CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Two of the winningest Division I programs in the state of Massachusetts collide in Worcester on Saturday as No. 24/RV Harvard visits No. 5/6 Holy Cross in an EBW Football Classic game that will be played at Polar Park -- home of the Boston Red Sox Triple-A affiliate, the Worcester WooSox. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET, with the contest airing live on ESPN+.
- Since the start of the 2011 campaign, no D-I team in the Commonwealth has won more games than Harvard and Holy Cross. The Crimson boast 83 wins, while the Crusaders have emerged victorious 69 times. Trailing behind the two are Boston College (66), Stonehill (62), which started playing at the Division I level in 2022, Merrimack College (61), which began its Division I journey in 2019, and UMass (27). Stonehill and Merrimack's totals include its Division II wins, otherwise the duo owns six and 20 D-I victories, respectively.
- Using winning percentage alone, since the beginning of 2011, Harvard has won at a .741 clip (83-29). The rest of the Massachusetts list is as follows: Stonehill (.525, 62-56; Div. I: .462, 6-7), Holy Cross (.504, 69-68), Merrimack College (.492, 61-63; Div. I: .500, 20-20), Boston College (.434, 66-86), UMass (.193, 27-113).
- The Crimson enters this week's action with a 2-0 record for the third straight season after it defeated Brown in its Ivy League opener, 34-31. Harvard dug out of a 10-0 first-quarter deficit, outscoring the Bears, 34-21, over the final three frames to beat Brown for the 12th straight time overall and 12th consecutive time at home.
- Quarterback Charles DePrima enjoyed the best game of his career to date, setting career highs in completions (15), passing yards (203) and passing touchdown (3), while adding 98 rushing yards and a TD on the ground, against the Brown. For his performance, he was honored with the New England Football Writers Association/Grinold Chapter Gold Helmet Award. Over two games, he is averaging 105.5 yards rushing, ranking second to running back Shane McLaughlin (124.0).
- McLaughlin posted his best stat line of the season vs. the Bears, racking up a personal-record 152 rushing yards. He reached the endzone for the second straight game, going 43 yards early in third quarter vs. Brown. Both of his TD runs have been explosive, with his other one covering 79 yards against St. Thomas. The junior also added a 14-yard TD reception against the Bears.
- Sophomore wideout Cooper Barkate enjoyed a nice outing vs. Brown, with career-high numbers in receptions (10), receiving yards (132) and touchdowns (1). Against the Bears alone, Barkate matched his 2022 total for receptions and fell 25 yards shy of equaling his receiving yards total (157).
- On defense vs. Brown, Harvard had two double-digit tacklers for the first time this season in Matt Hudson (11) and Gavin Shipman (10). Both totals were career bests. Ty Bartrum, the Ivy Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18, added nine tackles for the second straight game and enters this week as the Harvard leader with 18.
- The Crimson's run defense has been stout through two games, ranking 10th nationally at 89.5 yards allowed per game. Brown rushed for 83 yards against the Harvard defense, which has held seven of its last 12 foes to under 100 yards rushing and nine to fewer than 110 yards.
- The Harvard football staff will wear the Coach to Cure MD logo patch on the sidelines, to raise awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For the first time, the federal government this year approved a gene therapy treatment that could incrementally help millions of young people battling this fatal genetic disorder. Coach to Cure MD was launched with the American Football Coaches Association in 2008, and now includes the vast majority of coaches in all divisions.
