Matt Bassuener will be seeing double Saturday even before he gets his bell rung. Two Yale defensive stalwarts – twin brothers Larry and Bobby Abare – plan on having the Georgetown senior signal caller believing he’s in some kind of football funhouse all day long.

Tiki and Ronde Barber may have set the bar for twin triumph on the gridiron when they led the University of Virginia to four consecutive bowl appearances in the mid 1990’s, but the Abare brothers have had their fair share of success during their first two years in New Haven.

Bobby, a linebacker, and Larry, a defensive end, combined for 151 tackles during the Bulldogs’ run to the Ivy League title in 2006.

“The Abares are not only great football players but are emotionally a catalyst for our defense and special teams,” Yale Head Coach Jack Siedlecki said. “The greatest strengths for both of them is their absolute passion for the game.”

The twins were stars both on and off the field during their high school days at Acton-Boxboro Regional High School outside Boston. Larry racked up 11 varsity letters, was captain of three teams his senior year, caught 39 touchdowns as a wide receiver, notched 250 tackles as a safety, and was named Massachusetts Hall of Fame all-Scholastic.

Bobby served as his brother’s co-captain on the football, baseball and basketball teams, shattered the school career rushing record with 4,100 yards as a running back, and – in perfect statistical symmetry – made 250 tackles on defense.

Oh, and one more thing: after losing their first high-school game as freshmen, the brothers won 50 straight over the next four years and led the Colonials to four consecutive state Super Bowl victories.

“Sometimes good players at that age have a tendency to level off,” Acton Boxboro Regional Head Coach Bill Maver told the Boston Globe in 2005. “These guys just kept getting better.”

Since coming to Yale, the Abares, who could not be reached for comment, have proved unselfish in the spotlight. They shared Yale’s special teams player of the year award as freshmen in 2005, and split the team lead for solo tackles last season with 46 apiece. Bobby added four interceptions in 2006, including a Lawrence Taylor-esque performance against Brown, in which he intercepted three of Bears’ quarterback Joseph DiGiacomo’s passes and returned one for a touchdown.

Woe to the receiver whose route crosses Bobby’s path. In addition to his ball-hawking tactics, Abare has been known to attack wandering wide outs with tenacity.

“Luckily, I’m not going to have to go across [the middle] too much,” Georgetown senior receiver Brent Craft says. “But if I do, I’m going fast, and hope he doesn’t hit me.”

Bobby, at 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, has one inch and eight pounds on his brother, and is also five minutes older. That’s where the comparison stops, Siedlecki said.

“Bobby led our team in tackles with 76 last year and Larry had 75,” he said. “I don’t think we are going to split hairs and say one is better than the other.”

Georgetown senior quarterback Matt Bassuener said it won’t matter whether its number 44 or 32 coming – if an Abare is headed his direction, he’ll know that he’s in trouble.

“My line takes care of me,” Basseuner said. “But if one of them does get through there, I’m getting rid of the ball – fast.”

Senior fullback Kyle van Fleet acknowledged the brothers Abare are a force, but didn’t share Basseuner’s feelings of trepidation.

“They’re brothers, so that’s kind of interesting, and they’re hard-nosed and physical,” van Fleet said. “But they put their pants on the same way we all do.”