Freshman Gridders Down Elis, 31-18, Without Meal

Howard Johnson marshmallow-fudge candy bars aren't exactly the ideal pre-game meal for a football team, but they were enough to power the Harvard freshmen football team to a 31-18 victory over the Yale freshmen yesterday afternoon in New Haven.

The bus taking the Yardlings to their annual grudge match with the Elis broke down outside of Hartford. Connecticut, and the team missed lunch.

Arriving late at DeWitt Cuyler Field, the Crimson was assessed a five yard penalty for delay of the game before the game even started. Once play began, the two teams battled evenly for three quarters, then Harvard sewed up its second straight win over Yale with a 19-point fourth quarter explosion.

Awesome Ground Game

For the second week in a row, the Crimson's awesome ground game proved to be the difference as Harvard running backs amassed 388 yards rushing to Yale's 162. Passing was a different story, however, as the Elis totaled 174 aerial yards to only two for Harvard.

On the Yardlings' second possession, quarterback Eric Crone cut off right tackle on a simple dive play and rambled 88 yards unmolested to give Harvard a 6-0 lead. The kick failed.

Yale rebounded after the ensuing kick-off and marched 69 yards in 16 plays to tie the score with Don Pfile going over from two yards out. The PAT was wide. The Elis drove 67 yards on the ground to take a short-lived 12-6 advantage early in the second period.

Tying Score

Harvard was stopped on its own 30 yard line after receiving the Bulldog kick-off, but a roughing the kicker penalty put them back to business at their 45. On fourth down at the Yale 48, Yardling fullback Chuck Krohn rolled off a pile-up at the line of scrimmage, and galloped through the Eli secondary for the tying score.

There was no scoring in the third period. The Yardlings blocked a Yale punt deep in Eli territory early in the final stanza, and on the next play, Richie Gatto went down the left sideline for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Yale bounced back with a 69-yard bomb from Purrington to Dick Jauron, but, the Yardlings' potent rushing attack soon put the game on ice, Fullback Ted DeMars capped a 65-yard drive, all on the ground, with a two-yard blast midway through the last quarter. John Kidwell's point after made the score 25-18.

Quarterback Rod Foster rolled around right and for 30 yards and the final Crimson touchdown. The Yardlings finish the season with two straight wins for their third consecutive 3-3 season.