Harvard Faces Crucial Ivy Tests

Kickoff Time: 2 p.m.

Harvard's football team faces its first real Ivy League test today, when Cornell, smarting from an upset loss at the hands of Penn last week, brings the Ivy League's best defense to Cambridge, to try containing the Crimson's prolific offense.

It's hard to call Cornell the underdog, even after its embarassing 10-8 Ivy opening loss a week ago. The Big Red has 27 letterman back from a year ago--the third highest number in the League--compared to Harvard's ten. Cornell's entire defensive team are veterans from last year, and nine of them were starters.

Offensively, Cornell is much weaker. Only one of its offensive linemen started last season. But the Big Red backfield is experienced, and quarterback Bill Robertson was the Ivy League's leading passer (1079 yards) last year.

The outcome of today's game is anybody's guess, since each team's greatest advantage--Harvard's high-scoring offense and Cornell's veteran-packed defense--will be offset likely by the other's. The Crimson depends heavily on the running of halfbacks Vic Gatto and Ray Hornblower--who picked up 237 rushing yards between them in New York last week--in scoring 107 points in its first three games.

But Cornell's defense--which allowed only 26 points in three games--is sure to be keying on these two, and Gatto, just recovered from a foot infection, may not be in top form anyway.

Unless he has an usually bad day, however, Gatto is almost certain to become Harvard's all-time leading rusher. He needs only 46 yards to overtake Dick Clasby's record of 1825 yards.

With Harvard's offense almost sure to be less effective than usual today, Coach John Yoviesin has to worry all the more about Cornell's and in particular, about Robertson.

Harvard's defense--which, has yielded 34 points so far--has been adequate. And there have been several standout performers, linebacker John Emery and tackle Lonny Kaplan in particular.

But Yoviesin complained last week that Columbia quarterback Marty Domres "picked us apart with his passes." (Domres completed 16 of 21 for 206 yards.) And Harvard faces an even better passer in Robertson today.

One boost to the stop-Robertson effort should be the return of defensive end Pete Hall, who was injured in the Holy Cross game. Another change in the lineup will be at fullback, where junior Gus Crim will probably start in place of Ken O'Connell.

Senior quarterback George Lalich, slightly injured in last week's game, took it easy this week but is still the likely starter.