Football '10
Defense: The Next Generation
At its most fundamental level, the job of any defense is relatively simple: give the ball back to its offensive counterpart.
For the Harvard defense, the increasing complexity of offenses in the Ivy League has made its job considerably more difficult in attaining that goal. There are, after all, more schemes to learn—particularly those incorporating the spread offense—and more reads to make.
Zych Prepares for Captain’s Role
As Collin Zych knows, sometimes something as inconspicuous as a simple letter can change one’s life.
Coming out of high school, the safety was often overlooked as a recruit. A solid career at Plano East High School in Texas led to some interest from Division I-AA schools, and Zych decided that if he was going to play I-AA football, he wanted to play in the Ivy League.
Backfield Brotherhood
When meeting Harvard on the gridiron last year, Ivy League defenses didn’t have much room for error on the ground. If it wasn’t a shifty tailback eluding tackles, it was a powerful one cutting right through the defense.
The tandem of senior Gino Gordon and sophomore Treavor Scales tore up the Ivy League last season, spearheading the conference’s best rushing offense to an average 178.7 yards per game.
Reinforcements Fill Trenches
Everyone is questioning the Harvard football team’s offensive line this year. That’s just fine with them—it’s another opportunity to surprise unsuspecting opponents.
With the loss of four starters, including NFL tackle James Williams ’10, it is easy to predict the challenges facing the new group.
The Road to Redemption
After coming up short last year, the Harvard football team is ready to return to the top of the Ivy League.
Brown and Penn have frustrated the Crimson in the last two seasons, respectively. The Bears forced a tie for the crown in 2008, and the Quakers took it outright after a 17-7 win in Cambridge late in the 2009 season.