News

Pro-Palestine Encampment Represents First Major Test for Harvard President Alan Garber

News

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Condemns Antisemitism at U.S. Colleges Amid Encampment at Harvard

News

‘A Joke’: Nikole Hannah-Jones Says Harvard Should Spend More on Legacy of Slavery Initiative

News

Massachusetts ACLU Demands Harvard Reinstate PSC in Letter

News

LIVE UPDATES: Pro-Palestine Protesters Begin Encampment in Harvard Yard

Crimson Seeks Third Ivy Victory Against Dangerous Quaker Squad

Boone, Hatch Will Play

By Frederic L. Ballard jr.

Harvard football will be broadcast at 2 p.m. today on WHRB-FM (95.3)--550 AM in Harvard buildings--and on WNAC (98.5).

On paper, the Penn-Harvard game this afternoon in Philadelphia looks like a deceptively tame pushover for the Crimson. It won't be.

The varsity will have Tom Boone and Hank Hatch, both fresh off the injury list. But Penn has come a long way since it dropped a 30-0 disaster to the same Dartmouth varsity which Harvard downed 21-15 last Saturday, and the Quakers will put up quite a fight if they get a few early breaks.

The man who will do the job for Penn, assuming the Quakers can do it at all, is a substitute quarterback named Bill Gray. Gray leads the Penn passers, and Quaker coach John Stiegman has a habit of using him in clutch situations--something he will be especially likely to do against a team with as poor a reputation for pass defense as Harvard.

Against Princeton, for example, in a cliffhanging 9-3 loss that was Penn's finest game this year, Stiegman bet all his marbles on Gray after the Quakers had driven on the ground from their own 20 up to the Tiger 17 in the closing minutes of play. The trick didn't work, but Stiegman will probably try it again.

Princeton was heavily favored that afternoon, and the only thing that kept Penn in the game was an incredibly adept pass defense ah Quaker defenders twice picked off Tiger aerials within the Penn 10-yard line. This sort of thing happens al lthe time with Penn, however, the Quakers lead the country in pass defense, having allowed only 23 completions out of 73 enemy attempts, with 10 interceptions.

Few Passes Expected

Facing this kind of defense, the Crimson is almost certain to refrain from any very daring aerial attempts.

Penn too will count on its ground attack, especially to move the ball up the field to within striking distance of the Crimson goal. Penn runs out of a single wing formation, with the usual reverses and tackle slants mixed with an outside running game.

The big men in the attack are alternating tailbacks Mickey Brown and John

Owen, both of whom are more than adequate replacements for the injured Porter Shreve. Brown is the probable starter for today's game, along with Pete McCarthy at fullback, Mike Ruggieri at wingback, and Frank Lambert at quarterback.

Penn's Backfield Poor

As far as statistics, this backfield has not done so well as the Crimson's--Penn has only gained 707 yards rushing and 101 passing for 44 first downs and 30 points, as opposed to 998 yards rushing, 174 passing, for 75 first downs and 66 points for the Crimson.

But Penn had a lot of trouble with injuries in the beginning of the season, and it was not until the evening after the Princeton defeat that one player was able to tell the New York Times, "We now feel like a football team and are beginning to go. Our offense has jelled."

The Times quote appeared on Oct. 13--since then Penn has defeated Brown 7 to 0 and lost to Rutgers 6 to 20, to leave the Quakers with the short end of a 2-3-0 record.

The same problem which Penn is beginning to solve--injuries--will hamper the Crimson offensive today, in spite of the return of Boone and Hatch. Ted Halaby is still on the bench, and Fred Bartl will definitely be unable to play.

This week the Crimson varsity has been working on new defensive formations to stop the single wing it will face both today and next Saturday against Princeton. Coach John Yovicsin has also attempted to build up the threat of a Crimson passing attack, on the theory that it he doesn't, Penn will have enough confidence in its safety men to throw a seven or eight man line against Harvard.BILL TAYLOR (12) picks up yardage as BILL GRANA (34) runs interference.

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags