Samad Hakani, Photography Editor

The Yale football team (6–3, 3–3 Ivy) is shipping up to Boston this Saturday, looking to pull off an upset against a heavily favored Harvard team (8–1, 5–1 Ivy) that is looking to end their season as sole champions of the Ivy League. 

Entering The Game, the Bulldogs will look to ride the momentum of two decisive victories against a Crimson team that has not lost a game since Sept. 28. Early indications seem to be that fans could be in for an offensive showdown, as the Bulldogs and Crimson are the two highest-scoring teams in the Ivy League, with Yale averaging 33.8 points per game and Harvard just behind at 33.0.

Despite the odds, Yale remains confident they can defeat their rivals to the north, with quarterback Grant Jordan ’25 saying simply, “Our best football hasn’t been played yet.”

Bulldogs & Underdogs

Purely based on their records, the Crimson are coming in with two more Ivy wins than the Bulldogs, but that will only fuel the fire as the Elis head up to Boston. The Bulldogs have suffered a couple of injuries this season and a few tough losses, but after each hardship, they’ve stood right back up and come back stronger. 

Captain Dean Schaffer ’25 commented on the tight bond of his team on Tuesday when he said, “When we started the season, it was always about the process. Tap into relationships, committing to those relationships. Never was the outcome a factor in that equation.”

Despite winning, last Saturday’s match-up against Princeton may have made the odds even longer for the Bulldogs. Two key players, David Pantelis ’25, the Bulldog’s star wide receiver, and Sean Guyton ’25, their shutdown cornerback, left the game with injuries in the first quarter. Head coach Tony Reno did not give any insight into their status for The Game, but hopefully, they will be taking the field and helping lead both the offense and the defense. 

From scout team to Team 151 star

Grant Jordan will lead the Bulldogs on offense on Saturday, a dynamic dual-threat quarterback who can do damage through the air and on the ground. The senior quarterback has been a star for Yale all season and will need another big game for the Bulldogs to pull off the upset. Despite his evident skill now, there was a chance Jordan would never get the opportunity to play in a game for the Bulldogs, let alone be the starter for The Game his senior year. 

Jordan has battled injuries for the bulk of his career at Yale, much of it coming after he had to undergo Tommy John surgery for an injury he sustained to his throwing arm. The injury took nearly a year and a half to rehab, but eventually, the quarterback came back on the field with the scout team and began to work his way towards what he is today. 

“I think just over time, I slowly got my confidence back,” Jordan said. “In practice getting reps. I think the fall of Team 149, I was on the scout team and that’s when I was really able to grow a lot and get my most confidence. I was able to go against such a great defense in practice everyday. I started seeing myself make the throws I used to make.”

After recovering from injury, Jordan entered this past offseason locked into a three-way quarterback battle for the starting job, which he eventually won. However, the hits just kept coming for Jordan, as on the very first drive of the season against Holy Cross, he was forced to exit with a concussion and would miss the next game. 

Once Jordan recovered, Reno and the coaching staff inserted him back into the starting role, and the offense ignited. During the season, the quarterback has completed 68 percent of his passes for more than 200 yards per game. Perhaps most importantly, he has shown an ability to make big plays while avoiding dangerous throws, having thrown 20 touchdowns on the season and only three interceptions. 

Without Pantelis, the Bulldogs may need to lean particularly on his running ability, something Jordan is more than comfortable doing as he averages over 35 rushing yards a game. 

Run Josh Run

With the status of their star wideout Pantelis uncertain, all heads turn to Yale’s other offensive favorite, Josh Pitsenberger ’26. The tough running back has been a force to be reckoned with all season, proving to be a stabilizing force for the Bulldogs when they need to grab those couple extra yards each down. 

Pitsenberger came up big last weekend against Princeton, securing 159 yards for 25 carries and scoring three touchdowns. He showed once again that he can handle a heavy workload for the offense and is a difficult player to shut down. This weekend should be no different, and fans should expect to see Pitsenberger smashing cracks in the Crimson line as he picks up first downs. 

On what is arguably Yale football’s largest stage, players either rise to the challenge or crumble under the pressure. Last year, Pitsenberger was the Bulldogs’ knight in shining armor, coming up with 99 yards as he led the charge alongside quarterback Nolan Grooms ’24. The unsung hero battling through the defensive line gave Yale several chances, which they capitalized on to put the ball in the endzone and come up with that exhilarating 23–18 win. 

Slowing the Crimson

Yale’s defense has been a rollercoaster this season. 2024 started a bit rocky on the defensive side of the ball for the Bulldogs as the team worked out the kinks in the first few games before turning into what has become a solid unit. 

The defense is predicated on forcing turnovers, which can flip any game on its head, no matter the pregame favorite. The Bulldogs have come up with ten interceptions and forced 11 fumbles, of which they recovered eight. All three of these metrics are top in the Ivy, and on the other side, Harvard has only caught five interceptions and forced three fumbles all season. 

With an active and hungry defense like Yale’s, anything can happen, and big plays can dictate the momentum of a game in seconds. If the Bulldogs come out swinging, fans can hope for numerous opportunities for the Yale offense to work with a short field after the defense forces a touchdown. 

Shipping up to Cambridge

This being an even-numbered year, The 140th Game will take place at Harvard Stadium in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While it is an away game, the team’s leadership isn’t worried about making the trip. Jordan praised Captain Shaffer for his ability to prepare the team for every game this season, especially their final one.

“I speak for the team; there is no one more born for a role than Dean is for captain,” Jordan said. “I think that he’s done a tremendous job leading us, and we all love him.”

For Shaffer, The Game shouldn’t be treated any differently than any of the other nine the Bulldogs have played this season. No matter the venue, no matter the occasion, to Shaffer, the emphasis is always on the team.

Even if he can’t take the field due to injury, Shaffer still plays a massive role as the leader of Team 151 and sets the tone for how the Bulldogs approach every game. 

“There’s things you can control and things you can’t control, and one of those things you can’t control is the outside noise that comes with this game,” Shaffer said. “Don’t let the noise get into the circle; the guys on the sideline are going to win us this football game.” 

The message for the team is simple from their captain: take care of what you can control, and the winning will take care of itself. 

As for the message from their head coach about how to deal with playing an away game, that’s a bit simpler. 

“I’ll play it on 95,” said Reno. “Just stop the traffic, we’ll play.”

On that note, it’s time to let the Bulldogs do what they do best and take down the Crimson on their home turf. In fact, the Bulldogs have not lost at Harvard Stadium since 2014. 

The 140th rendition of The Game will be played at Harvard Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff of Yale football’s final game of the 2024 will be at noon and the game can be watched nationally on ESPNU.