THE GAME '06: Face to Face

Mike McLeod vs. The Harvard Defensive Line:

A case of strength vs. strength, something’s got to give when the Ivy League’s 2006 rushing leader faces a defensive line that has yet to allow a single player over 100 yards this season. McLeod is fast, strong, and determined to break a half-decade long Bulldog drought against Harvard and bring the league title back to New Haven for the first time since 1999. But if senior tackle Mike Berg has anything to say about it, the celebration won’t take place this year. He and sophomore tackle Matt Curtis patrol the middle, while sophomore end Brenton Bryant and junior end Brad Bagdis take care of the outside. Fittingly for The Game, it will be the toughest task faced by either team all season.



Corey Mazza vs. The Yale Secondary:

Injured during last year’s remarkable Harvard-Yale contest, senior wideout Corey Mazza will be difficult for the Bulldogs to miss this time around. Mazza, who leads the Crimson receiving corps in every category, has only been kept out of the end zone in two games this year. Yale cornerbacks Paul Rice and Casey Gerald will answer the call to shut down Mazza, and should expect man-coverage thanks to the premium the Bulldog defense will surely put on stopping Clifton Dawson. It won’t be Mazza’s last edition of game, however–despite his senior status, he has an additional year of medical eligibility to further frustrate the Yale secondary.



The Bryant Brothers vs. The Abare Brothers:

Though they won’t be on the field at the same time to wreak havoc against one another, a pair of of siblings will cause problems for both offenses. Yale features sophomore twins Bobby and Larry Abare, the two leading tacklers for the Bulldog defense. The former is a linebacker and the latter, a strong safety, has two defensive touchdowns. They’ll be matched by Harvard’s Bryant Brothers, sophomore Brenton and junior Desmond. Each plays the same defensive end position, one that will be the focal point against an offense that features the leading yard-gainer in the Ivy League this season.