NEW HAVEN - They've been rooting for each other since September, these two ancient rivals who have never cared to have anybody else between themselves and destiny.
"We never wanted them to lose," said captain Brad Bagdis, whose resurgent Harvard squad (7-2, 6-0 Ivy League) takes on archrival Yale (9-0, 6-0) for the 124th time at noon today at the Bowl in their most anticipated meeting in nearly four decades. "This would be the perfect way to end the season."
Not since 1968, when Harvard "won" a 29-29 tie after time expired at the Stadium, have both varsities entered The Game unbeaten in league play. "This is going to be a game people will talk about forever," predicted Yale coach Jack Siedlecki, whose squad is bidding for its first unblemished season since 1960 and its first 10-victory campaign since 1909. "That just doesn't happen very often."
All the Bulldogs have to do is get past a Crimson team that has won six straight games after losing two of its first three, and that has won on its previous three visits here and five of its last six. "I told our guys, 'Listen, nobody expected us to be here,' " said Harvard coach Tim Murphy, whose squad will claim its third outright Ivy crown in seven years with a victory. " 'I want you to embrace this challenge.' "
Their last meeting here was one for the ages, with Harvard coming from 18 points down to win, 30-24, in triple overtime. "After that game, I felt like I didn't want it to ever happen again," said Yale quarterback Matt Polhemus, the North Chatham, Mass., native whose teams have won all three OT contests since, including another triple against Penn last month.
The Bulldogs got revenge in the Stadium last year with a dominating 34-13 decision that earned them a share of the league title with Princeton. "They were the one team that beat us up physically on both sides of the ball," said Bagdis. "That stuck with us."
Today's meeting shapes up as a showdown between the league's best defenses, with Yale trying to keep Chris Pizzotti, the Ivy's most efficient passer, from hooking up with grabby wideouts Corey Mazza and Matt Luft, and Harvard trying to stifle junior tailback Mike McLeod, the nation's top rusher who already holds all of Yale's major records.
Bagdis and his fellow defenders haven't had a back run for 100 yards on them in more than two years. And McLeod, who has rushed for more yards (1,569) and touchdowns (23) than every other team in the league this season, has been held to double digits only once in his last 18 games - by Harvard. "It's the perfect matchup," said Bagdis. "They love to run and we love to stop the run."
And the Bulldogs will run. "We won't throw the ball 50 times a game," said Siedlecki, whose offense has attempted its fewest passes (157) since 1991. "That's not who we are."
Even though McLeod broke his right big toe four weeks ago, he's still been averaging 34 carries a game as part of Yale's strategy to starve opponents of the ball. "Control the pace of the game, control possession time," said Siedlecki, whose offense leads the nation in ball-hogging (35:02). "It's a different style than what we've been used to, but it's winning football games for us."
As in 17 of 18, the best run at Yale since the days of T.A.D. Jones in the '20s. Everyone knew that Yale, with 15 starters and both kickers back, would have a wagon this autumn.
Harvard, which graduated all-time leading rusher Clifton Dawson and anchor lineman Mike Berg, and lost starting quarterback Liam O'Hagan to a shoulder injury in its third game, came on gradually. "We've gotten a little better each week," observed Murphy. "We've found a way to win games."
The Crimson have done it with a reasonably balanced offense that averages more than 25 points a game and a defense that gets off the field quickly, specializing in third-down stops (96 of 126) and turnovers (27).
"They've become a defensive team," said Siedlecki. "They know that's their identity and that's how they play." That's how the Bulldogs play, too. "They give up 11 points a game," said Murphy. "In this day and age, that's incredible."
So nobody's expecting a 29-29 reprise today; overtime makes it impossible. The game could come down to a field goal, as it did when Harvard's Mike Lynch booted his last-minute "9-iron shot" for the 10-7 verdict in 1975, which won Harvard its first unshared title. One thing is certain, though. "It's a game for everything," said McLeod. "We always thought it would come down to us and them."
John Powers can be reached at jpowers@globe.com.
