Back to the Basics

The terrible weather was the best thing that could have happened to Harvard Saturday at The Stadium. It forced Harvard to play a throwback style, and the result was a throwback to last year's success-a 19-12 win over Cornell.

More importantly, a new generation of leaders stepped up for the Crimson.

It sure looked like a throwback game, as the nonstop rain made the field into a 100-yard plot of mud a little reminiscent of a rice patty. The huge divots in the turf were filled with water, creating the atmosphere of a game only Dick Butkus could love.

The weather and terrible field conditions--"crummy" was Harvard Coach Tim Murphy's description--meant that Harvard went to a throwback, power-running offensive attack. Harvard's first eight plays were runs. After junior quarterback Rich Linden's first pass attempt fell incomplete, Harvard ran three more times in a row.

Linden ended the day only 4-of-12 passing for 49 yards on the day. Although junior wide receiver Terence Patterson dropped a sure touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, a passing touchdown wouldn't have belonged.

"In all honesty, the conditions gave us an opportunity to find a little bit of our identity because we hadn't played--for a lot of reasons, a lot of quality opponents--but we hadn't played as aggressive, as physical, as tough as I would like us to in the first couple of games," Murphy said.

Harvard went back to what worked best last year, as junior running back Chris Menick threw his body at the Big Red defense 39 times for 176 yards. He improved on his 22-carry, 114-yard performance in last week's 21-17 loss to Lehigh and showed he is completely recovered from ankle and thumb injuries.

Menick did most of his work between the tackles, with his characteristic running style of putting his free arm on an offensive lineman's back and willing them both forward. He also atoned for a personal foul that might have cost Harvard a game-winning drive late against Lehigh.

The point isn't merely that Harvard looked like last year, however. This is a totally different Crimson team, and it struggled to find its identity in its first three games. Graduation meant the departure of five vocal leaders on defense as well as Harvard's best offensive lineman--left tackle Matt Birk. Although captain Brendan Bibro returned, he couldn't lead by himself.

The leadership void was apparent in the first game, when Harvard looked flat before the game even started. Instead of rushing out to pile on to Bibro after the coin toss like it did last year, the team just waited on the sidelines for him.

Things have changed, however, and Bibro has shown a little caginess as well. After the coin toss, he waited at midfield for his teammates to run through the tunnel so that they would be there to pound him when he sprinted back to the sidelines.

"I think after we graduated 16 guys last year who were all tremendous leaders, who brought a lot of energy to the team, coming out this season, we really had to mesh as a team and had to take some time," Bibro said. "I think we're really starting to have guys step up as leaders."

The leaders have to come from Harvard's talented junior class. Saturday's win showed that they may be doing that just as the stretch of games that determine the league champion starts. Menick did the job on offense, and inside linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski did it on defense.

"Personally, I was real fired up, I had something to prove," Menick said. "A lot of people may be losing respect for Harvard because we were 0-3 coming into this game, and I'm saying to myself going into this game I'm not going to let that happen."

Kacyvenski made his biggest contribution when the Harvard defense held twice with the game on the line and with a precarious 19-12 lead.

After Kacyvenski drew a questionable 15-yard penalty for a late hit, he almost single-handedly stopped the Big Red offense. On first down, he stopped tailback Deon Harris after one yard. He held Harris to two yards on the next play, then teamed with senior inside linebacker Scott Larkee to stop a sweep to the left.

On fourth-and-three at the Harvard 23-yard line, Kacyvenski flew up on a pass to running back Justin Bush and knocked the ball down.

"I really didn't think of the mistake, I just let it go," Kacyvenski said. "I knew I was a better player than that, and I just had to get the next couple plays."

With under two minutes to go in the game and Cornell at the Harvard 48-yard line, the defense stiffened once again, sniffing out a screen, stopping a running play and knocking down two passes.

Sure, things looked a lot like last year-even Harvard's shoddy special teams play. Freshman punter Jesse Milligan, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Week, averaged only 26.3 yards per punt, including a 25-yarder when Harvard needed to pin Cornell deep on its last possession. Junior placekicker Jonathan Patton missed an extra point and a 25-yard field goal.

But this team appears to have finally come to grips with the fact that last year is gone. If the new generation of leaders can make this year its own, Harvard can go 6-1 in the Ivies. So, as fond as the memories of last year are, it's still way too early to turn back the clock and live in the past.