Holy Cross Converts Gridders, 33-19

The first quarter seemed so easy.

But in football--as in life--things fall apart. And that's exactly what happened to the Crimson Saturday afternoon at Harvard Stadium.

After jumping off to a quick 10-0 first-quarter lead, the Crimson fell apart, giving up 15 unanswered points and falling to Holy Cross, 33-19. The loss evens Harvard's season record at 1-1.

After four lead changes, the momentum shifted for the last time when Crusader defensive end John Andreoli blasted through the Harvard line and blocked a Jim Villanueva punt attempt. Chris McMahon recovered the ball in the end zone for six Holy Cross points. A two-point conversion put the Crusaders ahead to stay, 26-19, with about nine minutes to go in the game.

The Crusaders later added an insurance touchdown to put the Crimson away for good. A long Harvard drive in the game's final moments ended when time expired with the Crimson on the Holy Cross one-yard line.

Ball Control

The Crusaders' deliberate ball-control offense contrasted sharply with Harvard's dependence on the explosive big play. Although Crimson quarterback Ron Cuccia managed to put together a pair of sustained touchdown drives--including a 14-play, 79-yarder in the third quarter--the Holy Cross offense consistently ground out yardage and stayed on the field.

"Our defense was on the field too long," senior captain Peter Coppinger said yesterday. "The offense moved the ball well, pretty much at will, but they just weren't on the field long enough."

The Crusaders' 80-yd., first-quarter drive, for example, narrowed the Crimson lead to 10-6, and took the momentum out of the Harvard attack. Operating out of a multiple-I formation. Crusader signal-caller Dave Boisture directed a devastating attack, handling off to backs Andy Clivio and Mark Covington, who combined for 168 yards on the day.

"Their outside speed was a little better than we had anticipated," Harvard head coach Joe Restic said after the game. "They got around us and turned the corner. They turned it on when they had to...Covington was a difference in the game."

Boisture mixed up the Holy Cross attack by passing effectively most of the afternoon, especially to flanker Mike Redding, who split the Harvard secondary on precise cross-field patterns for 76 yards on seven receptions.

After ten first-quarter points, the Crimson fell flat in the second stanza and rolled over and played dead as the Crusaders added another touchdown and a field goal to take a 15-10 halftime advantage.

Following the anemic second quarter, Harvard came out steaming in the third, driving straight down the field on its first possession to take a brief 16-15 lead. The drive showed Cuccia at his best, scrambling from the snap and passing brilliantly in spite of the Crimson's often-ineffective offensive line.

On that drive, the junior quarterback completed passes to every receiver in sight (and to some he probably didn't see at all), including split end Dirk Killen, halfback Steve Bianucci, and even a screen to fullback Jim Callinan.

First-year Holy Cross coach Rick Carter offered only the highest praise for Cuccia, who was 15-for-27 for 219 yards and one interception for the afternoon. "Anybody who sacks that guy ought to get an award of merit or something. He's a slippery, slippery character and a fine, fine quarterback."

Generally effective--if a little too dependent on the big play--including a blocked-punt touchdown of its own--the Crimson attack offered a few changes from last week's game at Columbia.

Instead of giving the ball to Callinan--usually the bull of the Harvard backfield--Cuccia and Restic relied heavily on halfback Jim Acheson, who Restic hoped would be able to get outside on the Holy Cross defense. Callinan carried the ball just seven times all game, and only twice in the first half.

"If we start with Cal inside they will close it off. We've got to establish something outside, and we thought we could get Acheson going. When he gets going outside he's a pretty good running back," Restic said. Acheson finished the game with 51 yards in 18 carries.

As the disastrous second quarter unfolded, the Crimson failed to go to the air, as might have been expected. With the ground attack failing to come up with any substantial yardage, Cuccia went to the air just twice, and couldn't light the offensive spark that the Crimson needed. The situation changed in the second half, with Cuccia uncorking 23 pass attempts, including one left-handed flip to Callinan good for five yards.

Cuccia was under heavy pressure all afternoon, both from the Cross pass rush and a string of Harvard penalties which put the squad deep into the hole on second and third down. "You can't operate out of second and third and long situations all day," Restic said.