Harvard's Schultz has look of a winner

His chatter is not the least intimidating. He's a psychology major. But look into his eyes from across the line of scrimmage, and there is the essence of Eric Schultz. A portrait of grit, determination, and fire.

Nearly every quarterback in the Ivy League has become well acquainted with that intense stare over the last three seasons.

He stands a shade under 6 feet, with 215 pounds well-sculpted on his frame, numbers that, physically, fall short of Dante Balestracci or Isaiah Kacyvenski, two former linebacking greats at Harvard.

Schultz doesn't fall short anywhere else.

"He's not an NFL prospect because he's not 6-2, like those other two kids were," said Harvard coach Tim Murphy. "But he is as tough, as physical, as instinctive, as durable and productive as anybody we have had.

"If he was an inch taller, he'd be playing at Georgia Tech."

That's not a stretch for the former all-state performer at Greater Atlanta Christian, who has been nothing but productive since he arrived in Cambridge. Schultz was second-team All-Ivy as a sophomore and junior, Harvard's leading tackler both seasons. This fall his 42 stops rank second on the Crimson and he is coming off arguably the finest game of his career, a 16-tackle effort last week at Princeton, punctuated by a fourth-quarter sack that locked up a 24-20 win.

The Ivy's marquee matchup today is undoubtedly at Philadelphia's Franklin Field, in a clash of the last two unbeatens in conference play, Brown (4-2, 3-0) and Penn (4-2, 3-0). But Schultz and Harvard (5-1, 2-1) are focused on their matchup at winless Dartmouth (0-6, 0-3).

"Like Coach Murphy says, every game is a like a playoff game right now," said Schultz.

"Last year [in Harvard's run to the title], Dartmouth played us the toughest of all the Ivy League teams. We have a ton of respect for them. We have to finish out these last four games."

Defensively, the Crimson have not been as sharp as Murphy or Schultz would like, but they closed out vital wins the last two weeks against Lehigh and Princeton.

"We have a lot of work to do to be where we want to be," said Murphy, "and I know that [Schultz] will be a catalyst in making that happen."

Murphy calls Schultz and fellow Georgian Glenn Dorris, former high school rivals who have become best friends and roommates the past three years, "the best tandem of linebackers in the league, and I don't think there's any argument about that."

Now is their time to finish what they started.

"We have a history of knowing how to pull out those close games at the end," said Schultz, who this week accepted a position at Barclays, working in investment banking, upon his graduation. "When we take the field in the fourth quarter, we have confidence that we will make the play."

Northeastern (2-6, 1-3 Colonial) has a mighty challenge at Parsons Field against seventh-ranked Villanova (5-2, 3-1), which suffered a last-second 23-19 loss to top-ranked James Madison last week. The Huskies welcome back senior tight end Brian Mandeville (knee) for the first time in a month, but both backups, sophomore Conor Gilmartin-Donahue and junior Ty Sibert, are now out. Free safety Nate Thellen (team-leading five interceptions) will be a game-time decision.

Villanova sophomore quarterback Chris Whitney, a 73 percent passer, is a concern, as well as catch-and-run threat Matt Szczur.

"We believe that we have a chance, and that's all that matters," said NU coach Rocky Hager.

Averaging a CAA-leading 37.9 points per game, ninth-ranked New Hampshire (6-1, 3-1) hosts Hofstra (3-5, 1-3) in search of its third straight win. The Wildcats are receiving stellar play from senior linebacker Matt Parent.

Senior quarterback Liam Coen makes his final road trip home to Rhode Island as 15th-ranked UMass (5-3, 2-2) tackles the Rams (2-7, 0-6). The Newport native surpassed 10,000 career passing yards in last week's win over Bryant.

Undefeated American International (8-0, 6-0), ranked 17th in Division 2, can wrap up the Northeast-10 Conference title with a win at Merrimack (5-3, 4-2) . . . In the NESCAC, Trinity (6-0) can clinch its fifth conference title in the last eight years with a win over visiting Amherst (5-1). The Bantams have won 30 consecutive at home and six straight over the Lord Jeffs . . . One week after ending Curry's 37-game winning streak in the New England Football Conference, Boyd Division leader Plymouth State (7-1, 5-0) travels to MIT (5-3, 3-2) in a matchup of two outstanding backs, Jeff Mack (161.8 yards rushing per game, 16 TDs) and DeRon Brown (184.2, 21 TDs).

Craig Larson can be reached at clarson@globe.com