Varsity Gridders Must Stop End Runs To Beat Princeton's Single Wing Attack

Harvard travels to Princeton Saturday to seek its seventh straight victory of the season against an opponent that features three of the Ivy League's top eight rushers and the nearly extinct single wing offense.

This fall Princeton has used the powerful single wing expertly to become the second-ranking team in the nation in rushing. The Tigers have run for 425 yards more than the league's second-rated team, Yale. Princeton is also number one among the Ivies in scoring with a 35.5 point per game average.

The Harvard defense, outstanding so far, must be able to stop this powerful rushing attack if the Crimson are to win. To finish ahead Harvard must halt Princeton's notorious sweeps around end.

Lopsided Loss

Harvard's coaching staff does not feel that the single wing is responsible for Harvard's four straight losses to Princeton. In three of the last four years, the Tigers have scored no more than two touchdowns against the Crimson. Head coach John Yovicsin attributes last year's lopsided loss to the simple fact that the Tigers did almost everything well on that day, while his team did not.

"The single wing is a problem, but not a major one," Yovicsin said. It puts pressure on everyone because it's so different, but we must rely on things we do well," he said.

No Change

Despite all the publicity about the single wing problem and the lengthy preparation necessary to defend against it, Harvard's defense will not change its basic approach. The Crimson knows what to look for, but according to defensive backfield coach Loyal Park, "We will not sit back and read the offense, we will attack it." This has been Harvard's successful approach all season.

Linebacking coach Ralp Jelic, however, points out that certain adjustments must be made. The entire defensive line must shift towards the strong side of the Princeton line. The Tigers also often double-team on blocking, and to combat this, Harvard can stack men in the seams or try to split the double team. By jumping around from one spot to another, the Crimson's linebackers can foul up these blocks, too.

Princeton's most effective play is a sweep to the strongside end. Formidable blocking leads this sweep, and the defensive end and the cornerback are responsible for breaking this intereference and preventing a significant gain.

Basic Single Wing Offense

A major problem is the versatility of the Tigers' backs. Captain Dick Bracken, Brian McCullough, and Scott MacBean, a doubtful starter due to an injury, are all able passers.

Princeton uses the sweep predominantly for running, and as the defense begins to expect the run, the pass becomes increasingly effective. MacBean has completed 14 of 15 attempted passes, while McCullough has thrown for 141 yards.

The Tigers' favorite pass pattern appears to be flooding a zone with three receivers--an end, the wingback, and usually the fullback.

The Runs

Two more frequent Princeton running plays are the dive off the strongside tackle and inside traps to the short side, usually with wingback Jim Koloski carrying. The Tigers also will send the fullback over the middle, a play which keeps some of the pressure off the end sweep.

Jelic mentioned that if the defense gets overly aggressive and a man comes through a hole left by a pulling guard, he can be trap blocked completely out of the play, thus leaving a massive hole.

Tail

The most important man in the single wing is the tailback rather than the quarterback, who is used primarily for blocking. The tailback and the fullback both stand about five yards behind the center so that either one many receive the snap from center. The wingback is positioned beside the end on the strong side of the unbalanced line.

Injuries

Princeton's tailbacks along with the injured MacBean are McCullough and Bracken. McCullough, a sophomore, is averaging 5.5 yards a carry to rank second in the league in rushing. He is also first in scoring with 54 points. Bracken has been the Tigers' leader in total offense during the last two years.

The Tigers fullback is junior Ellis Moore, who scored a record 30 points against Harvard last year. Moore is fourth in the league in rushing with 382 yards.

Two Heads

For the last 35 years, Princeton has had only two head coaches, Charley Caldwell and Joe Colman. Colman served under Caldwell and has been at the helm for 12 years now. Under these two men the single wing has always been employed, so that it is not only an effective novelty, but it is a tradition not likely to be changed soon, especially with Princeton's continued success.