Crimson, Crusader Elevens Try for First Victory Today

Two of the nation's longest losing streaks go on the line at 2 p.m. this afternoon when Harvard and Holy Cross meet for the 24th time in the football arena at 79 North Harvard Street.

Chances are reasonably good that one team will emerge with its first victory after five unsuccessful starts apiece. There has been just one tie since the series started--the only game in which both teams failed to score. Harvard has won the last three games in the series but the margin of victory was just one touchdown in each ease.

The Crimson held its customary token workout in the Stadium yesterday and when it was over Coach Art Valpey rated today's game clearly a toss-up. "It will depend on how far each team has come in its recovery," he said. The betting gentry has given the locals a six and one-half point edge, largely because of their superior physical condition.

Everyone who started against Standard will be able to play today, but they won't all be at full strength. Captain Howie Houston and John Coan return to the starting lineup at the guard positions, Houston after one week's layoff, Coan after two.

There are two changes in the lineup which started the season in California, not necessitated by injuries--Will Davis goes in at short side tackle and John West, impressive in the Army and Dartmouth games, opens at fullback.

The defensive setup is still indefinite. The picture was brightened this week by the return of Sam Butler, but just who the defensive specialists will be and who will go both ways has not yet been decided. Harvard's only non-combatants will be tackle Dick Guidera and tailback Jim Kenary.

Holy Cross also comes up to this game in its best physical condition since the start of the season. Nevertheless, it is still without 237-pound tackle Bill Petreski and three first stringers, plus several others who will see action but are not in the best of shape.

H.C. Line Heavy

Coach Bill Osmanski is proceeding, after a fashion, through his second season at Worcester with a typical Holy Cross team--as far as the line goes. It is big, heavy, and slow, and opponents have been making merry with it all fall.

As for the backfield, it is fairly light for a Crusader team but being all-sophomore its consequent inexperience has been the source of many of Osmanski's troubles. Fumbles and penalties, among other errors of omission and commission, have hurt Holy Cross to the extent of five straight losses.

Quite naturally, Osmanski has installed the Chicago Bear T formation--the system under which he himself played--at Holy Cross. This means that at least half the plays are run from the basic T with a minimum of flankers and men in motion.

Purpie Tunes Offense

This week, Osmanski has been working overtime on offense, for the Cross attack bogged down at critical times against Yale last Saturday. The Purple failed to score in four tries from the one-yard line and the offense stalled several times inside the Eli 25.

Potentially, the Crusaders have a powerful, tricky attack which features the running of Mel Massucco and John Turco and the passing of Jim Murphy, Paul Gallo, and Frank Matrango. Gallo, also a good runner, has experienced some difficulty in handling the T quarterback assignments so Matrango was shifted to that position last Tuesday.

Something's Got to Give

Today's is a battle between two teams neither of which has as yet fully realized its offensive potentialities. This afternoon they may find themselves in a situation which appears unprecedented in the 45-year span the series has covered. It is likely that the Stadium crowd (smallest of the season) will see a good deal of action as one of these teams finally gets rolling.

Holy Cross did not work out here yesterday, the usual visiting team procedure. Most of the Crusaders are quite familiar with the Stadium and the squad will drive over from Worcester shortly before game time.

Osmanski, after much experimenting early in the fall, chose to string along with a batch of sophomores up from an excellent freshman team. However, the second-year men (there will be approximately six of them in the starting lineup) have failed to live up to expectations, although their mistakes appear to have become less conspicuous each week.

The Purple's defensive standouts are Co-Captain Tom Kelleher, a two-way end and a regular for three years, and Bill DeChard, who backs up the line. Kelleher is still nursing a knee injury; DeChard saw little action last year because of a shoulder bruise, but shone as a freshman two years ago