A Special Specialty Squad

A feeling has rippled through the dining halls this week, subtle at first, but powerful nonetheless. Yale is coming to town for The Game, The Event and The Post-Game Party. Suddenly names like "Diana" and "Czinger" and "Rogan" are discussed over dinner, together with the usual musings about the state of Harvard football. Aside from the intense tradition surrounding The Contest, this year there is something else at stake: The Title.

Accordingly, most of the armchair quarterbacks are wondering whether Crimson signal-caller Brian Buckley will click with a rehabilitated Ron Cuccia, whether Tommy Beatrice and Jim Callinan will tear through the Eli defensive front, whether coach Joe Restic will use his tight ends with the same success he has in recent weeks, and whether the big-play Harvard defense will provide the difference.

But one often overlooked factor in the Crimson's success this season is the importance of the specialty teams. Perhaps the most improved unit on the team, the suicide squad has displayed unbridled enthusiasm and unusual proficiency all fall, making the difference in a couple of contests.

The tasks of the specialty units are thankless. Sprinting headlong down the field to make bone-jarring tackles on kick returns, trying to spring for a long gainer on a return, trotting onto the turf to boot what everyone assumes to be an automatic point after touchdown, punting the ball in gray New England--these are not the things that make the headlines.

But as any of the starters will tell you, the Crimson gridders' specialty teams have more than done the job this season under the direction of coach Charlie McCarthy.

Take placekicker Dave Cody. Never noted for an overwhelmingly strong leg, the Winthrop House senior has successfully converted ten of 12 field goal attempts for a remarkable 83 per cent accuracy rating--second in the NCAA.

Cody gave the squad a boost with field goals of 42 and 44 yds.--not easy for any kicker--and has gone four for four on field goals inside the 30. Whenever the Crimson offense bogs down near the goal line, it at least has the consolation of three assured points--no small matter.

Or consider punter Steve Flach. His average has hovered around the 37 yd. mark most of the year, but he has repeatedly come through with big kicks when Harvard has been in a hole. He has also had the somewhat unnerving experience of watching the ball flutter over his head on occasion because of high center snaps--the one area in which the specialty unit has proved inconsistent.

Aside from Army, no team has been able to pierce the Crimson's maniacal suicide return defense. Joe Margolis, Vic Kazanjian and Louis Varsames stand out on kick returns.

Thus far this season, Justin Whittington, Varsames and Tom Clark have blocked kicks--one was a convert attempt in the Holy Cross game that allowed Harvard to hang on for a one-point win.

So one special thing about this season's version of Harvard football is the specialty squad. If football and war are the ultimate team games, the Crimson boasts quite an infantry--one the Bulldogs will have to reckon with come Saturday.