Harvard Defense Still Number One; Gridders Prepare for Cornell Clash

Harvard's varsity football team is the number-one defensive club in the college ranks--at least statistically.

During last Saturday's 57-0 Crimson victory, Columbia amassed 38 yards offensively. After three games Harvard has given up 300 yards total, for a 100 yard-per-game average. The Crimson is unscored-upon in 11 quarters, having allowed UMass one touchdown while shutting out B.U. and Columbia.

"We do as much defensively as we do offensively," Crimson coach Joe Restic said yesterday. While his multiple set offenses have been receiving all the publicity, Restic has molded an out-standing defensive unit. "It took three years for the system to soak in," he said, "and now that it has the results are evident."

With only four starters returning, there was some doubt about this year's defense. Restic was unsure how sophomores George Newhouse, the adjuster, and Eric Kurzweil, the strong side linebacker, would react under game pressure. Both have come through exceptionally well. The Crimson coaching staff picked Newhouse and defensive tackle Joe Mackey as the outstanding defensive players against Columbia.

Not to be outdone by the defense, the Crimson offense scored the most points ever against an Ivy League opponent. Through three games the Crimson has averaged better than 32 points per game. Although Restic calls this year's club a ball control team, they have outscored last year's "explosive" offense by more than a touchdown per game.

What Restic said about the defense also holds true for the offense. "The players understand the system; they're doing what we knew they could do all along," he said. "Jimmy Stoeckel does not have a lot of experience--just good football sense and a knowledge of the offense."

The Crimson gridders face their first real test when they take on Cornell's Big Red machine next Saturday at Ithaca. Both teams registered big wins last Saturday--Cornell defeated Princeton, 37-6--and will be ready for the contest.

"Inexperience really shows when you play in a different stadium in front of an unfriendly crowd," Restic said, and that could be especially important against Cornell, because their stadium has polyturf. "Most of our sophomores and some of our juniors have never played on artificial turf before," Restic lamented. "I just hope they overcome their inexperience as they did in the beginning of the season."

Big Red Looks for Revenge

After three weeks, Harvard, Cornell and Penn are the only undefeated teams in Ivy League competition. Smarting from last year's 33-15 loss to the Crimson, the Big Red is looking for revenge. It will be a contest between Harvard's stellar defense and Cornell's experienced, ground-gaining offense. The game, which will be televised, could eventually prove to be the game that decides the Ivy League crown.