Underdog Lions Face Crimson Eleven Today, As Harvard Tries for First Ivy League Win

The gloom of last week's loss to Cornell has abated, and an angry, vengeful Crimson eleven will work off its rage against underdog Columbia this afternoon at Soldiers Field. In its best physical shape of the fall and looking for its first Ivy win, the Crimson is a twelve-point favorite to come out on top.

The Lions are a much improved club since last year, and "are capable of giving anybody in the league a good ball game," said Crimson coach John Yovicsin yesterday. Nevertheless, they will be without the full-time services of ace fullback and captain Harvey Brookins and with six sophomores on the starting team, more mistakes than usual can be expected.

Columbia is, in fact, very reminiscent of the Crimson team last fall. A fast and able backfield operating behind a strong line has given them a powerful offense, but against Princeton and Yale, fumbles and interceptions destroyed several scoring chances. Probable Starting Lineups COLUMBIA  HARVARD Federspiel  LE  Keohane Asack  LT  Pillsbury Radano  LG  Lenzner McCool  C  Christensen Brodeur  RG  Weidler Little  RT  Nelson Williams  RE  Cappiello Vasell  QB  Ravenel Savini  LH  Boulris Zisk  RH  Repsher Haggerty  FB  Halaby

The Columbia offense is no soft touch. Quarterback Tom Vassell, the offensive leader in the Ivy League, and end Bob Federspiel, one of the most feared pass receivers in the League, make a dangerous combination. Vassell has accounted for 269 yards with his throwing and Federspiel scared the Elis enough for them to put two men on him. At left half will be Don Savini, extremely fast and just as lethal to the outside as Brookins.

The Crimson has worked long this week in defensing Columbia's muddle huddle. Coming out of a huddle ten yards to the side of the ball, the Lions split into two units. Though they generally shift then into a more familiar Wing T, occasionally they run a fast quick pitch from the split formation which is good for 15 yards against an unadjusted defense.

The Crimson defensive line, however, has become among the best in the league. Led by Jon Christensen whose pursuit and tackling was magnificent against Cornell, the line has held each of its three opponents to less than half the ground yardage gained by the Crimson backfield.

Even more encouraging for Yovicsin has been the improved play of his second team. Composed mostly of sophomores, the experience it gained in the opening contests makes it eligible for heavy duty this afternoon. This is doubly important against Columbia whose own second team gave up much yardage to Princeton and Yale.

The "white platoon" so far has been scoreless in action. They are eager to break the ice, and today's game seems their best chance to do it.

Varsity in Top Shape

While the Lions captain will be playing only for small periods at best, the Crimson "has not been in as good physical shape since the opening day of fall practice," Yovicsin said. Defensive back Jim Nelson, recovering from a bout with mononucleosis, is the only man not counted on to play.

Few people doubt that the Crimson, from past performances and on paper, is the stronger team. They have ground out over 200 yards in each of their previous games, and with Ravenel's passing showing considerable improvement against Cornell, the offense should definitely be more than Columbia can handle.

Crimson Morale High

The big question remains: what has happened to the team's morale? After an unbelievable loss to Cornell many thought the Crimson would throw in the towel. Not so. Angered at the loss, and more anxious than ever to finish among the top, the Crimson went through two of its most spirited drills on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be hard to stop in its quest for its first Ivy win.

However, as Brookins said last week, "being a sophomore doesn't mean you have to make a mistake." If the Lion rookies play a steady game it's not impossible that 15,000 fans will watch another stunning upset. It's just very unlikely

The Columbia offense is no soft touch. Quarterback Tom Vassell, the offensive leader in the Ivy League, and end Bob Federspiel, one of the most feared pass receivers in the League, make a dangerous combination. Vassell has accounted for 269 yards with his throwing and Federspiel scared the Elis enough for them to put two men on him. At left half will be Don Savini, extremely fast and just as lethal to the outside as Brookins.

The Crimson has worked long this week in defensing Columbia's muddle huddle. Coming out of a huddle ten yards to the side of the ball, the Lions split into two units. Though they generally shift then into a more familiar Wing T, occasionally they run a fast quick pitch from the split formation which is good for 15 yards against an unadjusted defense.

The Crimson defensive line, however, has become among the best in the league. Led by Jon Christensen whose pursuit and tackling was magnificent against Cornell, the line has held each of its three opponents to less than half the ground yardage gained by the Crimson backfield.

Even more encouraging for Yovicsin has been the improved play of his second team. Composed mostly of sophomores, the experience it gained in the opening contests makes it eligible for heavy duty this afternoon. This is doubly important against Columbia whose own second team gave up much yardage to Princeton and Yale.

The "white platoon" so far has been scoreless in action. They are eager to break the ice, and today's game seems their best chance to do it.

Varsity in Top Shape

While the Lions captain will be playing only for small periods at best, the Crimson "has not been in as good physical shape since the opening day of fall practice," Yovicsin said. Defensive back Jim Nelson, recovering from a bout with mononucleosis, is the only man not counted on to play.

Few people doubt that the Crimson, from past performances and on paper, is the stronger team. They have ground out over 200 yards in each of their previous games, and with Ravenel's passing showing considerable improvement against Cornell, the offense should definitely be more than Columbia can handle.

Crimson Morale High

The big question remains: what has happened to the team's morale? After an unbelievable loss to Cornell many thought the Crimson would throw in the towel. Not so. Angered at the loss, and more anxious than ever to finish among the top, the Crimson went through two of its most spirited drills on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be hard to stop in its quest for its first Ivy win.

However, as Brookins said last week, "being a sophomore doesn't mean you have to make a mistake." If the Lion rookies play a steady game it's not impossible that 15,000 fans will watch another stunning upset. It's just very unlikely