ELIS STOP CRIMSON, 21-7

Sporting a powerful running attack that finally wore down an inspired Harvard defense, the Yale Bulldogs won at least a share of the Ivy League championship with an impressive 21-7 victory over Harvard at The Stadium this afternoon.

Stacking the line on the first series in the opening quarter, the Crimson defense revealed its game plan for stopping the vaunted Yale rushing attack.

Stifling the Elis for no gain in three attempts, Harvard assumed excellent field position for its first plays before quarterback Jim Kubacki lobbed a pass into the waiting arms of Yale's Bill Crowley at the Crimson 38-yard line.

Taking over for their second possession, the Elis again failed to budge Harvard's swarming defense. And after an exchange of punts, it was Harvard's defense that surprisingly drew first blood.

The unlikely hero was lineman Russ Savage, who stepped in front of a short pass by Yale quarterback Stone Phillips and, getting two key blocks from his linemates, raced 74 yards down the right sideline as the capacity Soldiers Field crowd came to its feet. Harvard 7, Yale 0 at 12:42 in the first period.

With ace fullback John Pagliaro unable to crack any significant gains, and Phillips off-target, the Eli offense sputtered into the second-quarter without threatening.

The Bulldog defense was equal to its task as well, however, and Kubacki was ineffective through much of the half.

An interception by defenseman Bob Baggott with six minutes left in the second quarter gave Harvard the ball at the Yale 48, and following runs by Tom Winn and Kubacki, the Crimson penetrated for a first down at the Yale ten.

Kubacki was stopped cold on first down, and following a botched exchange from center on second, Kubacki was chased out of bounds in an attempt to pass. A Mike Lynch 35-yard field goal attempt squirted wide left, and Yale took over with three minutes remaining in the half.

Rob Rizzo replaced Phillips at quarterback for the Elis, and the offense began to come alive. Halfback Mike Southworth busted up the middle of the field for a 20-yard gain to the mid-field stripe. And then, Rizzo picked out John Spagnola on a crossing pattern for a first down at the Harvard 36.

With one minute left, Pagliaro gave the Elis a first down at the 26. But a Rizzo fumble on the next play was recovered by Harvard's Steve Kaseta at the 25 and the threat was ended.

The half time statistics showed the defensive orientation of the game, with Harvard's offense displaying 78 yards for its efforts (66 rushing, 12 passing), and Yale 123.

The key statistic was return yards, however, and Savage provided the Crimson with a big edge in that department.

Rizzo opened up the second half for the Elis, and immediately attempted to re-establish the offensive firepower shown at the tail end of the opening 30 minutes. Racking up consecutive first downs on the ground, the visitors penetrated into Harvard territory before a holding penalty snuffed out the drive.

Taking over at its own 28, the Crimson and record-chaser Kubacki continued to have trouble getting off plays without penalties. Kubacki, whose 21 yards in the first half put him within 20 of the all-time total offense record, gained five yards on the first play before two penalties wiped out the gain and sent the Crimson back to its own 20.

As the New York score of 17-7 (Columbia over Brown) was announced, Yale took over at the Harvard 42 and Pagliaro barged through the line on successive runs to bring the ball to the ten.

With a third and one at the six, Southworth took a quick handoff from Rizzo and found clear sailing into the endzone. At 8:34 of the third quarter the score was tied and Brown was losing.

Four minutes later, Kubacki gave Pagliaro and company another when he dropped the snap from center and watched Yale's Keith Bassi latch onto it.

The Elis made it stick when, after two Pagliaro runs, Rizzo speared Spagnola with a 16-yard strike over the middle, carrying Yale to the Harvard two.

A Pagliaro slip on second down sent the ball back to the five, but on the next play the Eli sensation swept right end for the touchdown at 14:32.

Randy Carter's conversion made it 14-7, and the Elis appeared on their way to at least a share of the Ivy League championship.

With 15 minutes remaining in the season, Harvard began at its own 27 and gave signs of things to come. Two unsuccessful runs were followed by a wild Kubacki aerial that overshot Chris Doherty by ten yards and a Scott Coolidge squip set the Elis up at their own 42.

Yale's offense began to push the Crimson around, and a reverse to Pagliaro which gained 26 yards moved the Elis back into striking position.

A reverse to halfback John Hatem put them on the 12. And two plays later, at 2:52, Southworth bucked over for the score. The second half was a rout.

Following the Yale score, Harvard's offense embarked on its frustrating ways once again, and thoughts of records, not championships, began to circulate around the Harvard side of the field.

Kubacki managed to hook up with Bob McDermott, who tied the record for lifetime receptions by a Harvard tight end on the play, for a ten yard gain that moved the senior close to his own record for total offense, but the offense continued to fizzle and another in a long line of Scott Coolidge punts was in order.

Bob Baggott's interception at 6:32 gave Harvard an opportunity to get back into the game, giving the Crimson life at the Eli 20. Runs by Tom Winn and Kubacki provided a first-and-goal situation at the eight. But the drive ultimately fell six inches short.

A fourth down Kubacki pass to Chris Doherty connected at the oneyard line, but the fullback was dragged down just short of the line and the Elis had held in a critical situation.

The Elis gained some breathing room from there, and when Crimson captain Bill Emper fumbled, the much-hoped-for punt soon after that, the string had finally run out.

Yale took over from there and on the strength of the running of the backfield trio of Pagliari, Southworth and Hatem, drove deep into Harvard territory before a missed field goal attempt gave Harvard the ball at its own 20 with 46 seconds to go.

A Kubacki run, which gave the senior his record, ended the game and the season. Yale was at least coholder of the title.