Clasby Sparks Crimson To 28-26 Colgate Win

Clasby made the difference--Clasby and the Harvard line. But, then again, the Harvard line didn't have anyone like Dick Clasby to cope with. Our line did."

Colgate Coach Hal Lahar's opinion, voiced after the Crimson's 28 to 26 victory over the Red Raiders, was echoed by nearly everyone who saw the game.

In leading the Crimson to a victory that was not quite so close as the final score seems to indicate, Captain Dick Clasby put on the greatest individual show witnessed by Harvard football followers in years.

Clasby passed better than he ever had before, completing nine out of ten throws for 90 yards; he rolled up 113 yards in 21 rushing tries, and were it not for the nullification of his beautiful 54-yard run in the final period, the total would have been higher; his punts averaged 44 yards, one of them carrying over 60 yards from the line of scrimmage; he scored three touchdowns and passed to Bob Hardy for a fourth.

And, though it is true that Clasby's performance was the deciding factor, Joe Ross' kicking, John Culver's powerful line backs and defensive play, Bob Cowles' pass receiving, Bob Hardy's blocking, pass-catching, and tackling, and the defensive work of the line must also be credited.

For the second straight year, the Red Raiders were defeated on an extra-point margin. In 1952, it was Bill Monteith's three conversions that helped the Crimson win, 21 to 20.

And this year, with Monteith tucked away in a medical school lab, Joe Ross booted four out of four conversions. He now boasts a string of five straight conversions and a field goal.

Fullback Culver played one of his best games. He put tremendous drive behind his 11 line bucks, which netted him 59 yards.

In fact, the entire backfield unit exploded with the power that is going to make it hard to stop this season. It was credited with 19 first downs and a total of 330 yards against a Colgate squad that had held Holy Cross scoreless for three periods the week before. Several penalties for illegal procedure were charged to the bockfield, however, and proved harmful.

The major flaw in the Crimsons's performance--and it was a glaring, disturbing flaw--was its pass defense. Colgate receivers consistently outran the Crimson secondary; they hauled in a dozen of Dick Lalla's 22 passes for a total of 178 yards.

Coach Lloyd Jordan said of the Crimson's showing on pass protection: "What happens to any defense when you've got a terrific passer and a couple of good receivers?"

Lalla was indeed superb, giving the Crimson a 60-minute taste of some of the best passing it will see this year.

The effectiveness of the Crimson's rushing is highlighted by Lalla's rushing statistics: in 12 running attempts, he netted minus nine yards.

Line Improves

The Crimson line improved on its excellent showing against Ohio last week. It rushed Lalla, bottled up Art Fox and sophomore Frank Speno, and kept the Colgate rushing yardage down to a mere 74. Particularly effective were sophomore guard Bill Meigs, linebackers Hardy and Jeff Coolidge, guard Tim Anderson, and end Harvey Popell.

Colgate Coach Lahar thinks Anderson's recovery of a Maroon fumble midway through the second period proved the turning point of the game. With the Crimson leading 14 to 13, Anderson recovered a fumble on the Red Raiders' 23-yard line. It required only six plays to score, with Clasby's pass to Hardy in the flat capping the drive. Joe Ross's conversion made it 21 to 13, and although the final score was tight, the outcome of the game was pretty well assured.