Buffaloes Halt Crimson Attack, 6-3

An old Crimson football nemesis--a sad inability to score from within an opponent's ten-yard line--struck once more in the Stadium last Saturday. With the home forces stalling twice on the goal line, the University of Buffalo joined the company of Tufts, Bucknell, Massachusetts, and other obscure underdogs who have humiliated Harvard.

Looking at the statistics of the game, none but the most imaginative could suppose how Buffalo managed to win, even by a 6-3 margin. The Crimson's offense ground out 17 first downs to a skimpy six for Buffalo, and while the home team was covering 175 yards on the ground, the Bulls were hard put to make 49. In fact, the hapless Buffalo attack moved the ball into Crimson territory only once during the game, and that was not until midway through the third quarter.

It was strictly a defensive victory, and as Buffalo coach Dick Offenhamer admitted afterwards, a lucky one at that. Even the winners' lone score of the rainy afternoon came, significantly enough, on a defensive play.

With the Crimson in punt formation on its own ten, Buffalo countered with a special defensive charge play, and a feeble center gave guard Joe O'Grady time to break through and bat down Bruce MacIntyre's punt on the one-yard line. End Nick Bottini quickly hustled the loose ball into the end zone for the game's only touchdown.

Though such a loss is discouraging, the Crimson eleven's performance, which clearly dominated the soggy gridiron, was in many respects heartening. Its defense, bulwarked by captain Bob Shaunessy. Pete Briggs, and Hal Anderson, had the Buffalo backs in awe, and with a little more speed, the attack could have broken the game wide open.

Quarterback Ron Johanson early noted a weakness outside tackle and end in the tightly packed Buffalo defenses. Chet Boulris and Sam Halaby exploited these holes for several substantial gains in the first period, but it was painfully obvious that the Crimson backs were too slow to do any real damage here.

Boulris is one of the shiftiest and most skilful runners in the Ivy League and Halaby has a fine fullback charge, but neither possesses the speed to make the varsity a real breakaway threat. Quite possibly this crucial commodity could be supplied by sophomore halfback Larry Repsher, who made some exciting long gains and may give Don Gerety strong competition for the starting right half-back spot.

Another bright spot in the varsity's attack was quarterback Charlie Ravenel, also a sophomore, who gave the backfield a spark and precision it hadn't shown before when he entered the game in the last period. With the ball on the Crimson eight and a three-point deficit to fight, Ravenel began a long drive that carried to the Buffalo 20. Not long afterwards, Pete Briggs recovered a fumble on the 29, and with five minutes to go Ravenel again took charge.

The Crimson then rolled to a first down on the ten, but the next two tries gained only two yards. Then came the play that decided the game. Ravenel rolled around to his right with the ball, and end Stu Hershon raced into the end zone, uncovered for several moments. But Ravenel delayed his pass, and then when it seemed he might score on the ground, threw the ball over Hershon's head. The next play was a fruitless screen pass, and the Crimson lost the ball for good.

Such a finale was only a repetition of a first period drive which was stymied on the six and resulted in Halaby's field goal (a smart move designed to get the lead in what was to be a low-scoring contest), and of a thrust to the three early in the second period, which came to nothing after a couple of repulsed line bucks and two overthrown passes. The Crimson will have to sharpen its passing attack and improve its drive in front of the goal line in order to cast much weight in the Ivy League this year.Mud and tacklers are this runner's problems as he sweeps around Buffalo's left end in one of Saturday's unsuccessful drives for a touchdown. As a stadium crowd of 6,000 looked on in alternating drizzle and downpour, Buffalo's Nick Bottini blocked a punt by Bruce Maclntyre on the Harvard 2, pounced on the ball, and rolled to an easy touchdown. Despite a last-minute drive to the Bull's goal line, the Crimson lost 6 to 3, giving the visitors revenge for a 66-0 drubbing in 1932.