“In order to beat Northeastern, we are going to have to shut down the run game,” said senior linebacker John Perry, who scored on one of the Crimson’s two fumble returns in last year’s game. “They have fast, shifty backs and a big strong offensive line that fires off the ball.”

Needless to say, the Crimson’s entire front seven will need to be up to the challenge in order to take the pressure off its much-maligned secondary. This need is not lost on the Crimson coaching staff, which has gone to great lengths to prepare for Northeastern’s attack.

“We’ve made some changes on the defensive line to hopefully give us the pass rush we’ve been lacking in our previous games,” junior defensive tackle Jon Berrier said of the staff’s preparations. “Our success this Saturday really depends on us coming together as a defense and making big plays when it counts.”

“We need to pressure [Brady] each time he passes to throw his timing off,” added junior linebacker Dante Balestracci. “By getting consistent pressure we can hopefully force him into making some mistakes.”

Forcing turnovers will indeed be one of the keys for the Crimson defense, as they face an extremely young Northeastern offense that starts four freshmen (two true) and three sophomores.

No matter how the game plays out, tomorrow’s contest promises to be a physical battle between fierce crosstown rivals. It will afford the Crimson a chance to erase the bad memories of the Lehigh loss and prove that they indeed belong among the elite teams in Division I-AA.

“Playing a nationally touted team like Northeastern provides us with a precious opportunity to dispel some of the myths about Harvard football,” said senior placekicker Anders Blewett. “This is our chance to show Beantown and the rest of the nation that the Ivies don’t mess around.”