will fight to avenge last year’s 27-24 defeat, which saw the squad go for it on fourth and one in the red zone and get stopped. The loss led to a second-place tie for the two teams in the Ivy League and was the first Tiger victory over the Crimson in ten years.

“We’re thinking about last year from the standpoint of what could have been,” Harvard coach Tim Murphy said. “When you lose, you analyze everything. [It is] maybe the only game I can remember where we had zero turnovers and we lost the game. That’s such a huge indicator of success, and it came down to a couple plays.”

Both teams enter the game with a record of 5-0 or better for the first time since 1922, although they faced each other undefeated in 1946. They are two of the five squads left unbeaten in Division I-AA.

But the highest stake is the Ivy League title, as at this point in the season the pair appears to be the Ancient Eight’s best.

And the statistics are there to back it up.

The game boasts a matchup of the Crimson’s league-leading offense against Princeton’s leading defense.

Harvard has scored 30-plus points in all but last week’s 24-7 victory over Lafayette, due to offensive bursts from senior tailback Clifton Dawson and strong receiving corps. In the win, Dawson ran for 144 yards and added 56 yards receiving, while nine receivers caught passes.

Junior quarterback Chris Pizzotti has also stepped up to fill the shaky position. Although he did not have his best game last Saturday, his consistency in winning games will keep him in the top spot.

The position will have added depth in the return of junior Liam O’Hagan from suspension.

“I think clearly how Harvard’s offensive line handles our defensive front will be important,” Tiger coach Roger Hughes said. “We have a very tall order in trying to defend Dawson and their list of great receivers, headed up by [Corey] Mazza, and a quarterback who can make plays. They have a great arsenal of weapons. I think the best analogy is they are a gun loaded with eight bullets.”

The Crimson will not have the kind of offensive opportunities it has had all season, and so it will have to convert more efficiently.

Princeton’s defense is paced by linebackers Tim Boardman and Brig Walker, who have combined for 55 tackles on the season.

The Tigers are averaging an allowance of 11.8 points, 250.4 yards, and two converted third downs per game.

“When they lost so many good players on defense...who would have thought they would not only have a good defense but a dominant defense?” Murphy said. “They’ve done a great job. They’re for real.”

Both squads have proved their worth on the other side of the ball as well.

Harvard has six players with 20-plus tackles, including junior defensive end Brad Bagdis, who has 40 on the season.

The team also has an impressive 30 sacks on the season for a loss of 201 yards, and the offensive line has yet to give up 100 yards rushing in a game.

Although there was concern in the secondary, last week they stepped up to aid in holding the Leopards to 7 points.

This weekend will hold special meaning for one member of the troops.

Junior cornerback Andrew Berry may match up against his twin brother, Adam Berry, who is listed as second in the depth chart at wide receiver.

“The fact that they’re identical twins says it all,” Hughes said. “They both are great athletes, they have great work ethic...Come game time I know both are really competitive, I don’t think blood lines will make a difference when those two kids get together.”

Princeton’s offense sports strong hands in junior quarterback Jeff Terrell, who has completed 82 of 137 passes for 1,085 yards. He is aided by three receivers with double-digit catches, including junior Brendan Circle with 21 for 349 yards.

On the ground, the Tigers have two threats in sophomore tailback LC Lagomarsino and junior Rob Toresco, who have combined for 387 yards.

It is anyone’s game as Saturday approaches. The victor will be the team that capitalizes on minimal opportunities and plays consistently.

—Staff writer Madeline I. Shapiro can be reached at mshapiro@fas.harvard.edu.