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Crimson Teamwork Spills Powerful, Favored Bruins

By Donald Carswell

After three weeks of relying on individual brilliance to win football games, the Varsity started to work together again Saturday. The result of teamwork was a decisive 30 to 19 win over a confident but battled Brown Bear.

Crisp was the word to describe Harvard's blocking and tackling. The Crimson hit so hard that Brown linemen went down, and stayed down. Blockers didn't stop confusedly when they missed assigned blocks, but went on to flatten the nearest man in a white shirt.

Harvard was eager Saturday, and at times it was over-eager. Consequently, the winning team picked up 75 yards in penalties.

Of those who saw the first fifteen harrowing minutes of the game, only the blindly partisan thought the Crimson had a chance. They groped through the defense formations, and faltered against the passing. So Brown rumbled down the field and scored on a pass from Flnn to Nelson. A few moments later, Brown set up another score on a fake field goal pass.

A Master Stroke

Then, with ten minutes gone in the first period, the Varsity caught fire. Every time it got the ball it made a sustained march. The trend started in the first half; in the second half it was more than a trend; Brown no longer had a chance.

The pattern of the game was a master stroke. When the Brown ends hung back, the Crimson swept the flanks; when they crashed, Gannon and Shafer jump-passed and bucked for twenty yard gains. Above all, Harvard trapped. On fully half the plays Will Davis pulled out of the weak side and hit a gullible Bruin guard. The rest of the line blocked solidly and a stream of Crimson backs poured through a hole in the strong side.

Once through the line, the backs ran like acrobatic deer. Paul Shafer spun, cut back, and ploughed through crowds of Brown tacklers all afternoon. He played his best game of the season. For the first time this year Jimmy Noonan looked like a polished passer.

All the linemen were good. Perhaps Davis and Houston were the best. Each played 54 minutes, blocking and tackling almost faultlessly. Houston made one crashblock which demolished two Bruins and left 25,000 spectators gaping. Davis played opposite Brown star Bill McLellan, and the latter's name sounded out but twice as a tackler on the Stadium P.A. system.

Dike Hyde played a great game, recovering a fumble, catching a touchdown pass and guarding well his right end slot. Dravaric kicked with aplomb and accuracy to rack up six points.

After it was all over, Valpey admitted he had called two plays, that Shafer should try for a first down when it was fourth and one on the Harvard 45, and that Drvaric should try for a field goal

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