Jessai Flores, Illustrations Editor
It’s that time of year again! Whether you’ve followed Yale football all season or — perhaps more likely — don’t know what a first down is, we’ve got all the content you need to get ready for The Game. Read the full special issue on our website.
While we work year-round to cover all of the sports news Yale has to offer, we recognize that some games, or more specifically, one game, matters more than others. This is it. In this issue, you’ll find everything from a season recap and Game preview to poetic roasts and romantic fan fiction about the Yale-Harvard couple we’d all love to see.
While the football is important, we all know that The Game’s significance stems from the historic rivalry between two Ivy League foes. For all you history buffs out there, Nicole Rodriguez highlights six major games since the Blue and White and the Crimson first met in 1875 — including two riveting dognappings.
Want to sound knowledgeable as you sit in the stands with all your friends? Amelia Lower and Ben Raab are here to catch you up to speed with a crash course on Yale’s season up to this point and some basics to know for Saturday. Meanwhile, Spencer King provides a more in-depth preview of how Harvard and Yale stack up: with an Ivy League title on the line, which team will be able to establish their elite rushing attack and run their way to victory?
What’s powering Yale’s potent run game? King also spoke with the team’s offensive linemen, whose physicality has set the tone for the Bulldogs all year.
For a player’s perspective on the game, Paloma Vigil shines a spotlight on middle linebacker Hamilton Moore ’24. Curious about what players are up to off the field? Read up about how members of the team are leaders in STEM.
Maybe you’re not into all this “football stuff.” That’s okay. We’ve still got content for you. The WKND section is proud to present Hannah Kurczeski’s steamy fan fiction imagining what happens when a Yalie and Harvardian cross paths; you’ve got to read it to believe it.
Sports editor Andrew Cramer took on not one, but two Harvardians in a battle of wits, and while we might not be totally impartial, we feel confident in saying that he emerged victorious.
We hope that this spissue adds depth and excitement to your experience of the Game. If you have feedback about the way we produce special issues, or would like to contribute to a future issue, please contact us at editor@yaledailynews.com.
Thank you to the managing board as well as our copy editors, designers, business team, tech team and illustrators for the work they put into this issue. Boola boola!
Andrew Cramer ’25, Sports Editor
Hamera Shabbir ’24, Sports Editor
Access the full special issue here.